Decisions, Decisions...

ctab5060X

Well-Known Member
Decisions, decisions... what to do?

The total agony of a single phone call. Was on an overnight earlier this week when a good friend (and former employer) called. He asked me if I still had any of my old contacts in the agricultural/mosquito control industry and if I did, could I do him a favor. I told him yes I did and yes I would. Seems he wants me to find him a pilot. Job is flying for an aerial application service out in the Western US. And that is where the headache starts...

Currently, I am a FO for a regional airline, one year's seniority in. Don't get me wrong, I love the flying. Then again, as of late, all you hear is how the industry is taking a nose dive, how so and so is undercutting us all by flying for low wages, the old my regional is better than your regional, get ready for a career here, etc. etc. etc. The list goes on and on.

Anyway, back to my friends phone call. While he wasn't targeting me per se for the job, I would consider myself a fool for at least not raising an eyebrow with the information that is on my desk. The job boils down to this... lead pilot in a 3 airplane ag operation. Aircraft include an Air Tractor 301, Air Tractor 502, and Cessna 188. Currently, the 502 and 301 do most of the work, and my seat would be in the 502. Huge potential for rapid growth and expansion, and the operation is extremely stable. Pay is decent... can expect to make more than most regional FOs in my first season alone, with the potential to make as much or more than senior regional Captains with in 2-3 seasons.

I do have prior ag experience, but the move is going to take me and my wife far away from our families. Kind of torn as to what to do, leaning toward taking the job, but just not sure.

So, members of the JC community...

Should I STAY?

Or should I GO?
 
Are you looking for job security, adventure and/or how do you feel about the potential move?
 
People are always going to need to eat. Ag flying makes the crop yields capable of feeding the world. You will know your boss - do you know your current CEO? PNCL has had labor disputes (I believe is in the middle of one now) - have you heard of this in AG? The Ag pilot base is graying and not having lots of people join - is this true of the airlines? You have a chance at some point to own the operation, or buy another operation - will you ever get a chance to own PNCL? Taildraggers are cooler than RJ's - do you agree?

Clearly you know which way I would go. You have more "upside" in AG. I think the AG business (what little I know) is exciting - and I am talking about the numbers, not just the taildraggers.
 
Stay ! Are you crazy! Stay! Wes , your a pilots pilot , a smart guy , your to samrt to be flying an ag plane! You'll be an 380/787 captain some day!
 
Are you looking for job security, adventure and/or how do you feel about the potential move?

In this economy, no flying job is secure. Farmers could decide tomorrow that it is more economical to apply chemicals by tractor and the flying service will suffer. That being said, there is a lot of stuff that is better to do by air, and with nearly no competion around, the job does seem to have tons more security than a bottom of the senority list FO does right now.

As far as adventure, I've had my adventure in my flying career. While row crop flying is quite and adrenaline rush, it is pale in comparison to spraying mosquitoes under the approaches to a major airport during the push in... and hearing them slow the big iron early so you can cross final.

Which one do you think you'd enjoy doing more?

No brainer here...

502Texas.jpg


People are always going to need to eat. Ag flying makes the crop yields capable of feeding the world. You will know your boss - do you know your current CEO? PNCL has had labor disputes (I believe is in the middle of one now) - have you heard of this in AG? The Ag pilot base is graying and not having lots of people join - is this true of the airlines? You have a chance at some point to own the operation, or buy another operation - will you ever get a chance to own PNCL? Taildraggers are cooler than RJ's - do you agree?

Clearly you know which way I would go. You have more "upside" in AG. I think the AG business (what little I know) is exciting - and I am talking about the numbers, not just the taildraggers.

Excellent points Waco. And yes, taildraggers are cooler than RJs!
 
Excellent points Waco. And yes, taildraggers are cooler than RJs!

Keep in mind CTAB...I am pretty selfish. I figure that between you and T-cart I can get some AG experience someday. One of you two can hook me up with a Beech 18 gig in the offseason, and then after a while MJG407 will have me dropping Borate from a P-3 and delivering airplanes to far away locales so I can scope out the foreign babes. So, keep in mind that my selfishness...I mean, focus...has colored my decision!
 
Listen to the wife... You will always find a balance with money, not the same when it comes to your personal life. Family first- chat up the mrs., now if she doesn't care..... Go for the money, qol, and fun factor!
 
Decisions, decisions... what to do?

The total agony of a single phone call. Was on an overnight earlier this week when a good friend (and former employer) called. He asked me if I still had any of my old contacts in the agricultural/mosquito control industry and if I did, could I do him a favor. I told him yes I did and yes I would. Seems he wants me to find him a pilot. Job is flying for an aerial application service out in the Western US. And that is where the headache starts...

Currently, I am a FO for a regional airline, one year's seniority in. Don't get me wrong, I love the flying. Then again, as of late, all you hear is how the industry is taking a nose dive, how so and so is undercutting us all by flying for low wages, the old my regional is better than your regional, get ready for a career here, etc. etc. etc. The list goes on and on.

Anyway, back to my friends phone call. While he wasn't targeting me per se for the job, I would consider myself a fool for at least not raising an eyebrow with the information that is on my desk. The job boils down to this... lead pilot in a 3 airplane ag operation. Aircraft include an Air Tractor 301, Air Tractor 502, and Cessna 188. Currently, the 502 and 301 do most of the work, and my seat would be in the 502. Huge potential for rapid growth and expansion, and the operation is extremely stable. Pay is decent... can expect to make more than most regional FOs in my first season alone, with the potential to make as much or more than senior regional Captains with in 2-3 seasons.

I do have prior ag experience, but the move is going to take me and my wife far away from our families. Kind of torn as to what to do, leaning toward taking the job, but just not sure.

So, members of the JC community...

Should I STAY?

Or should I GO?

I read nothing in your post that said you were offered a job. Is that what happened?

Your decision should be based on the answers to the following questions:

What are your long-term career goals?

Will this flying job keep you on track towards your career goals?

Will moving take you away from your sources of support? Family, friends, etc.
(It may not seem like much now, but you'd be amazed at how impact moving away from people that you love and trust will have on your life. For example, suppose you need someone to pick your child up from school one day. Who would you have to do that if you moved away? Think about it.)

Does your wife have a good job and/or career that would be de-railed by the move?

How is the money vis-a-vis the cost of living?

Try to evaluate this move over the long term. Sure, now it is better than what you have, but will it always be? Don't know anything about AG flying, but I tend to think it is a game for the young and mobile, not the older and sedentary (which you WILL become one day)

What are the long term opportunities? What opportunities are their for advancement beyond the left seat? (i.e instructor, training manager, chief pilot, etc)
 
Those are some really good questions that need answering, and I will consider those in the days to come as I talk more with my friend. And yes, I was "offered" the job so to speak.
 
I read nothing in your post that said you were offered a job. Is that what happened?

Your decision should be based on the answers to the following questions:

What are your long-term career goals?

Will this flying job keep you on track towards your career goals?

Will moving take you away from your sources of support? Family, friends, etc.
(It may not seem like much now, but you'd be amazed at how impact moving away from people that you love and trust will have on your life. For example, suppose you need someone to pick your child up from school one day. Who would you have to do that if you moved away? Think about it.)

Does your wife have a good job and/or career that would be de-railed by the move?

How is the money vis-a-vis the cost of living?

Try to evaluate this move over the long term. Sure, now it is better than what you have, but will it always be? Don't know anything about AG flying, but I tend to think it is a game for the young and mobile, not the older and sedentary (which you WILL become one day)

What are the long term opportunities? What opportunities are their for advancement beyond the left seat? (i.e instructor, training manager, chief pilot, etc)


Like you said, these are questions you need to ask yourself and see where you are after finding those answers.

If it were me, I'd go with the AG thing.
 
I'd only guess... but my guess is that your young enough that neither would harm your career. Not painting 121 mx as the golden parachute (god it sucks many times) generaly you are safer flying that 121 gig... With a family sometimes thats worth more, some times the time at home of an AG job is awesome.

Not sure if they are offering, but any chance on an LOA, so you could go check it out, make sure the Rembrant painted isn't photoshoped beyond recognition?
 
Decisions, decisions... what to do?

The total agony of a single phone call. Was on an overnight earlier this week when a good friend (and former employer) called. He asked me if I still had any of my old contacts in the agricultural/mosquito control industry and if I did, could I do him a favor. I told him yes I did and yes I would. Seems he wants me to find him a pilot. Job is flying for an aerial application service out in the Western US. And that is where the headache starts...

Currently, I am a FO for a regional airline, one year's seniority in. Don't get me wrong, I love the flying. Then again, as of late, all you hear is how the industry is taking a nose dive, how so and so is undercutting us all by flying for low wages, the old my regional is better than your regional, get ready for a career here, etc. etc. etc. The list goes on and on.

Anyway, back to my friends phone call. While he wasn't targeting me per se for the job, I would consider myself a fool for at least not raising an eyebrow with the information that is on my desk. The job boils down to this... lead pilot in a 3 airplane ag operation. Aircraft include an Air Tractor 301, Air Tractor 502, and Cessna 188. Currently, the 502 and 301 do most of the work, and my seat would be in the 502. Huge potential for rapid growth and expansion, and the operation is extremely stable. Pay is decent... can expect to make more than most regional FOs in my first season alone, with the potential to make as much or more than senior regional Captains with in 2-3 seasons.

I do have prior ag experience, but the move is going to take me and my wife far away from our families. Kind of torn as to what to do, leaning toward taking the job, but just not sure.

So, members of the JC community...

Should I STAY?

Or should I GO?
I would say look at it not only for the money. Spraying is a tough life, and long days. Is a LOA available? I know of a lot of guys that work that out with their companies, in fact I have two pilots that fly for regionals that work for me in the summers and take a LOA. That way you have the best of both worlds.
 
I like Mike's idea of seeing if you can get an LOA - at least for the first season to see if you can stand Idaho, the family likes it, etc.
 
I would personally say stay. As much as 9E isn't an amazing place to work, you're based at home, around family. That's HUGE. You have no idea how much the 121 work sucks until you have to do a cross country commute to reserve and are only home about one day a week.

The longer you stay at 9E, the better your QOL will be. You will have more days off, you will eventually upgrade, yada yada. Also, if you leave the 121 world right now, it might be a long, long time before you get back in again.
 
Happier people are much easier to be around. If you're unhappy with what you're doing, it bleeds into your personal life.

It's a decision you and your wife need to make together. Good luck. It's a nice problem to have.
 
Back
Top