Being broke sucks!

mission_aviation

mission_aviation

Well-Known Member
Sometimes I wish that I didn't have so much passion for this industry. Then maybe I wouldn't be so broke and on the edge of bankruptcy. My wife is in nursing shool and has a great job as a lab technician at a hospital here in Phoenix, but without the both of us making an income, we would be in financially dead.

As I pace back in forth in front of a bank as a security guard, I inpatiently wait for the call to get back into the industry. I often wonder why I put myself through this misery in the first place. I don't see myself doing anything else in life but working in aviation. But I have sacrificed almost everything that I have while waiting. I was just wondering if any of you have or are suffering from the same bug as I have.
 
If you really have a passion to fly and you can't afford to buy your way into an aviation job, you should look at the military.
 
Lots of people in other industries that are out of work and teetering on the edge of going BK. The grass isn't always greener. Sometimes it is, but sometimes it isn't.
 
Completely in the same boat. I'm going into management just to get a little ahead and possibly ATC, we'll see. I'm making between 10-15K a year as a CFI and my girlfriend is a social worker. Neither of us makes the big bucks, and I'm 130K in debt and she's 30K in debt. As such, times are very tough, on food stamps, and not looking terribly better.

ATC would pay a lot more, but I don't have that much passion for it. I could do it, but it's not my love.
 
PeterPilot said:
If you really have a passion to fly and you can't afford to buy your way into an aviation job, you should look at the military.
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I'am prior service and I don't have the passion to fly at the moment. I probably get paid more hourly at my crappy security job then I would trying to start flying commercially. As for military, do you have any idea how tough it is to get into military aviation in any branch? I know, I've looked, besides this is not what we're talking about. I'm asking folks to share their hardships due to the aviation bug we all have.
 
N826AW said:
Lots of people in other industries that are out of work and teetering on the edge of going BK. The grass isn't always greener. Sometimes it is, but sometimes it isn't.
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Agreed, and I wish I had the healthcare but instead sometimes. I could change career fields, but I don't want to get into anymore debt for a job I won't love. Yes, all industries have suffered from this recession. Thats the sucky part.
 
Just an anecdote about employment in the airline industry:

I was staying with my father, a successful pilot close to retirement, and his wife during my enrollment in DX school. Early on we were having a discussion about my forthcoming job search and to where I would likely apply. The discussion was led by my "short list," as it were- a group of airlines I'd selected based on company stability, type of operation, value of experience and location.

Later the conversation moved to airlines which hadn't been included in my plans. To preface, my girlfriend and I had been living together for some months but had recently broken up. However, there had been some talk at the time of reuniting. With this in mind, I explained that some airlines had to be summarily dismissed from consideration based on their location. We had to consider where she would find gainful employment in her media career. This would naturally exclude cities such as Cheyenne, St. George and Memphis, among others.

Standing near his wife, he uttered this astonishing phrase: "Well, women are a lot easier to come by than aviation jobs."

After the initial shock passed and I had time to reflect upon our conversation, I began to think about how he could have said something like that. When I look back on my life, I thought of my mother and how she had been moved from city to city with complete focus on the career possibilities of my father.

Today, he is one of the highest paid pilots in the industry. Yet there is no doubt that his success was the result of some sacrifice. Some of it is luck, I suppose. You can land at the right companies on which to build a resume and have a reasonable expectation of job security once a job opens up and hope to continue until a better opportunity makes itself available.

Granted, persistence through passion has its place as well. When Frontier went bankrupt in 1986, he worked as an investment broker to support us but kept his passion and focus intact, knowing that his own misfortune was bound to redeem itself eventually in another opportunity somewhere. He's not the kind to show his emotions, but I can only imagine how hard it was for him, to have his dreams grounded while looking willy to the sky.

With this, I was able to understand his curious comment further and saw that it was not some cold, paralyzingly cynical view on life, liberty and the pursuit of aviation. Rather, it was a sobering statement on the sum of his life experience in his struggles within an industry that has about as much stability as a vat of liquid nitrogen on a roller-coaster.

The trick is you have to ride it out. Don't lose hope.
 
One day I will share my early aviation journey which will provide an interesting read. Despite some unbelievable roadblocks and challenges, I tell myself everyday how grateful I am that I stuck it out. I don't know a single coworker who doesn't have similar stories of their own. It isn't easy, but in my opinion it is worth it.
 
Kev said:
Just an anecdote about employment in the airline industry:

I was staying with my father, a successful pilot close to retirement, and his wife during my enrollment in DX school. Early on we were having a discussion about my forthcoming job search and to where I would likely apply. The discussion was led by my "short list," as it were- a group of airlines I'd selected based on company stability, type of operation, value of experience and location.

When the conversation moved to airlines which hadn't been included in my plans. To preface, my girlfriend and I had been living together for some months but had recently broken up. However, there had been some talk at the time of reuniting. With this in mind, I explained that some airlines had to be summarily dismissed from consideration based on their location. We had to consider where she would find gainful employment in her media career. This would naturally exclude cities such as Cheyenne, St. George and Memphis, among others.

Standing near his wife, he uttered this astonishing phrase: "Well, women are a lot easier to come by than aviation jobs."

After the initial shock passed and I had time to reflect upon our conversation, I began to think about how he could have said something like that. When I look back on my life, I thought of my mother and how she had been moved from city to city with complete focus on the career possibilities of my father.

Today, he is one of the highest paid pilots in the industry. Yet there is no doubt that his success was the result of some sacrifice. Some of it is luck, I suppose. You can land at the right companies on which to build a resume and have a reasonable expectation of job security once a job opens up and hope to continue until a better opportunity makes itself available.

Granted, persistence through passion has its place as well. When Frontier went bankrupt in 1986, he worked as an investment broker to support us but kept his passion and focus intact, knowing that his own misfortune was bound to redeem itself eventually in another opportunity somewhere. He's not the kind to show his emotions, but I can only imagine how hard it was for him, to have his dreams grounded while looking willy to the sky.

With this, I was able to understand his curious comment further and saw that it was not some cold, paralyzingly cynical view on life, liberty and the pursuit of aviation. Rather, it was a sobering statement on the sum of his life experience in his struggles within an industry that has about as much stability as a vat of liquid nitrogen on a roller-coaster.

The trick is you have to ride it out. Don't lose hope.
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Good story
 
mission_aviation said:
As for military, do you have any idea how tough it is to get into military aviation in any branch?
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LOL! If you only knew how silly that question is. Yep, I sure do know how tough it is to get into military aviation, and I didn't get there by sitting around feeling sorry for myself.
 
PeterPilot said:
LOL! If you only knew how silly that question is. Yep, I sure do know how tough it is to get into military aviation, and I didn't get there by sitting around feeling sorry for myself.
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Apparently you think that I want to get into military aviation and that I'm sitting around feeling sorry for myself. No I do not want to get into military aviation so why would I be feeling sorry for myself. :confused: I'm simply saying that I have a passion for the aviation industry, times are very tough to advance in this industry and I find myself going broke trying to get back into it. Before you start the judgements, look at other topics. You'll find that I'm very proactive and the last thing I'm doing is feeling sorry for myself. Good for you that you live a good life in military aviation. I didn't post this topic for you to past judgment on me or anyone else who is having similar financial hardships trying to be successful in aviation. If you would like to conduct further criticism of me, feel free to pm me. But lets just stick to the subject please.
 
mission_aviation said:
Apparently you think that I want to get into military aviation and that I'm sitting around feeling sorry for myself. No I do not want to get into military aviation so why would I be feeling sorry for myself. :confused: I'm simply saying that I have a passion for the aviation industry, times are very tough to advance in this industry and I find myself going broke trying to get back into it. Before you start the judgements, look at other topics. You'll find that I'm very proactive and the last thing I'm doing is feeling sorry for myself. Good for you that you live a good life in military aviation. I didn't post this topic for you to past judgment on me or anyone else who is having similar financial hardships trying to be successful in aviation. If you would like to conduct further criticism of me, feel free to pm me. But lets just stick to the subject please.
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Well said. I am liking PHX. Two weeks into dispatcher training with Mesa, and so far so good.
 
stickks said:
Well said. I am liking PHX. Two weeks into dispatcher training with Mesa, and so far so good.
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Congrats. I'm sure that for awhile you were probably starting to feel the financial pressure as well. Its really fustrating waiting for the opportunity, meanwhile the bills continue to come in. Don't you agree?
 
mission_aviation said:
Apparently you think that I want to get into military aviation and that I'm sitting around feeling sorry for myself. No I do not want to get into military aviation so why would I be feeling sorry for myself. :confused: I'm simply saying that I have a passion for the aviation industry, times are very tough to advance in this industry and I find myself going broke trying to get back into it. Before you start the judgements, look at other topics. You'll find that I'm very proactive and the last thing I'm doing is feeling sorry for myself. Good for you that you live a good life in military aviation. I didn't post this topic for you to past judgment on me or anyone else who is having similar financial hardships trying to be successful in aviation. If you would like to conduct further criticism of me, feel free to pm me. But lets just stick to the subject please.
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No, what I think is what you wrote, which bounces from one wall to another and doesn't have a subject. I am not trying to pass judgment on you (or past judgment if you prefer). I was trying to give you a suggestion that would be helpful if you truly have a passion to fly. If you are conducting some kind of survey to see if there are people in the aviation industry who are being paid less than what they wish they were making or people who can't find a job at all, the answer is yes. The economy is far from rosy now and aviation is taking a particularly hard hit for a variety of reasons.
 
PeterPilot said:
No, what I think is what you wrote, which bounces from one wall to another and doesn't have a subject. I am not trying to pass judgment on you (or past judgment if you prefer). I was trying to give you a suggestion that would be helpful if you truly have a passion to fly.
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Not everyone who enjoys aviation wants to be a pilot! Some people such as myself enjoy dispatch. Some work in airport management. Some people like working in ATC. Some people like being aircraft or helicopter mechanics. There are all kinds of careers in aviation besides flying and most of the other boards in this forum are devoted to pilot issues...this board is about dispatching. I like sleeping in my own bed every night, I'm happy with dispatching, and I have no plans for a career change.

Also...Mission, congrats on getting that airport management job you wanted.
 
Not everyone who enjoys aviation wants to be a pilot! Some people such as myself enjoy dispatch. Some work in airport management. Some people like working in ATC. Some people like being aircraft or helicopter mechanics. There are all kinds of careers in aviation besides flying and most of the other boards in this forum are devoted to pilot issues...this board is about dispatching. I like sleeping in my own bed every night, I'm happy with dispatching, and I have no plans for a career change.
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Ditto to that! :)
 
manniax said:
Not everyone who enjoys aviation wants to be a pilot! Some people such as myself enjoy dispatch. Some work in airport management. Some people like working in ATC. Some people like being aircraft or helicopter mechanics. There are all kinds of careers in aviation besides flying and most of the other boards in this forum are devoted to pilot issues...this board is about dispatching. I like sleeping in my own bed every night, I'm happy with dispatching, and I have no plans for a career change.
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Absolutely. I can think of a many jobs that other people love and I could not stand. It is a wonderful thing that we are all individuals with individual desires. If we weren't, we would all be competing for the same thing and nobody would be willing to take the other jobs.

Incidentally, a good dispatcher is not just good, they are "great".
 
ellewoods said:
Ditto to that! :)
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Agreed. I am totally enjoying dispatching so far. I have been sitting with my trainer for a week, and allready I am catching on, and i have been doing most of the releases the past 2 days. Its fun, challenging, and a great job. I like the responsibility I have.
 
manniax said:
Not everyone who enjoys aviation wants to be a pilot! Some people such as myself enjoy dispatch. Some work in airport management. Some people like working in ATC. Some people like being aircraft or helicopter mechanics. There are all kinds of careers in aviation besides flying and most of the other boards in this forum are devoted to pilot issues...this board is about dispatching. I like sleeping in my own bed every night, I'm happy with dispatching, and I have no plans for a career change.

Also...Mission, congrats on getting that airport management job you wanted.
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Amen and thanks!:clap:
 
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