Commercial Pilot Career is a sinking ship.

TwilightFan91 said:
Yes, but if you were to add up all those non-airline jobs, it will come out to nowhere near 50,000.

Take all the 'small airplane' cargo and passenger outfits (Airnet, Ameriflight, and Cape Air and the like), that adds up to about 1,000 jobs max. Then add up all the fractional companies like NetJets, and FlexJet, thats another 1,000. All corporate gigs in the country add up to maybe 500. Plus all the 'career' flight instructor gigs which I'm guessing is about 200 or 300. Add all that up and you get about 3,000 jobs. Then double that number just in case my numbers are way off. That comes out to 6,000 jobs. Not even as many jobs as one of the large Airlines.
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Ok so the numbers are way off and you missing some major industries. To name a few, aerial photography, spray planes, skydive pilots, fire flying, etc. You just have to find them.
 
chuckar101 said:
Ok so the numbers are way off and you missing some major industries. To name a few, aerial photography, spray planes, skydive pilots, fire flying, etc. You just have to find them.
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i think it's pretty obvious I was making the numbers up. my point was that "there are more jobs out there other than airlines" is assuming that airline pilots jobs are just a small fraction of aviation jobs. My point was that the airline industry makes up the majority of pilot jobs. I have no idea where you'd get the actual numbers, but I'm guessing airline jobs make up a much bigger percentage than a lot of people realize.
 
TwilightFan91 said:
i think it's pretty obvious I was making the numbers up.
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The OP that started this thread was to get people to look at real numbers and not make things up. The sobering fact is GA has been in decline since the late 70s and Airline pilot jobs are also now in decline. Of course there are some jobs. The will be some jobs. But the ugly reality is there are and will be fewer opportunities creating a much more difficult case to justify the investment of time and money into an ever shrinking job pool.
 
I just wanna do my thing and wait for the pres to call up private pilot's to fly F-18's to battle the aliens.
 
cmill said:
BTW, i wasnt trying to start a this job is better than yours type of deal, was just trying to point out it is possible to make a respectable living flying outside of the airlines. Opportunities are out there, but you gotta look, and work your ass off.
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I'm having a TOUGH time finding where I said you couldn't make a respectable living flying outside of the airlines. I said, that if the right gig game along I'd drop my job in a heartbeat. I've done pretty well so far, and I can switch to 135 again if I need to, but it'll be when I'm ready. My life is pretty comfortable and happy right now and I'm not gonna change that until my QOL gets worse. Making a 100k flying around a 1900 or King Air would be a dream job but so would any 100k job, cost goes up if I have to put up with Alaska WX.

Anyway, I don't need the pep talk about working hard or looking for opportunities. If you are concerned with my career direction or my work ethic I'd stop.
 
jynxyjoe said:
Anyway, I don't need the pep talk about working hard or looking for opportunities. If you are concerned with my career direction or my work ethic I'd stop.
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The "pep talk" wasnt directed about you. While we're at it, dont flatter yourself too much thinking im concerned or actually care about your career path.

I was trying to be diplomatic, next time try not to look so much into it.
 
Why is 121 looked at as the be all end all? Hell, I'd like to do as big a variety of flying jobs as I can over the span of my career. My dream is still to fly for a major, but there is a lot of stuff I'd like to try between then and now, all outside of 121 flying. Stuff is out there. Srsly!
 
Because 121 has more glamor and wow factor. Being around a busy airport watching Jets takeoff/land is what motivated me(and a whole lotta people too) to become a pilot. But once you get so use to flying these GA aircraft for flight training, It changes your perspective. Now I keep having wet dreams about flying a Caravan for a Fed Ex feeder. :rotfl:
 
ChasenSFO said:
Why is 121 looked at as the be all end all? Hell, I'd like to do as big a variety of flying jobs as I can over the span of my career. My dream is still to fly for a major, but there is a lot of stuff I'd like to try between then and now, all outside of 121 flying. Stuff is out there. Srsly!
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Oh a lot of us are left overs from the "Goto the regional for 3 years, be at a major!"

I wasn't all that impressed with the 135 (134.5) I was at, so I left for an airline that was hiring. Owners didn't work but made sure their 3 junior guys worked 29 out of 30 days a month. Supposedly it's better because in 4 weeks time they lost 4 pilots. I fly coast to coast right now so I'll just keep soaking up the experience for now.
 
TwilightFan91 said:
Yes, but if you were to add up all those non-airline jobs, it will come out to nowhere near 50,000.

Then add up all the fractional companies like NetJets, and FlexJet, thats another 1,000.
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Did you just make up these numbers yourself???

NetJets (US only) still employs 2700+ after the furlough. All the other frax make up approx 1200 active pilots.


TwilightFan91 said:
All corporate gigs in the country add up to maybe 500.
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There are over 12,000 corporate JETS registered in the US. Given that most require two pilots, and some companies use more, you estimate is significantly inaccurate.

TwilightFan91 said:
...My point was that the airline industry makes up the majority of pilot jobs. I have no idea where you'd get the actual numbers, but I'm guessing airline jobs make up a much bigger percentage than a lot of people realize.
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That is the main misconception. The airlines are NOT the biggest percentage. As I pointed out above, even using corporate jets alone, non airline jobs become a much smaller percentage. Most corp jobs have several crews per plane and many corp jobs are running piston equip, turbo props and helicopters. Sorry, but airline jobs are more than likely, the minority.

There are 12000+ Corp jets in the US
There are 8000+ turboprops in the US
Delta operates 789 aircraft
American operates 612 aircraft
US Air operates 345 aircraft
NetJets operates 846 aircraft
 
Another thing to add about the amount of corp pilots is for every one of those 20,000+ turboprops/jets that are registered in the U.S., all of the ones that require 2 pilots probably actually have a 3 pilot department incase of sickness or something. And all of the single pilot airplanes probably have 2 pilots.

I am not saying ALL departments have an extra man, but I know of some who do.
 
Hey Jynxy,

Think we're riding your airline tomorrow from XNA to MEM and then on to TYS. Coming home via Mem on Wed. No hot-dogging! ;-)
 
jynxyjoe said:
I'm glad your so sure of it. The guys we had at my company who came from Menards weren't so sure, that's why they left, some still work here. One guy, Scott, quit and is back over there. Just a hell of a guy, had a great time studying for the Saab with him, and he did go back. I have no idea how well he is doing. I do know that sitting reserve with 2-3 kids at home wasn't worth his time and I completely understood and stand by his decision.
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ehh, I heard it from a friend of a friend...I guess that friend's friend who was a friend of a friend didn't know what he is talking about. I would have assumed a big company like that would pay decent considering Lowes and Home Depot pilots seem to have good gigs. I guess I was wrong. As always, I guess one should never assume.
 
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