Spike511
Well-Known Member
I was thinking Blackwater's/XE Services LLC.'s US Training Center:
http://www.ustraining.com/new/index.asp
Or Thunder Ranch:
http://www.thunderranchinc.com/home/index.html
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Eric
What path to take...
- Thread starter Spike511
- Start date
I was thinking Blackwater's/XE Services LLC.'s US Training Center:
http://www.ustraining.com/new/index.asp
Or Thunder Ranch:
http://www.thunderranchinc.com/home/index.html
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Eric
Look and see where the demand is going to be in the next decade or so. Investigate those fields and get an idea what appeals to you. Major in and prepare for that field.
The idea here is to position yourself in the revenue stream; i.e. make it so that a company benefits (i.e increases its revenue) as a direct result of your labor. Any manager worth the title is going to see the value of keeping you happy, because if he doesn't you're going to go his competitor.
Also, keep in mind that today's hot commodity is tomorrow's old news. So you need to stay on that cutting edge. Expect and plan to completely change careers every 10 years or so.
That is where today's economy is going.
The upshot of all this is stay out of professional aviation, particularly the pilot profession. There is no demand, and pilots as individuals don't add to the bottom line. The way to make money in aviation is to be the guy who comes up with the next "new" idea.
The idea here is to position yourself in the revenue stream; i.e. make it so that a company benefits (i.e increases its revenue) as a direct result of your labor. Any manager worth the title is going to see the value of keeping you happy, because if he doesn't you're going to go his competitor.
Also, keep in mind that today's hot commodity is tomorrow's old news. So you need to stay on that cutting edge. Expect and plan to completely change careers every 10 years or so.
That is where today's economy is going.
The upshot of all this is stay out of professional aviation, particularly the pilot profession. There is no demand, and pilots as individuals don't add to the bottom line. The way to make money in aviation is to be the guy who comes up with the next "new" idea.
Spike511
Well-Known Member
I don't want to go into aviation to make money. I want to go into aviation to be happy. If I wanted to make money sir, I would become a lawyer. I believe aviation will be able to pay for basic life necesseties and the occasional nice thing. Heck, I don't even want to be rich. If I won the lottery I'd donate more than half of it. I deffinately wouldn't go try and get a bush flying gig in Africa for a few years if I wanted to make money, I want to do it all because it's an adventure and while I was placed on this earth I'm going to make good use of my time and live life to the fullest. I'll have many more stories to tell my grandkids or whatever then the accountant down the street.
I believe what I am going to do is follow troopernflight's advice and become a cop if the army dosent work for a few years and use that time to continue a steady revenue while I continue my flight training, and then move into the aviation industry.
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Eric
Okie_Pilot
Pitts Builder
Hey man, I can relate to your same situation some. I grew up wanting to be a fighter pilot/airline pilot, only to realize a couple of years ago that wasn't quite what I wanted to do. Then it came time to pick something that I wanted to do and major in.
I've always been interested in the Law Enforcement/chasing bad guys/protecting people stuff and was always home in time to watch "Cops". Being a city cop or deputy sheriff really didn't interest or appeal to me, what did though was the U.S. Marshals. Being a federal agent with benefits and great pay, doing a number of different tasks and tracking down and getting the baddest of the baddest. STARTING PAY is in the mid $40k range, that's a whole lot better than most flying jobs and you usually get to sleep in your own bed every night.
I also ran across this job posting that REALLY spiked my interest even more: http://forums.jetcareers.com/jobs-available/78553-us-marshal-hiring-pilot.html
As far as the degree goes. Police say you don't need the Criminal Justice degree, Pilot's say you don't need the Professional Pilot/Aviation Management degree. To sum it up, it just sounds like you need to major in whatever you want. I started looking into a Major in Psychology and a Minor in Criminal Justice or vice versa, I just haven't decided yet. You need to find a degree you want to get and would enjoy learning about, just like you would a job.
http://www.usmarshals.gov/careers/index.html
I've always been interested in the Law Enforcement/chasing bad guys/protecting people stuff and was always home in time to watch "Cops". Being a city cop or deputy sheriff really didn't interest or appeal to me, what did though was the U.S. Marshals. Being a federal agent with benefits and great pay, doing a number of different tasks and tracking down and getting the baddest of the baddest. STARTING PAY is in the mid $40k range, that's a whole lot better than most flying jobs and you usually get to sleep in your own bed every night.
I also ran across this job posting that REALLY spiked my interest even more: http://forums.jetcareers.com/jobs-available/78553-us-marshal-hiring-pilot.html
As far as the degree goes. Police say you don't need the Criminal Justice degree, Pilot's say you don't need the Professional Pilot/Aviation Management degree. To sum it up, it just sounds like you need to major in whatever you want. I started looking into a Major in Psychology and a Minor in Criminal Justice or vice versa, I just haven't decided yet. You need to find a degree you want to get and would enjoy learning about, just like you would a job.
http://www.usmarshals.gov/careers/index.html
Spoken like someone who has never had the responsbility for taking care of himself or his family!
You haven't been paying much attention either to this board, or to the industry in general. How many posts have you seen in recent years about how happy JC members are? How many news articles have you seen about successful airlines and happy employees?
I was just like you: a teenager convinced that only aviation would make me happy. Now I'm 41, 4 years out of aviation, and I'm much happier than I ever was in aviation. And I can honestly say I don't miss it. Well, that's not true. Every time I drive pass a little GA airport I get the urge to turn in and see what's going on (didn't have that when I was in the biz, BTW). But as far as professional/commercial aviation? No thanks, you can keep it.
The point I'm getting to here is threefold: 1) You're not always going to be the same person you are now; 2)Don't count on your job to make you "happy," and 3) allow yourself to consider something besides aviation; you must might be surprised.
When I was your age I never once considered doing what I am now. Now I wish I had made the change sooner.
Ghost
Well-Known Member
It sounds like me and you have similar interests so I'll tell you what my plan is. I got my private pilot license at an FBO the summer right after I graduated. I literally graduated then drove to the airport and started flying. I'm currently at a community college getting a Aviation professional flight degree and working on my instrument rating at the same time. I plan to try to knock out 150 hours by the end of the year that way I can have a commercial pilot's ticket as a sophomore in college and finish up my aviation degree here. Then I'm probably going to transfer to a 4 year school and get a criminal justice degree (incase something happens that stops me from being a pilot) while I get flight instructor ratings. Then I can find a job as an instructor and go to school and stay with flight instructing after graduation. If that doesn't work, I'm going to try to get on with the state patrol and be an officer for 2 years and then start flying until I build up enough hours to get a job with charter or corporate, and then hit the airlines.
Spike511
Well-Known Member
Spike511
Well-Known Member
See, I thought your post was pulling the:
"Whatever you say, the Aviation industry sucks...and I wont rest until you relize that" card.
Eh...maybe I came off rough...im just in a fritz over all this...I'm sorry sir. I'd offer to buy you a drink if I was older and this was in person.
And to be honest, you have challenged my method of thinking. I am still open to career options...
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Eric
sundog
Well-Known Member
Be that as it may, a CJ degree would leave you in an excellent position to go to law school if you "lost your medical" qualifications for other law enforcement jobs. becoming a lawyer first is also the best way to get into the FBI. It is something to think about.
If flying is your passion, may i suggest an Engineering degree? mechanical or (preferably) aeronautical/aerospace engineering. you'll learn the details that most pilots don't understand, you'll have a fallback career if you loose your medical or get furloughed, and you will have an easy time passing the JAA tests if you want to fly foreign.