Being an Airline Pilot Pro's/ Con's list

J

justinisapilot

Well-Known Member
My life long dream was to become an airline pilot. I currently hold a commercial rating and was working on multi. Recently I ran into some health issues that can possibly make me unable to hold any type of medical. To overcome the depression that can come from not being able to live my dream I started a pro/con list for being and not being an airline pilot. Here are some that I have come up with

Not being an airline pilot pro= ability to find a more stable job in the airline industry(looking at becoming a dispatcher
Not being an airline pilot con= not being able to live my life long dream

Being an airline pilot pro= Ability to live my life long dream
Being an airline pilot con= unstable job market and high chance of furlough.

Please help me add to the list
 
While I understand that your depressed now you will find another passion. Who knows though maybe you can get a special issuance depending on your conidton
 
Some airline pilot cons:

-Not being available for family events.
-Living in a crashpad for the days you're on reserve with other depressed pilots.
-Living in a crashpad for the days you're on reserve with other depressed pilots while your family is celebrating Christmas dinner.
-Commuting issues.
-Low pay.
-Not being able to get enough sleep on 8 hour reduced rest overnights.
-Dirty hotels and uncomfortable beds.

...etc...
 
If you found out today that you would still be able to fly, would you still be making this list?

Forget the pro/con list. All you're doing is trying to convince yourself of something you don't really believe. You want to be an airline pilot, and you're not able to. Just like any other disappointment in life, you get over it by getting on with life and directing your energies towards other things. The dirty little secret is that you can love and be passionate about anything you CHOOSE to. Find another interest. Are you really saying that the ONLY thing in life you care about is airplanes?
 
Pro: you get to fly for a living. It beats the hell out of sitting in a windowless cube making 200 cold calls a day. I've done both and it's a flying life for me!
 
Just to clarify one point; the whole flying part of being an airline pilot is actually an incredibly small part of the job. In fact I'd say it's about 10% of this job. The other 90% is dealing with stuff you don't even know exists yet. So yeah the flying part is cool, but just be aware, it's not the whole job.
 
jtrain hit on a good point, which maybe I'll be able to expand on a bit with my list.


- Flying itself never felt like a job to me. Everything from pre-flight, running checklists, taking off, flying DPs and STARs, approaches, navigating around weather, dealing with mumbling-fast-talking Chicago controllers, all of that never felt like work. That is a big pro. Contrast that to my job now where when I spend 6 hours crunching numbers in an excel worksheet, that does feel like work.

- You can never “take work home” with you. When you walk out of the airport at the end of your trip, you are truly done working. That is a huge pro also.

90% of the job (to use jtrain’s number) is not flying, and all of the cons for me came from that 90% of the job (which is what I really think you’re being paid to deal with)

- the big con of course…you’ll be away from home for 4-6 days a week, especially when you’re new, or you commute, and whenever you change seats (from FO to captain, from regional captain to major FO, from major FO to major CA, etc). There’s nothing quite as empty or lonely as getting to the hotel in Albany at 10am for a 20 hour overnight and knowing you’re missing XYZ event with your family or friends. Especially if you’re not particularly social and don’t think going to Skyline Chili with the crew is a particularly fulfilling event.

Other small cons that can add up…
- 4am wake up calls, late hotel vans, loud hotels, 4 hour sits at the airport, packing food or spending a fortune on airport food, 16 hour duty days, contract violations, having to be sharp enough on your contract to avoid crew scheduling lying to you/screwing when your phone rings at 3am, rolled days off, being displaced from your base seemingly for no reason and at the least convenient time, commuting (or moving) to your new base, really low pay for the first few years, rude gate agents, annoying crew members.
 
How old are you? Im assuming young enough where you can find a multitude of things that will be right for you. Make a list of things you like to do! Maybe we can give you some ideas:D In the end if flying works out then you have bonus!
 
Eh, do what you want. Each career path has positives and negatives.
 
Doug Taylor said:
Eh, do what you want. Each career path has positives and negatives.
Click to expand...

I couldn't agree more with Doug. I currently work an 8-5 desk job, with a desk at the top floor of the building, with a window view. I sit all day and put together tedious reports, keep track of stats, take part in conference calls and go to meetings. I don't make any more than a regional FO who is past first year pay. I've seen the hours the people in the positions I'd promote into work. Their cars are here at 7-8AM until 7-8PM and as late as 9PM. They are tied to their blackberry, even on weekends, when they are "off" - they don't make more than a 5-7 year regional CA and many of them have worked here for 8-10 years or more. I am not happy where I am, needless to say. I can't do the 8-5 thing forever, which is why I'm planning to pursue aviation again. All of my family/friends also works in various career fields outside of the aviation industry and there are plenty of cons they'd list about their jobs - ranging from healthcare to owning their own business. In fact, my parents, who work in healthcare, have told me they do not recommend I pursue healthcare as a career. Their hospital has had layoffs, more than once, paycuts and pay feezes over the past several years. My cousin, who recently graduated from nursing school, had a hard time finding a job and his starting pay, for the job he finally did find, is no greater, again, than a regional FO off of first year pay. I currently work with a lawyer who graduated top of his class from Law School in 2008. He was hired into one of the largest firms in the state, directly out of school. He quit, because he didn't like it and couldn't take the hours he was having to work, which he described as "sun up to sun down". There are also millions unemployed right now who can't find jobs in industries/jobs across the board.

The point I guess I'm getting to is this; Choose something that will make you happy and go for it. There are pros and cons to any career/job. There are also many jobs within aviation that do not involve flying, if you are unable to fly.
 
drunkenbeagle said:
Awfully apathetic today, Eh Dough?

I've thought about being an airline pilot, but I like flying too much.
Click to expand...

Nah just been down the pro/con role too often thru the history of the website.

I personally enjoy doing what I'm doing, but I'm also a mid-seniority pilot at a major airline. It's got ups and downs, good days and bad days.

I'm not going to say "jump in with both feet!" because I don't understand the original poster's tolerance for risk, lifestyle expectations and how much he wants to do it.

But a lot of pilots have a myopic view of aviation where anything has to be better than what they're currently doing.

My brother in law, pretty high up in IT, thinks the same thing about his job.

Some of my engineering friends (and wife) think the same about their jobs.

I know a physician in Switzerland that thinks the same about his.

And so on and so on.

If you can de-couple self-worth from profession, you can find a lot of success in aviation or any other field.

However if anyone is looking for the end-all be-all, "oh it's wonderful you came to work today, here is loads of money, a great handshake, a catered lunch in your honor and take aaaaaaaall the time you need because you're just so awesome" career field, they're going to have to stop freebasing! :)

A profession corresponds to the amount of dedication you put in and your level of responsibility. But a profession is still work. Work is what earns you goods, services and pursuit of the quality of life you expect.

Love your family, like your work, die happier.
 
Pro's: days off to pursue something that makes money (unless your contract blows and you get no days off or your days off are on the road)
free travel for your side biz or to get away from your crap base
your co-workers are usually great to work with

Con's: You have to deal with everyone around you racing in circles for that brass ring they think is gold, these will include people you once had respect for
there is no profession, there is no unity
There are enough pilots with rich mommies and daddies that don't care about their paychecks that it will effect your career

Pilots are mostly a type a personality, if you are too, you can do well, it will have little to do with aviation.
 
Lots of good insight here. I'll just say it's still called "work" for a reason. I love my job but it's a pain in the arse sometimes - just like any other job. Much of your happiness will depend on your ability to see the bright side and stay positive as much as possible. Easier said than done sometimes.

The wost "con" for me is leaving my wife to take care of everything at home while I'm gone 50% of the time or more.
The best "pro" for me is plenty island layovers in the Caribbean. I may lose an hour or two of "productivity" but it helps keep me sane.
 
Con- Missing more than 1/2 of my 3 year old son's life.
Con- Being away from my wife more than 1/2 the year.
Con- Commuting(it blows big time balls).
Con- Mngt/everything is my fault passengers/Airport(hotel) food/basically everything outside of the closed cockpit door

Pro's- My sweet ass uniform!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
Having a base open where I already lived turned this profession from a slight con to a overwhelming pro for me.
 
Pro: Dropped for IOE
Con: Min days off
Pro: Sufficient coverage
Con: Commuting
Pro: Holding a good line (day trips, weekends off, etc)
Con: Being on reserve

In this industry, seniority is syntactic sugar.
 
All the replies here are right on. You have to make the decision for yourself.

Here is one of the things I have learned in my life, as you get older QoL starts to out weigh your career choice. Although I am not an airline pilot, I too had that dream. Am I upset at not achieving it? Sometimes...but no regrets. I really enjoy coming home to my wife and kids everyday and having my weekends off and celebrate holidays at home.

Can this be done as a professional pilot? Sure. Hard work, dedication and the pursuit of your dream will pay off if you allow it.

Good luck in whatever you choose. Also keep in mind, just because you may not become an airline pilot doesn't mean you can't go fly!
 
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