Airline flying- worth it?

A

avdrummerboy

New Member
Well, after reading PGTs post on dreams being shot not only did I realize my luck but formed a VERY opinionated question. I'll start like many from that post with a quick history of my "flying carrear."

I am now 17 Yrs. old and have had my current job for approx. 3 months. It is part time; monthly I'm guessing is about $400 per month if I'm lucky that month. I took my intro flight about a yeat-and-a half ago. I just two days ago hit my 10 Hr. mark and am ready to start soloing. Like many on PGTs post I am lucky to have parents that are paying for gas, food, insurance, ect. I do just use the family cars which might be saving us some but someday soon I will need a car so I will have to start looking soon.

Anyway I am a junior in high school and am hoping to have my PPL completed before I graduate so I can start working on the instrument rating. I am paying MY way through MY flight training. Fortunantly where I live it's not too expensive ($64/hr. for a fairly decent 150 and $25/hr for the instructor) but will cost enough in the longrun, depending mostly on avgas prices.

I plan on going to college and getting a degree most likely in electrical engineering to help me out along the way. I'm looking at a few local CA colleges but also the aviation colleges like Embry Riddle; more question of aviation colleges later.

I am hoping not to join the military at all costs but I will do what I need to do to get to the majors, including the military route.

My real question is this- and I know this going to stur up many opinions, but it's a chance that I'm willing to take- is the airline flying lifestyle worth it for a person like me who is into aviation for the love and wants a job in aviation just so he can fly everyday. I've heard many good and bad stories about it; especially at the regional level.

I've got a long life ahead of me and I hope to make the right choices as soon as possible.

Thanks in advance and all advice will be very helpful

PK
KD7WNJ
 
avdrummerboy said:
I am hoping not to join the military at all costs but I will do what I need to do to get to the majors, including the military route.
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KD7WNJ de N5QML,
Here's my two cents worth. Being a pilot is great, BUT... don't use the military as a "training ground" for the airline. You'll hate it. The only reason you should join the military is because military service is something you feel drawn to do. Sure you build great hours, and these days the pay is not bad, but it's not about the flying--it's about serving your country.

By joining the military, you agree to put your service ahead of your own agenda, your family, perhaps even your life. It means agreeing to long deployments, giving up control of your life (even more so than a "normal" job), and taking a different view on the world.

I've seen guys who came in just to build time. They not only usually hated the Air Force, they spread their unhappiness to the others around them.

As hokey as it sounds, the military is more than a job. It's more than an airline training ground. It's a serious commitment to service, to your country, and to things more important than yourself. If you're not up to that, working your way up on the civilian side is a much better way to go.
 
Don't take this the wrong way bro, because you're seriously asking a lot of the right questions; but at 17 you don't have a clue about whether you're going to dig this career. A little more on that.

When I was your age, I was hell bent on going to college to study aviation. I was working on my private pilots license and all I did was airplanes and marching band when I got to college, I had airplanes to fly!

When I got to college I decided that the collegiate aviation was a complete and total joke. After a year of putting up with what I thought was a lot of BS, I switched majors to political science and eventually philosophy. More than that, I grew up a lot in college. I realized that flying airplanes wasn't everything in life. I was dating a really cool girl that ended up changing my views on a lot of things in life, including what I value.

So during college, flying got put on hold. I had a private pilots license and an instrument rating. Oddly enough, I spent most of my time in college with the marching band (or some other musical ensemble, something was always keeping me busy with music). The rest of the time I spent with that chick and reading this website.

But I finally came back to flying and finished the rest of my ratings through CFI/II/MEI my last summer of college. At that point I spent so much time working on the flying thing that I lost the chick and you know what? Flying didn't seem that important to me anymore. Putting up with that lifestyle wasn't what I wanted for my life at 23 when I was burning relationships with people that mattered a lot.

The moral of this strange and twisted story? When I was 17, I would have said, "Screw the chick, I love to fly!" But as I got a little older (mind you, at 24 I still feel like I'm 16 and I can't believe that people trust me to fly their airplanes around) I started to realize that there are things that are WAY more important in life than flying airplanes around. I wouldn't expect you to think that way when you're 17, but I guess I'm saying here's a heads up on what will might happen to you as you progress through this whole flying gig.

So don't be supprised if you are totally into planes at 17, but in another 5-10 years you decide it's not what you want to do. Personally, I've quit flying for a living at least once already and where am I? Initial training at a new company, living on the other side of the country from where I started.

Oh and don't worry too much about making all the right choices all the time. Oddly enough, I've made a few choices in my life where I said, "This is the absolute best thing to do right now" and I ended up miserable from those choices a few months later. That's life, though! Just do the best you can with what you have in front of you at the time.
 
Basically the way I was thinking of the military. Sure you get the time and training but you also get the commitments aside from that.
 
Fly4Pay said:
KD7WNJ de N5QML,
Here's my two cents worth. Being a pilot is great, BUT... don't use the military as a "training ground" for the airline. You'll hate it. The only reason you should join the military is because military service is something you feel drawn to do. Sure you build great hours, and these days the pay is not bad, but it's not about the flying--it's about serving your country.

By joining the military, you agree to put your service ahead of your own agenda, your family, perhaps even your life. It means agreeing to long deployments, giving up control of your life (even more so than a "normal" job), and taking a different view on the world.

I've seen guys who came in just to build time. They not only usually hated the Air Force, they spread their unhappiness to the others around them.

As hokey as it sounds, the military is more than a job. It's more than an airline training ground. It's a serious commitment to service, to your country, and to things more important than yourself. If you're not up to that, working your way up on the civilian side is a much better way to go.
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:yeahthat:

Also take into consideration, that if you go into the military there is no guarantee that you will be able to fly in the military, and if you don't you'll still have to serve your whole comitment, then have to start from the beginning with your civilian aviation career when you get out.

If a civilian career is what you ultamately want, it sounds like you are off to a good start already. Just stick with it. Pick your way through your ratings during college and you'll be well on your way by the time you get your degree.

Good Luck!
 
jtrain609 said:
No joke dude, I'm a serious nerd. I own 3 computers, fly for a living and I spent a lot of hours hacking out cheese chachutta's in my apartment. Jawright can relate.

Too bad in the end my chops STILL sucked.
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Right on. My band-nerdiness has allowed me to travel around North America 7 times (going on 8) and is earning me enough $$ to pay cash up front for my flight training. And I have something I love to do that I can fall back on should the flying thing not work out.

John, you should have broken that $*it down hands-separate. It's so much easier that way. Also, Scott Johnson is growing the mullet back. I saw it. :)
 
For jtrain609 yeah I guess I will have to see what life throws my way and if no other oportunities come up I can stick with lfying the whole way.

Seems like the flying bug ended up still getting you in the end though!!!
 
avdrummerboy said:
For jtrain609 yeah I guess I will have to see what life throws my way and if no other oportunities come up I can stick with lfying the whole way.

Seems like the flying bug ended up still getting you in the end though!!!
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Oh it ain't the end at all. I don't know if I'm gonna keep doing this. You see, like R2F, kellwolf and a few others, I'm like the poster child of this website; I majored in something other than aviation, I took my time getting my ratings, I found a place to train at that was affordable (and not simply hyped up like most academy's) and I got the jobs I've had through networking. I've still got plenty of time to bail out of this career and go to law school, which is still very much an option.

EDIT: BTW Where you at in California?
 
Like was said earlier, if you want to fly in the Military you have to want it like hell. It is an honor to serve, it while your in the Military that's your priority. But otherwise, if you want anything bas enough you can get it man. One thing that makes me realize I want to fly for a living is, when ever I pass a commercial airport and see those jets I think it's the coolest effing thing in the world. I couldn't imagine a better way to spend my days. So for me, yes it's worth it.
 
jtrain609 my homebase is KAPV Apple Valley
alphaone I know the feeling. For me, even if the starting pay is not much, you are still doing what you love to do. Thats my reasoning and I am going to do all I can to get there. Even if you have to stay in crashpads w/ people you may not know real well if you truly love the work you do it's worth it in my book.
 
avdrummerboy said:
jtrain609 my homebase is KAPV Apple Valley
alphaone I know the feeling. For me, even if the starting pay is not much, you are still doing what you love to do. Thats my reasoning and I am going to do all I can to get there. Even if you have to stay in crashpads w/ people you may not know real well if you truly love the work you do it's worth it in my book.
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That's it close the thread now...
 
avdrummerboy said:
jtrain609 my homebase is KAPV Apple Valley
alphaone I know the feeling. For me, even if the starting pay is not much, you are still doing what you love to do. Thats my reasoning and I am going to do all I can to get there. Even if you have to stay in crashpads w/ people you may not know real well if you truly love the work you do it's worth it in my book.
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I'm in Burbank, we should hang out sometime. From your screen name I take it you're a drummer. You into the indoor scene at all? I need to go see what RCC is throwing this winter, maybe we could go check out a show.

Seriously dude I used to think the same thing as you, but not anymore. When you're 17 it's really easy to think that you can live like that, but trust me when you get a few more years under your belt you're going to think that living in a crashpad with 14 other guys just to do something that "you love" is frigging nuts.
 
"is the airline flying lifestyle worth it for a person like me who is into aviation for the love and wants a job in aviation just so he can fly everyday"

I will say yes. It's worth it. I don't love flying like I did when I was 17 but I still love it. There are a couple of other things I guess I'd rather be doing but they don't pay a fraction on what I make now, so it's better I stick with this and use my job the way the good Lord intended it...as a blessing to me and others.

"The pilot lifestyle" works well for me cause I stayed single. Most guys aren't interested in that, so you'll have to consider the negative impact of the job on your future life, in general. I think if you're a pilot, you're really married to the job, at least for the first ten years or so. Relationships can make the job more...difficult. The job can certainly make relationships difficult. I hear if you are with the right person it's all good but apparently it's hard to find such a person.

As far as "flying everyday", trust me, by the time you hit 1000 total you'll be sick of flying everyday. I try to minimize my time flying and maximize my pay and time off. You will too, eventually. I don't know anyone at my level that doesn't.
 
jtrain609 yeah I'm a drummer. :) I'm not into marching band as you were, I tried it my fresman year and hated it, that wasn't for me. So basically, yes I am into the indoor sceen; drum set is more of my speciality. Haven't seen what RCC or any of the other "majors" have been doing for a while. Now there is a tough lifestyle; playing drums for at least 8 hours a day and then learning to march around to it.

DE727UPS Yeah I can see what you mean. Anything after enough time gets mundane and boring. I used to love pizza hut pizza and now that I work there it's not even half as good as it used to be. Although a free pizza every night if I want one is kinda nice :) albiet not good for me at all ( :) mabey the reason my blood pressure was quite high on my medical :) ) :sarcasm:
 
avdrummerboy said:
jtrain609 my homebase is KAPV Apple Valley
alphaone I know the feeling. For me, even if the starting pay is not much, you are still doing what you love to do. Thats my reasoning and I am going to do all I can to get there. Even if you have to stay in crashpads w/ people you may not know real well if you truly love the work you do it's worth it in my book.
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Dude, the starting first year pay SUCKS. I LOVE what I do but trust me the first year pay stubs suck. Do you know what it feels like to pay off your bills and rent and then have $23.54 left in your checking AND savings account combined for the next two weeks? That is $23.54 for gas, food, a haircut, and any other expenses that come up? That has happened to me numerous times.

About living in a crashpad. I woke up last night at 3AM and had to take a leak. I am staying in a two bedroom crashpad with 8 guys living here. Got up and almost killed myself as I tripped over my crashpad roomate who got in at 1AM after I went to bed. We all have airmattresses and sleep on the floor. Well I found out that he was there as the floor was breaking my fall.

With all of this said, with all the BS I deal with I LOVE my job. I can not imagine doing anything differently. Every sacrafice I made has been worth it, I look forward to getting up in the morning, I like my company, and I like the people I work with. You meet some interesting characters in this gig and I wouldn't give it up for anything. If I were you, your young, give aviation a shot, but understand what you are getting yourself into. Tell yourself that if you don't love what you do by the time you are say 30 you give it up and try something else. GO TO COLLEGE BUT DO NOT MAJOR IN AVIATION!

The post you made about first year pay and crashpad living, you need to be informed so that attitude changes bud.
 
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