Why?I think I just threw up in my mouth a little.
Why?I think I just threw up in my mouth a little.
I'm not saying it's easy. I'm saying that once you're there, it's the life
Winning the lottery isn't easy either, but once you do, that's the life!
It's not all roses.
0430 Van rides.
Not seeing your kids recitals
No stability.
Job losses
Whipsawing regionals all clambering for a piece of the pie.
Medicals.
Bad day checkrides.
15 seconds of oops kills YEARS of attaboys.
Lots more.
Just keeping it real.
I think what's important is to take your uncle's situation in the context of what it took to get there. Granted he might be an '83 hire who didn't exactly take the difficult route (no offense), but odds are there was a lot of hard work, furloughs, bankruptcies, displacements, divorces, and paycuts to get where he is today.
With that said, if you can make it through the rough patches it's not a bad gig. I've spent the past week in Turkey and am typing this from Cairo; there's no way I'd be seeing these places were it not for this job.
Actually I have heard and watched documentaries that for most people who win the lottery, life was better before they had won. A high percentage of lottery winners actually end up bankrupt and/or committing suicide.
Of course there are negatives. I never said that there wasn't. Come to think of it though, I want you to find me a job, any job on the planet, that is full of only positive, great things where everything is AWESOME. Now, if you cannot find sucha job, come back down to reality and join me in realizing that the career of an airline pilot is so much g*d damn better with all of it's negatives than half of the other jobs out there.
I think that some of the negative comments you are getting, or going to get on this thread might have to do with your perspective. Please don't take this the wrong way, but you are essentially an outsider, albeit with a closer view than the general public, who is telling the insiders how great our job is. No offense, but the phrase, "walk a mile in my shoes" comes to mind.
That said, you're right about this being a great job. Just don't try and gloss over the bad things about it, and trust me, there are some very bad things about it. If you pursue a career in any flying field, you need to be brutally honest with yourself about the good and bad. If you don't, you will end up like a lot of guys who are now being furloughed early in their careers. Bitter and upset. That's because they bought the lie that there was only one way to go but up, and furloughs only happened to crusty old guys who fly for third rate mom and pop operations.
, but he is one of the happiest working professionals that I have met, pilot or not.
...but he is one of the happiest working professionals that I have met, pilot or not.
Got anything to say to the pilots that have been trying to get their foot in the door for over ten years eating crackers? I'm sure they are all ears open! I can put my two cents in for the rookies... Plan on CFIing and teaching English as a second language at the flight controls until you make the right connections (how ever long that may take).
This career rocks man, but seriously man... getting your foot in the door is the hardest part.
I'm not real sure what that means. Two years ago or less we were all on here talking about all you need is a pulse to get a job with a regional. I wasn't big on going to the airlines either. I had always pictured myself doing the 135 side, but I saw the opportunity at the airlines and took it.
I have to say I really enjoy this job. I was lucky to get in at a good time and it only took me a year to hold a schedule that I like. It is one of the greatest careers in the worst industry.
Andy
I've also never understood what's so amazing about airline flying. There's a big world out there, away from the airlines. With my work, I'm home almost every night, get most weekends and every holiday off, fly a wide variety of aircraft, and make about as much as a second year regional FO. Honestly, I never set out to do the work I'm doing, but I'm happy with it now that I'm here. And it doesn't take a tremendous amount of experience to do what I'm doing, it's not like I have the resume of an astronaut...I've just kept an open mind and worked hard. It seems like a lot of people "settle" for airline flying because they don't make opportunities for themselves elsewhere. Just my observations.
You're going to die in your life, so stop worrying about WHAT you do in your JOB and start giving more attention to WHAT you do WITH your LIFE.
You're going to die in your life, so stop worrying about WHAT you do in your JOB and start giving more attention to WHAT you do WITH your LIFE.
Those right there be words to live by....
This career sucks. But you know what? So does working at Home Depot. So does laying hardwood floor. What sucks worse is sanding and refinishing a hardwood floor. What sucks even more than that, is cleaning and buffing a floor in an autoshop. What sucks worse than that and worse than that, is being on furlough and having to bury your head in the ground to find money.
Every job SUCKS. Thats why its called a JOB. You're going to die in your life, so stop worrying about WHAT you do in your JOB and start giving more attention to WHAT you do WITH your LIFE.