Crashpad Alternatives
- Thread starter poser765
- Start date
Cherokee_Cruiser
Bronteroc
What else do you suggest? Move every time a base closes or you switch airlines? Or pay $100+ hotels every night when commuting?
poser765
Well-Known Member
Yes. Yes it is so great. In my adult life I've had MANY jobs in MANY different fields and I hated everyone of them. Hated them to the point that it was ruining my life and infecting my loved ones. This career is the best job I've ever had and I am willing to live in van to do it. Some how it's become a popular opinion to hate being an airline pilot, or it's looked down on to be content. Yeah, I'm not going to do that. Sorry.
It's like this:
1. I am not moving my family across the country to a base that may be go away, operated by a company i may not be employed with.
2. This job allows me to have the flexibility to live in one part of the country and work in another. Imma take advantage of that.
3. When I'm out here working, I am out here working. Not living. I'm not going to be living in a van, just sleeping in one a few nights a week.
4. Now that I'm a captain I am making good money (especially for where I live). Not great, but certainly NOT terrible.
I have to wonder what people are thinking about when they get in the profession. I see the complaints all the time..."the money is awful. I'm gone from home too much. I lose a day each time I commute." lol these things are not secret. Spend 15 minutes researching the life of an airline pilot and almost all the complaints are discovered. If people can't accept those things, then why the heck did you get into the job in the first place? Perhaps it's not for you. I was aware of what I was getting into, and I'm ok with it.
Me? I quit flying and got hired as a freight train conductor with a class 1 freight railroad. I am home most nights..make enough to have my house...a new jeep..a jet ski and a snow mobile...(all of which I paid cash for) .my medical is paid for including a retirement pension....I've had lots of jobs too...including an EMT, truck driver and a wild land firefighter....pilot was by far the crappiest..the job won't ever change until people stop whoring themselves out...if you asked a railroader to work for 30 or 40k a year we would laugh hysterically. Pilots seem to think those things like low pay, getting paid block time only,(essentially free work) and crash pads, commuting and so forth are ok....it's absolutely not lol my union would hang the company at the thought of such ideas...unlike ALPA which does nothing.
poser765
Well-Known Member
That's good. Really it is... I'm happy for you . you tried it and it wasn't for you. I wish more of the grognards in this industry would do what you did and leave.
If you don't love what you do, it's always best to find something else to do. I love what I do and am willing to put up with a lot of the crap that comes with it because of that. Does that make me a •? Maybe, but I'm a satisfied •. Even with the bad the airlines have been good to me and my family.
If you don't love what you do, it's always best to find something else to do. I love what I do and am willing to put up with a lot of the crap that comes with it because of that. Does that make me a •? Maybe, but I'm a satisfied •. Even with the bad the airlines have been good to me and my family.
M20B_pilot
Well-Known Member
Funny, but I looked and from what I found online, conductors on avaerage make around $60,000 a year. I made around $45,000 my first year at a regional and I'm on track to make about $50k or so this year. If I upgrade later this year, I'll be making more than the average train conductor.
If you hate the job so much, why do you hang out on this forum?
Nark
Macho Superpilot
M20B_pilot
Well-Known Member
I never said it was.
inventor
Well-Known Member
I've been stalking craigslist for small travel trailers. Really cheap, and just $3 grand will get you a nice livable one. Park it in the RV lot, need to move it? Rent a Uhaul or Home Depot truck for a few hours. Towing companies will move it for about the same amount, they can drive and park professionally and are insured.
poser765
Well-Known Member
That was initially the way I was leaning but I believe that lot is not taking NE "tenets" and those that are there are up against a deadline to move out.
Here is an update for all. I did purchase a vehicle, and I'm going to give it a shot. I'll hang out the days I'm not flying g in various places... Crew room, terminal, Starbucks, beach, etc. Nights hopefully just parked at the hotel somewhere. I'll get a cheap gym membership at Planet fitness for showers. Later this month I'll drive it out and ditch the pad... I'll let you guys know how it works out if anyone is wondering.
inventor
Well-Known Member
That's pretty much my plan if things don't go well when I move to Florida next month.
ZapBrannigan
If it ain’t a Boeing, I’m not going. No choice.
I lived in my car in October and November of 1998.
I was furloughed from (LCC brand X) and didn't have two nickels to rub together. I did have my 1987 Nissan. I Found a parking garage that gave me a monthly employee rate of about $30. I parked in the darkest back corner and slept in the back seat. During the day I would take showers at the YMCA and beg scheduling for overnights. I hung out at the laundromat. There was an adult film venue in the same strip mall. So sometimes the laundry got done. Other times, less so.
In late November of 98' the chief pilot found out about my situation somehow. He put me on TDY in Syracuse so I would have a warm hotel room to sleep in. In retrospect he probably saved my life. That was a cold winter.
I met my wife at that time. I didn't want her to know that I was homeless so when we went on "dates" I found very inexpensive things to do... like walking dogs at the animal shelter. Free! Needless to say, she thought I was a real gentleman for never inviting her back to my place. (shrug) Made for a good interview story anyway.
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I was furloughed from (LCC brand X) and didn't have two nickels to rub together. I did have my 1987 Nissan. I Found a parking garage that gave me a monthly employee rate of about $30. I parked in the darkest back corner and slept in the back seat. During the day I would take showers at the YMCA and beg scheduling for overnights. I hung out at the laundromat. There was an adult film venue in the same strip mall. So sometimes the laundry got done. Other times, less so.
In late November of 98' the chief pilot found out about my situation somehow. He put me on TDY in Syracuse so I would have a warm hotel room to sleep in. In retrospect he probably saved my life. That was a cold winter.
I met my wife at that time. I didn't want her to know that I was homeless so when we went on "dates" I found very inexpensive things to do... like walking dogs at the animal shelter. Free! Needless to say, she thought I was a real gentleman for never inviting her back to my place. (shrug) Made for a good interview story anyway.
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
learhawkerbe400
Well-Known Member
What does the widebody captain of train conductors make?
drunkenbeagle
Gang Member
Buy a sailboat and crash on that. Plus, you can sail it when you aren't working.
There is no such thing as a wide body conductor or engineer......seriously? Lol Engineer average 135k and conductor 110k. But if one wants to spend the decade or two decades to make wide body captain wages at an airline then go for it lol.
T/O w/FSII
Well-Known Member
tcco94
Future GTA VI Pilot
Who cares!? If you're out of the industry and running trains with 1000 toys happy as a clam, why are you in the airline pilot section harping on guys doing what they love?
Maybe I should pay a visit to the train forums to toot my horn....make me feel better about myself. Where can one find that?
learhawkerbe400
Well-Known Member
Yea I know there's no widebody trains. I was asking what the highest paid guys at the best companies make. You know, like a wide body captain. Thought that was pretty obvious.
I35k huh? I don't know why you're acting all high and mighty but most everyone in aviation (except regional FOs) is making at least that with the potential to make way more. Might want to step down off that high horse.
They prolly don't pay you a full retirement pension while being exempt from social security and pay 100 percent of your medical while being home most every night either. either way pilots are still getting screwed hard...block pay? fly 5 work 12 and not get paid for the other 7.....that's getting shafted royally. If a guy works 12 duty hours he should be getting 12x whatever his/her hourly rate is. If my rate was 70 an hour let's say...and I worked 12 I expect my 840 dollars for the shift...not 350...I don't work 7 hours for free...or for the perdiem rate which isn't even what the Starbucks guy at the airport makes.