Career Timeline

FlyingPoke said:
I think he was (as well as I) just adding that this isnt the norm by any means, since his post is for prospective pilots who might want to get in this industry.

And to the OP, I didnt think you were flaunting your accomplishments - good work, very quick progression.
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I'm saying that Boris summed it all up, no need to add to that. Timelines, unfortunately don't go how we want. There's an old saying I heard when I started flying, "If you want to make God laugh, make a plan." This goes right along with an aviation career. There is way too much outside of our control. I'm not saying to prospective pilots to give up, just plan on revising your timeline.
 
I started flying in 2002. I thought I would be at a Mainline or Legacy airline by now, but that's not happening anytime soon.
 
Got my PPL in 2003, CFI in 2006, thought I had it made flying a shiny (old) jet, now Im back to pistons making half of what I made last year. Its a tough way to make a living, but its been fun nonetheless!

Not sure I understand all the negative comments toward this guy getting hired at a regional... at least he's not collecting unemployment feeling sorry for himself and crying about how unfair life is that he chose to be a pilot.

Congrats on the new job TravDK!
 
Congrats Trav,

Well, one thing to consider is the means on how one gets there.

I mean, timelines are relative, and if you someone thinks they will go from a Private to Captain of something greater than 15000# in under a year, its probably not going to happen.

However, i mean, im far ahead of where I thought I would be, honestly.

But i think it comes down to alot of luck.
 
CRJDriver said:
I can't wait to read your posts in a few months when you'll be bitching about the pay, never being at home, being abused on reserve, etc. But hey, like you said "you'll be at the controls of a turbine machine in the part 121 world". :rolleyes:
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Not everybody bitches about their flying job, hard as it may be to believe. These days, who knows what the right path is? All I know is that as I gain more experience, I feel less and less certain that I know all the right answers.

With this economy and all the other external factors that have affected aviation, there is no certain path. Entire corporate flight departments have and are continuing to be shutdown. Numerous charter operators have slashed flight departments or closed up shop. Tons of freight companies are but a shadow of their former selves, changed forever.

Is going to Colgan the right thing to do right now? I guarantee you, nobody here knows for sure. It's impossible to tell. It could be the absolute best possible decision TravDK makes in his career. It could also be the worst.

Unfortunately, I find myself stuck in this quandary as well... I have a pretty decent entry level corporate job, but there may or may not be room for growth here. It certainly isn't the same job I took 18 months ago... Hell, they could close the doors next month and I wouldn't be surprised. Do I stick it out here and hope for the best? Do I take a gamble and try to get on with somebody like Colgan? It's not a clear decision.

I really don't understand some of the attitudes displayed on this thread. It does not seem to fit the supposed "openness" of JC.com that a lot of you seem to flaunt. TravDK, thanks for posting your timeline, it's good for people to see what's possible if they bust their ass and have a little luck along the way. To do that in this economy is a hell of an accomplishment. Good luck!
 
SIUav8er said:
Not sure I understand all the negative comments toward this guy getting hired at a regional... at least he's not collecting unemployment feeling sorry for himself and crying about how unfair life is that he chose to be a pilot.

Congrats on the new job TravDK!
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Well said. Although there are people who legitimately deserve to be frustrated and discouraged, there is no need to flat out declare that being a pilot is awful and that nobody should choose this as a career path. Back when I was in middle school and high school I used a lot of websites like this one to read people's thoughts and stories in order to get a better idea what the industry is like. I fear that if I read some of the posts people are making right now I may have actually steered away from aviation.

It is good to hear success stories like TravDK's. Of course there are things wrong with the aviation industry that we would all like to change, but that could be said for a lot of jobs (especially the past 2 years). Things haven't gone perfectly to plan for me either but I just make the best of it and appreciate the fact that I have the opportunity to do what I love everyday. There aren't many people who can say that.
 
mojo6911 said:
I think most people do bitch and complain. I know a 777 pilot for AA who bitches when he has to work more than 14 days a month.
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It's not flying that makes people bitch and complain.

People just bitch and complain, end of sentence. Pilots, lawyers, doctors, teachers all will go off on how tough their job is and how much they are under appreciated. I think it's just human nature. :)
 
mojo6911 said:
I think most people do bitch and complain. I know a 777 pilot for AA who bitches when he has to work more than 14 days a month.
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I know people in numerous career fields that bitch and complain. My conclusion is the "American way" is to just complain about your circumstances, no matter what they may be, because, hey, we're entitled to everything we get.



TravDK, thanks for sharing your experience and good luck at the new job.
 
TravDK said:
I have a close friend ( He's here on JC, met him here actually! ) who is in a very similiar position with an almost identical timeline as were a few of guys I met at the interview.
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Awww isn't that cute, another lost soul finds love on the internet! :tease:


I'm not nearly as gay as this guy but I started flying in April of 2008, got my Private and then everything else up to MEI and double I in 6 months, drove across the country for an interview, got hired, worked long hours and now I've got about 1200 total and 750 multi and about to start applying to become a 'real' pilot! :yar: So yes it can be done, 90% hard work, 20% luck, and 25% networking equals airplane driver!

Congratulations man and remember to apply for food stamps :rotfl:
 
PetrolBurner said:
Awww isn't that cute, another lost soul finds love on the internet! :tease:


I'm not nearly as gay as this guy but I started flying in April of 2008, got my Private and then everything else up to MEI and double I in 6 months, drove across the country for an interview, got hired, worked long hours and now I've got about 1200 total and 750 multi and about to start applying to become a 'real' pilot! :yar: So yes it can be done, 90% hard work, 20% luck, and 25% networking equals airplane driver!

Congratulations man and remember to apply for food stamps :rotfl:
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Not nearly as gay huh? Don't you have something to paint camo and put mudd tires on?
 
I will say, that truck is the ugliest, scariest, most redneck truck ever.
 
As I notice that you're down in Vero Beach, TravDK, I assume that you're a FSA grad? At this point, what do your loan debts look like? About two years ago when I REALLY wanted to go to FSA, I crunched the numbers and figured out that I was going to need right around $80K in order to do the entire program from PPL to IP.

Thus far, my own timeline looks like this...

2005 Hurricane Katrina hits, I'm working down there for FEMA and I start flying lessons.

2006-2008 After Katrina work is complete, had to put flying aside because money became REALLY tight after trying my hand at the mortgage broker business and finding out that I REALLY wasn't good at it.

2007 Got a line service job, and still have it, at least working in the aviation field.

2008-2009 After taking on a second job to earn flying money, I start the lessons back up and earn my PPL in April 2009. After letting the bank account recharge for a couple of months, I start my Instrument in the Summer of 2009.

2009-Current: About three quarters of the way through my Instrument, but making steady progress.

For me and my circumstances, a timeline of getting every rating in under two years and being ready to be hired NOW isn't practical or logical. Honestly, I figure that I'll be instructing when I'm 40. I turn 36 this year. From all the professionals who have talked to me, I'm on a good timeline for the state of the industry and for where I am in life right now. Most importantly...I'm not putting myself into debt for my ratings. It's a SLOW and frustrating road to be on right now, but for me, it feels like the right road to be on.

Congratulations on earning your ratings so quickly and preparing for a Regional job. I truly do hope that it turns out to have been the best path for you. :beer:

EVERYONE has a different timeline for their careers. :)
 
CAP_Flyer said:
As I notice that you're down in Vero Beach, TravDK, I assume that you're a FSA grad? At this point, what do your loan debts look like? About two years ago when I REALLY wanted to go to FSA, I crunched the numbers and figured out that I was going to need right around $80K in order to do the entire program from PPL to IP.

Thus far, my own timeline looks like this...

2005 Hurricane Katrina hits, I'm working down there for FEMA and I start flying lessons.

2006-2008 After Katrina work is complete, had to put flying aside because money became REALLY tight after trying my hand at the mortgage broker business and finding out that I REALLY wasn't good at it.

2007 Got a line service job, and still have it, at least working in the aviation field.

2008-2009 After taking on a second job to earn flying money, I start the lessons back up and earn my PPL in April 2009. After letting the bank account recharge for a couple of months, I start my Instrument in the Summer of 2009.

2009-Current: About three quarters of the way through my Instrument, but making steady progress.

For me and my circumstances, a timeline of getting every rating in under two years and being ready to be hired NOW isn't practical or logical. Honestly, I figure that I'll be instructing when I'm 40. I turn 36 this year. From all the professionals who have talked to me, I'm on a good timeline for the state of the industry and for where I am in life right now. Most importantly...I'm not putting myself into debt for my ratings. It's a SLOW and frustrating road to be on right now, but for me, it feels like the right road to be on.

Congratulations on earning your ratings so quickly and preparing for a Regional job. I truly do hope that it turns out to have been the best path for you. :beer:

EVERYONE has a different timeline for their careers. :)
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Cap - I did not train at Flight Safety, I did so at a MUCH smaller school because I could not do the 80K flight training! Again, FSA is a great school and the reason I moved down to Florida was to work there. I was offered the job, but decided to go elsewhere. Longer story, PM for juicy details (not really that juicy!)

Congrats on staying the course. If you love it, its worth the many, many sacrifices.
 
The time frame that you got to your goal is amazing, although I think that your success is extremely rare. Obviously it is a testament to your work ethic and perfect timing in all aspects, combined with the opportunity to spend 100% of your time working thinking and living aviation. Most people don't have the opportunity to do that, they need jobs, have school, etc. that get in the way.

I think your post is done with good intentions but the problem is that pilots and the aviation community need to spread realistic expectations of an aviation career. Young people that get into aviation need to know it's not a glamorous job, you don't get paid a bunch of money, everyone doesn't think your cool, you aren't going to be a flying a shiny jet in 20 months (unless you are a rare case), etc. We need to try to dissuade the average person without the complete passion of aviation from taking 120k in loans with the intention of become a 777 captain at 25 years old.

I thought I was accelerated in my quest to have an aviation career, but I guess not... Like other people said people's results WILL vary. To keep this post on topic I started flying March 2006 took about 4 Months to get a PPL, Feb 2007 I got my Instrument, I got my private MEL June 2007, Commercial SEL Feb 2008, and CMEL March 2008. I got a job flying twin otters and king airs 6 months later and I'm still at the this job now because I don't accumulate enough hours a year to move on quite yet.

Anyway good luck with your new job, I'm right behind you.
 
DHC6 said:
I started flying March 2006 took about 4 Months to get a PPL, Feb 2007 I got my Instrument, I got my private MEL June 2007, Commercial SEL Feb 2008, and CMEL March 2008. I got a job flying twin otters and king airs 6 months later and I'm still at the this job now because I don't accumulate enough hours a year to move on quite yet.
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You got a job flying Otters and King Air's with a wet commercial? That is very impressive, and also probably pretty lucky depending on the circumstances. I always tell my students that getting their CFI is almost a necessity unless they want to spend the next 5 or 6 years flying sky divers and banners building time; which ultimately doesn't get much respect because its all single engine VFR. Good for you though. I guess it is possible to get a quality job and quality time with just a co ticket.
 
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