Creative ways to make ends meet while breaking into the industry

I instruct and fly corporate full-time, but I supplement my income by waiting tables at a place one night per week. I also do odd jobs every so often (this week, I'm feeding two dogs twice per day while the owners are out of town for $35/day). When I first got my CFI, I didn't have nearly enough work to make a living from it, so I worked as a bartender 5 nights per week (and now that 99% of my income comes from flying, I make less than I did from bar tending alone :p)
 
ChasenSFO said:
That sounds pretty badass. I won't have my degree for another 4-6 years depending on the pace I can complete it, but it wouldn't hurt to pop in every once in a while and get on a first name basis with some guys. Thanks.
Click to expand...

Keep in mind that you absolutely have to be hired by age 28 as you need to start UPT by age 30, there used to be waivers, but not nowadays. 27 or younger preferred.

ChasenSFO said:
It's easy to say fly in the Guard, but isn't it very hard to do? I know guys with degrees who have been trying for years and can't get in anywhere as a pilot. I'd love to do it after college, if I could. We do have Moffett right here in the Bay Area with C-130s, they seem to rarely fly tho.
Click to expand...

It's extremely competitive and difficult to get hired which is nothing to scoff at. My disagreement was moreso with @wheelsup saying that it wasn't worthwhile if you came in with all your ratings already done.
 
ChasenSFO said:
That sounds pretty badass. I won't have my degree for another 4-6 years depending on the pace I can complete it, but it wouldn't hurt to pop in every once in a while and get on a first name basis with some guys. Thanks.
Click to expand...

Finish your degree as fast as you can! Most of the people I know who didn't complete it in the standard 4 years after high school *still* don't have it done.
 
ChasenSFO said:
It's easy to say fly in the Guard, but isn't it very hard to do? I know guys with degrees who have been trying for years and can't get in anywhere as a pilot. I'd love to do it after college, if I could. We do have Moffett right here in the Bay Area with C-130s, they seem to rarely fly tho.

To the OP, I can't help you with the debt solution, as I've stayed out of debt so far. That being said, I started flying in 2005 and have a PPL with 180 hours. Then again, I've had so many huge non-flying expenses in the past few years that I've been broke even living at my parent's place. Don't know how the hell I would have even survived if I had a loan out for flying. I am doing a lot of non-flying stuff to try and secure money to fly and for my future since flying won't allow me the lifestyle I desire. Do you have any non-flying hobbies? Find ways to take everything you love to do and are naturally talented at and make money off of them. It's still hard work, but it's very rewarding. Especially if you can get into a creative field and make a name for yourself. I don't know your personality type, but if you're very outgoing and make friends easily, find ways to get people to pay you do stuff in an airplane. Got to think outside the box on that one, but if I had the damn money/time to get my commercial, I know I'd be doing some really cool one-of-a-kind gigs right now. Just gotta keep an open mind and make a lot of friends.
Click to expand...

It's tough to get a pilot spot anywhere. That is why most people that I knew that went in did it for the college money. They came out with a decent chuck of change AND got their certs on the government dime. Pretty good gig if you can't fly there. BUT, if you've already got your college debt, there is much less of an incentive to go in unless you can get a pilot spot.
 
NewYorkophile said:
Finish your degree as fast as you can! Most of the people I know who didn't complete it in the standard 4 years after high school *still* don't have it done.
Click to expand...
Well, these days most of my friends took 5-7 years to graduate due to class constraints due and budget cuts with rising tuition. Only know a few people who did it in 4 years, and most of them had "easy" degrees like Liberal Arts which they can't really use for much. I didn't really take it seriously until this past semester, but I'll probably be 27-28 by the time I have the degree.
 
I have to weigh in on this discussion. I'm looking that niche I can do in my down time. I just started my new gig, however the plane is broke and it is not expected to be up for another week. I am thinking ebay selling, I need to find a product I can flip easily enough. But the question is where. Do I become a dealer for XYZ company? Go out and scrounge for stuff to sell? Somehow get into trading?

Trying to make multiple part time jobs balance with one another proved to be difficult.

On the Reserves / Guard. It is a double edge sword. It can work with you and it work against you. Once I get qualified in my new job it will be easier. Granted I am enlisted, but I'll make more than the regional F/O for the first while. I do have a B.S. from ERAU, and a A.S. from the CCAF. However, I'm too old to fly for the Guard/Reserves so I chose the path of a flight engineer.

I was a crew chief at Moffett but I decided to jump ship to the reserves at Travis. Until I go to school I am in this strange limbo land but once that starts I'll be on active duty for quite some time. So in the mean time I some how survive, I am wearing a snorkel so I can breath because the water is over my head.

I can't wait for this new gig to start so I can at least stabilize, and I really need to get the ATP written done by August 1st.
 
Here's a pro tip. Quit thinking of flying for a living, get a degree in something you can make a boatload of cash in, and buy yourself a little plane for fun in a few years.

Flying for a living is an absolutely idiotic choice nowadays.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top