Anyone start on their plan 'B' yet?

Cessnaflyer

Wooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
Well I ended up at the airline I wanted to be at but not exactly in a pilot's seat...

After finishing up most of my college and teaching for a year I still don't have enough hours to make it on even at Great Lakes with internal recommendations. :( So I weighed my options and interviewed for a Ground Service position here in SEA. I was hired and am excited as ever to be working for the company I've had my heart set on but it's just not the right position yet.

I know there have been a lot of posts about the plan 'B' but has anyone acted upon it like I have?
 
That's not really a plan B so much as a stepping stone.

A plan B is the United Airlines pilot who was just furloughed deciding to go into the management training program at Home Depot. Hang in there. You'll be fine.
 
Been furloughed and 1 year from being done with college. I'm already applying for a few internships. Might as well make some connections in the normal world while I can :rolleyes:
 
I am not anywhere near qualified to be an airline pilot yet. But my plans have changed due to the possible weak job market in the near future. Instead of taking out a loan and finishing up my ratings as quick as possible I am going to work and fly on the side, pay as I go. I had an interview 2 wed ago and it went very well. Hoping to hear back any day now about a second.

Not really a plan B just a different path to achieving plan A in a much more financially sound position. It also will give me a little more experience to add to my resume.
 
I activated my plan B before I bothered activating A. I finished my CMEL in December and figured a.) Better to put some cushion in the bank before taking an 18k a year job and b.) I figured the hiring party would be over soon. Why jump on at the end of it?

I'm glad I did because it gave me some time to gain perspective on what I would like to do with my flying abilities.
 
I am not anywhere near qualified to be an airline pilot yet. But my plans have changed due to the possible weak job market in the near future. Instead of taking out a loan and finishing up my ratings as quick as possible I am going to work and fly on the side, pay as I go. I had an interview 2 wed ago and it went very well. Hoping to hear back any day now about a second.

Not really a plan B just a different path to achieving plan A in a much more financially sound position. It also will give me a little more experience to add to my resume.

Very good thinking Matt. I played with the idea of quitting my good paying job and sinking a chunk of savings into "an academy program". Sure, my timing may have allowed me to have been hired by some regional, but then I would most likely be on the street here real soon. So, I just peck along at the FBO...no rush needed here! Flying will be plan "B" I think...
 
JTrain...

I don't pay much attention but I thought you worked for either CoEx or Jetblue. If either case is true your job does not seem to be in immediate jeopardy.

So what's plan B and, more importantly, why are you pulling the ripcord now?
 
I have always commuted so that's not an issue. Now my commute is huge, so that's not an issue.

What I've discovered is that the 320 type and +500 hours PIC is golden.

What I know is that I don't ever want to be an FO again.

Plan B is very much in the works.
 
Very good thinking Matt. I played with the idea of quitting my good paying job and sinking a chunk of savings into "an academy program". Sure, my timing may have allowed me to have been hired by some regional, but then I would most likely be on the street here real soon. So, I just peck along at the FBO...no rush needed here! Flying will be plan "B" I think...

Yeah, I think it is the best option. The decision to quit my old job and attempt to jump right in was made much easier since I made only slightly more than a FO at a regional.

I started crunching the numbers and even with the limited debt I have from working on my PPL it would be tough to have the QOL I want when making 20k a year. So, unfortunately I am headed back to the cube farm. The one bright spot is it will be a nice boost in pay so i will be able to fly more!:nana2:

Have fun with the journey!
 
Plan "b" is why you don't burn bridges...

Aviation is all I know, so no plans to not fly.

However, plan "b" is filed away, enforceable when needed.
 
I started on Plan B when I got hired on at Eagle (10/07). I currently have 3 jobs total. Pilot, Instructor for a transition program (pays more than my Eagle job) and I work for an online company on layovers and downtime. IF I loose the Eagle gig I have 2 jobs to fall back on plus my previous career in IT (retail computer/ATM repair...can't be outsourced!). Worst case scenario...if I get furloughed...my pay can only go up. Hell is I upgrade in 5 years I will make what I made 2 years ago in 10 years.
 
JTrain...

I don't pay much attention but I thought you worked for either CoEx or Jetblue. If either case is true your job does not seem to be in immediate jeopardy.

So what's plan B and, more importantly, why are you pulling the ripcord now?

CoEx, it is, law school and a lot of reasons, none of which most the folks on this site would understand or agree with.
 
Well I ended up at the airline I wanted to be at but not exactly in a pilot's seat...

After finishing up most of my college and teaching for a year I still don't have enough hours to make it on even at Great Lakes with internal recommendations. :( So I weighed my options and interviewed for a Ground Service position here in SEA. I was hired and am excited as ever to be working for the company I've had my heart set on but it's just not the right position yet.

I know there have been a lot of posts about the plan 'B' but has anyone acted upon it like I have?

After one year of instructing you don't have more than 750 TT??

Either way, get over feeling like you belong in an airline with < 1000 hrs. The low time hiring was a fluke. Keep instructing to 135 mins, then get a freight/charter job.
 
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