Does GA flying suffice for you?

M

meritflyer

Well-Known Member
To you guys out there who fly for fun -

Does GA flying suffice? For me, I keep coming to the reality that I may never be able to make it to the airlines for financial reasons and that I may have to buy a nice Cirrus then maybe onto a small SE turboprop (one day) to tote around in BUT that doesn't seem to fulfill the "aviator" in me.

Anyone else fill the same?
 
meritflyer said:
Does GA flying suffice? For me, I keep coming to the reality that I may never be able to make it to the airlines for financial reasons quote]

You really dont think you'll make it?

I dont think GA will suffice for me, everything is amazing right now because of training but I think eventually I will want more. The next step.
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I'm confused. You say you can't be a professional pilot for financial reasons but then you say you could afford a Cirrus and then a T-prop? Sounds like you have some commitment issues.
 
Hi Merit,

Depends how you look at it from my point of view. I think of flying is flying whether its a GA plane or a heavy. I think of it as flying as my freedom and a hobby. Once it becomes a job, I think it would kill it for me. I've talked to airline pilots who don't want to be near an airport or airplane when they are not working. But then again, there are plenty of guys who luv' flying for a living. Everyone has priorities and it depends what yours is. I realized that my paycheck, benefits and home every night with my family is more important than flying for a living. So flying wherever I want and whenever I want on the weekends and holidays is just fine for me.

I was like everyone chasing the "jet dream" when I was working through all my ratings but reality strikes when you see your friends getting furloughed or just trying to survive on FO pay...

But I do luv hearing the stories from my airline buddies about their lives, I just don't want to live it right now. :)
 
If I could afford it, it might. What kind of GA flying are you NOT doing? Aerobatic, sailplanes, seaplanes....? Sounds like a lot more fun than flying an airliner around, to me at least.
 
meritflyer said:
BUT that doesn't seem to fulfill the "aviator" in me.
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If you're looking to fulfill the 'aviator' in you, keep flying GA. Handflying a turn to a heading on departure, watching george follow a 600nm straight line followed by a 30 mile straight in approach doesnt exactly do it.
 
I like casey's answer.

GA flying definitely suffices for me. Why the heck would I want to turn something that's so much fun that I =want= to do into a job I =have= to do?
 
If I had the means to purchase my own aircraft outside of aviation, I would definately be satisfied only flying GA.

That said, I do have a lot of fun flying professionally too.
 
pullup said:
I'm confused. You say you can't be a professional pilot for financial reasons but then you say you could afford a Cirrus and then a T-prop? Sounds like you have some commitment issues.
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I think he means he cannot be a professional pilot because he can't afford the pay cut. How many pilots now beginning a career will be able to afford their own TP down the road??
 
I work as an interventional cardiology rep (used to do pharma). Always wanted to be an airline pilot but given my current financial responsibility I just dont know if I could take on the airline business.

Kinda sucks since I just got promoted to interventional products as opposed to drugs (huge leap forward).

I seem to be okay with just flying GA for fun for a period of time then realize I still want to one day fly for a major airline.

Problem [could be] the wife doesnt work and the kid(s) are too young to sell into slave labor.
 
Have you made your GA flying to actually go somewhere or just local? I enjoy the flying for getting to sites for the client, its just not local. Now if I can just get it to NOT be the same place in PA!

I played around on my return yesterday and got best economy in the plane at 6500MSL 125kts 7.0gph!! :nana2: :nana2:
 
Use your income to buy assets, when your assets can pay your bills then do whatever you want to do. Shouldn't take too long, maybe 5 years at your new pay rate?

Flying for an airline isn't really flying, it's a job. It's not the same as messin' around flying GA. One thing I do like about flying vs. "other" jobs is when you leave work, you leave work. Show up, do your job, and go home. No stress. And lots of time off. Works for me, but I have no idea what it's like to make over $45k per year, so I have a different perspective.
 
I understand where you are coming from on the reduction in pay (maybe not as much as you! LOL). I need to push to get my ratings so I will be in a position to make the choice when an opportunity arrives. I am also working on getting more business clients that dont need me at the facility 2-3 days a week (or more like lately). I hope to offset FO pay with continued Engineering work on days off.
 
Here is my take.

I love flying professionally. If I have to work, then I want to do this. It affords me to fulfill a passion for flying, meet many interesting people, and travel... even if it just means to the state next door or within the United States. I love those times when you are cleared for a challenging visual approach and swing it around only to grease it on. A great crew with a long overnight in an interesting city can't be beat. All in all, I am very, very happy with my chosen profession.

That said, there are many, many times that I wish I could fly where I want, when I want, in what I want. It would be nice to fly without a schedule, to go somewhere and sit for a while enjoying a good view and some good food, only to fly home and be in my own bed. Sometimes the trials and tribulations of the airline industry can really test you... not to mention cause near ulcers. It is a rough business that many cannot handle, with crazy schedules, many hours away from home, eating airport food or in restaurants all the time (home cooked meals are great!), airport security, all the rules, etc..

Problem is, to be able to afford the flying I described above, I would need to find a profession that would give me the financial ability to do it. Right now, there is only one or two other jobs that I would be somewhat happy with, and they are all in law enforcement. Not really big moneymaker positions. So it is a tradeoff... I choose following my passion and making it my profession, even with all the stress that comes along with it. It is nice to get paid to fly airplanes. Those who say that you don't fly in the airlines are lying. I have the freedom to click off that autopilot whenever I want. The airplane has ailerons, rudder, and an elevator like the rest. It is just bigger with more fancy gizmos.

Also, consider this: What better way to spend your time at work than to fly, only to leave all your free time for your wife, children, and other interests? I try to leave work at work, that gives me the chance to do other things that interest me in life. You need a balance.

Good luck with whatever you choose meritflyer!
 
F-ing RJ drivers... :)

Seriously man spot on as usual.

FlyChicaga said:
Here is my take.

I love flying professionally. If I have to work, then I want to do this. It affords me to fulfill a passion for flying, meet many interesting people, and travel... even if it just means to the state next door or within the United States. I love those times when you are cleared for a challenging visual approach and swing it around only to grease it on. A great crew with a long overnight in an interesting city can't be beat. All in all, I am very, very happy with my chosen profession.

That said, there are many, many times that I wish I could fly where I want, when I want, in what I want. It would be nice to fly without a schedule, to go somewhere and sit for a while enjoying a good view and some good food, only to fly home and be in my own bed. Sometimes the trials and tribulations of the airline industry can really test you... not to mention cause near ulcers. It is a rough business that many cannot handle, with crazy schedules, many hours away from home, eating airport food or in restaurants all the time (home cooked meals are great!), airport security, all the rules, etc..

Problem is, to be able to afford the flying I described above, I would need to find a profession that would give me the financial ability to do it. Right now, there is only one or two other jobs that I would be somewhat happy with, and they are all in law enforcement. Not really big moneymaker positions. So it is a tradeoff... I choose following my passion and making it my profession, even with all the stress that comes along with it. It is nice to get paid to fly airplanes. Those who say that you don't fly in the airlines are lying. I have the freedom to click off that autopilot whenever I want. The airplane has ailerons, rudder, and an elevator like the rest. It is just bigger with more fancy gizmos.

Also, consider this: What better way to spend your time at work than to fly, only to leave all your free time for your wife, children, and other interests? I try to leave work at work, that gives me the chance to do other things that interest me in life. You need a balance.

Good luck with whatever you choose meritflyer!
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