I guess it for people who want to take shortcuts in life. I thought about it at times, but I wanted to teach because I like teaching. If I couldn't fly I would of love to be a history teacher.
Then those people probably don't have any business flying an airliner either. Years ago if someone didn't want to CFI, they were told to suck it up or get out. Now it's all about finding an easy way so they don't have to get their hands dirty. Sad. If someone can't hold themselves together for a year or two of CFIing, how are they going to hold up a few years on reserve, a few years of furlough, or a few months on strike? You see it on "other boards" all the time...guys that have been at a regional for a year or two and they are burned out because it's not like the brochure said it would be.There are plenty of people that have no business CFI-ing.
This company isn't out there to "catch" them. It exists solely to separate less knowledgeable people from their money. The more of them the better...for them.Hopefully, this company catches them.
Nothing to but heads about but from what I hear from older pilots is there were many other options out there for a pilot and there was something to fly even if you only had 200 hours or so. I heard some companies would pay for them to finish up their pilot training and was waiting to hirer them as soon as they got their commercial. Sorry, but I'm gonna have to strongly disagree with your statement above. Maybe it was the location you were in. I was never told to suck it up or get out. If I were told that today it would go in one ear and out the other.Years ago if someone didn't want to CFI, they were told to suck it up or get out. Now it's all about finding an easy way so they don't have to get their hands dirty. Sad.
At risk of being attacked and told I have no idea what I'm talking about, I am going to say yeah there are plenty of alternatives to both CFIing and the airlines if you get furloughed, but I don't want to bring out that beast again. There are plenty of jobs available, a cool gig would be to right seat in the van at Susi air, go abroad, upgrade quick, and get to see indonesia (or are they in papua new guinea, I can't recall). If you're a religious one, there are plenty of missionary groups flying in africa, or you could go to work for one of the many tour companies in Dar and fly something cool like an LET 410. If you didn't want to do that, or any of the other options listed above, you could consider getting into an Army Guard unit as an enlistedman, and trying to go warrant (ask someone else for details, though I just had a friend do it). Further, for those of you with a degree, if its in Biology, the state of Alaska has a program where those with a bio degree can drive super cubs around the state on bird survey. GS-11 job, with good benes and you get to drive a cub (a tricked out OAS cub if I remember). If you've a float rating you could fish spot anywhere where they catch herring, or I think they spot for tuna too. The list goes on and on.There are other options for people that don't want to be a CFI. How many young RJ right seaters said "I don't want to instruct, I'll go to (insert regional)" when the hiring was good and now are going to find themselves on the street with no CFI (back-up plan)?
Now they're going to have to take one of those other options.
Fly traffic, banners, jumpers, aerial photo (though that seems to require some decent times as lots of the operators are using 400-series Cessnas - and not that columbia/cessna 400 thing), go hang out in the right seat of a twin-cessna or king air flying 135 or military.
Those options are available for someone before being furloughed too. If those options don't sound good and CFI'ing doesn't sound good, then I think it's time to suck it up or get out.
No one should think they need to buy a job.
-mini
I came pretty damn close to doing this as well, until I stumbled onto this site. And I give this site credit for me not going into debt for a "career" that I would hate."Do people really fall for this?"
Yep. I did. When you don't have all the info that's available on places like JC, then it can seem very tempting, and back then it was pretty damned cheap. Cost me less to go through everything there than Comair Academy wanted just for the ratings (that's Delta Connection Academy now, for you kiddies). This is why I'm such a big fan of what Doug does here, even though I sometimes disagree with some things the moderators do. JC is just about the best source of information to stop people from making these bad decisions.
Other boards?You see it on "other boards" all the time...guys that have been at a regional for a year or two and they are burned out because it's not like the brochure said it would be.
TYou see it on "other boards" all the time...guys that have been at a regional for a year or two and they are burned out because it's not like the brochure said it would be.
I kid you not, what I am about to quote is real.Then those people probably don't have any business flying an airliner either. Years ago if someone didn't want to CFI, they were told to suck it up or get out. Now it's all about finding an easy way so they don't have to get their hands dirty. Sad. If someone can't hold themselves together for a year or two of CFIing, how are they going to hold up a few years on reserve, a few years of furlough, or a few months on strike? You see it on "other boards" all the time...guys that have been at a regional for a year or two and they are burned out because it's not like the brochure said it would be.
Its just not his cup of tea, and thats fine, but what he doesn't realize is that the road is going to be much harder, and that coveted job driving the airbus may lay forever out of reach.I kid you not, what I am about to quote is real.
I was in one of the AllATPs centers today taking an FAA written exam on the computer.
While I was in the room on the computer reviewing the practice section, the door was open and the instructor was talking with two students over lunch between sim sessions.
One of the students, who had been in the Frasca just minutes earlier practicing holding pattern entries, said:
"Yeah, I'm considering getting out of this industry. I don't think I can waste several years instructing or whatever else I can get into after training. It's just not worth it."
He has yet to complete the instrument rating!
Perhaps that mentality is becoming more widespread among people learning to fly, as they see jobs being harder to get if all one has is a newly minted commercial pilot certificate.
I do think that the people who truly want to fly will still do it. But those that want the right seat of an RJ after they finish their RJ course and then want the left seat of the RJ the day they hit 1500 hours and then the right seat of a Boeing or Airbus the day they hit 1000 TPIC must adjust the plan, or risk utter disappointment.