For Lloyd..and those who think there is to much 'negativity'

[wheelsup]

Re: For Lloyd..and those who think there is to much 'negativ

IMO people aren't "bitter" at the flying career, they are jealous of other careers that pay well. That is what makes then seem "bitter". In short they want to have their cake and eat it too. They want to fly because it's a fun job but then they are jealous of others who make more.

My brother in law graduated college recently (23 years old) with a CS degree, he is making $80k base and another $1k/week in overtime. That is so much money he doesn't know what to do with it. Am I jealous? Heck yeah I am. Made me a little bitter with flying, I must say. My first YEAR out of college I made about what he makes in a month...

 

[ZapBrannigan]

Re: For Lloyd..and those who think there is to much 'negativ

I'm not jealous of people who make more money. I'm jealous of people who get to spend more time with their families.

I guess i'm one of the ones who seems negative on this site from time to time. I'll try and work on that while still offering the benefit of my experience -- both good and bad -- to the readers.

 

[NotCoolEnufToFly]

Re: For Lloyd..and those who think there is to much 'negativ

What is B&Ming?

 

[Cruise]

Re: For Lloyd..and those who think there is to much 'negativ

What is B&Ming?

I'm gonna go out on a limb and say:

Bitching and Moaning

 

[wrxpilot]

Re: For Lloyd..and those who think there is to much 'negativ

IMO people aren't "bitter" at the flying career, they are jealous of other careers that pay well. That is what makes then seem "bitter". In short they want to have their cake and eat it too. They want to fly because it's a fun job but then they are jealous of others who make more.

This is where I consider myself very lucky. I had one of those high paying jobs right out of college, and I was very miserable. I make less now as a pilot, but when I wake up in the morning I don't instantly feel like crap. If you've never been there, it's probably hard to understand that money does not give happiness. As long as I have enough to pay my bills, have a little fun, and put a little aside, I'm good. Not all pilots jobs offer that starting out, but I've been lucky enough so far to have flying jobs that pay ok.

 

[killbilly]

Re: For Lloyd..and those who think there is to much 'negativ

I'm not jealous of people who make more money. I'm jealous of people who get to spend more time with their families.

I guess i'm one of the ones who seems negative on this site from time to time. I'll try and work on that while still offering the benefit of my experience -- both good and bad -- to the readers.

Zap,

I'd wager that a lot of the people who get negative and argumentative on a web forum would not be so rude or dismissive of an experienced voice if you were sitting around in the pilot's lounge with them, y'know? The medium has its own nuances that cloud the message, and we have to take that into account.

You do well by us here. I appreciate the tutelage and I'm sure a lot of silent lurkers do, too.

Also realize that negative is in the eye of the beholder, which is why objectivity is critical.

 

[tonyw]

Re: For Lloyd..and those who think there is to much 'negativ

I guess i'm one of the ones who seems negative on this site from time to time. I'll try and work on that while still offering the benefit of my experience -- both good and bad -- to the readers.

I think it's critical to have a realistic picture of the career. If someone goes into it with rose colored glasses and thinks that everything is going to be sunshine and candy and kittens and happiness, they are going to be very disappointed. Then you end up with a very unhappy and bitter person in the cockpit.

It doesn't matter to me. I don't think any pilot, no matter how bitter he is, will crash a plane because he'll end up dead.

It matters to the folks who have to shut that door to the world and work with that guy for hours at a time.

So I think you're doing your fellow professional pilots a favor when you let people know the good, the bad, and the ugly of the profession.

 

[NotCoolEnufToFly]

Re: For Lloyd..and those who think there is to much 'negativ

I'm gonna go out on a limb and say:

Bitching and Moaning

Oh, uhhhh.... just making sure you knew!

 

[Cruise]

Re: For Lloyd..and those who think there is to much 'negativ

Oh, uhhhh.... just making sure you knew!

Thanks for the heads-up.

 

[brent p h]

Re: For Lloyd..and those who think there is to much 'negativ

Well I can agree that it may be bad for some right now. But with a skill like this who knows where it will take you? Every career has ups & downs (trust me). Cruising along at FL330 sounds way more interesting than the 66th floor boardroom!

 

[ZapBrannigan]

Re: For Lloyd..and those who think there is to much 'negativ

Cruising along at FL330 sounds way more interesting than the 66th floor boardroom!

To each his or her own. To some people watching the autopilot fly the airplane as the FMS counts down the minutes to the destination is mind-numbingly boring. Perhaps they like the challenge of arguing a case in a courtroom, or working as a surgeon. Maybe their passion is sales and they get a huge adrenalin rush from making that big sale. Maybe they are teachers or trainers who love the feeling they get from successfully training a class.

To you flying at 330 sounds like a lot of fun. To me it sounds like a lot of time down in the weather. :nana2:

Let's not dismiss the dozens of aviation careers that exist in cubicle land because all it takes is one failed medical and you might be looking for one. I know plenty of dispatchers, instructional designers, inspectors, engineers, instructors, simulator techs, etc who deeply and passionately love airplanes and flying...and yet work 9-5 and spend every night with the ones they love.

 

[brent p h]

Re: For Lloyd..and those who think there is to much 'negativ

To each his or her own. To some people watching the autopilot fly the airplane as the FMS counts down the minutes to the destination is mind-numbingly boring. Perhaps they like the challenge of arguing a case in a courtroom, or working as a surgeon. Maybe their passion is sales and they get a huge adrenalin rush from making that big sale. Maybe they are teachers or trainers who love the feeling they get from successfully training a class.

To you flying at 330 sounds like a lot of fun. To me it sounds like a lot of time down in the weather. :nana2:

Let's not dismiss the dozens of aviation careers that exist in cubicle land because all it takes is one failed medical and you might be looking for one. I know plenty of dispatchers, instructional designers, inspectors, engineers, instructors, simulator techs, etc who deeply and passionately love airplanes and flying...and yet work 9-5 and spend every night with the ones they love.

I agree....but I think that even with that analogy there are differential variables which must be taken into account. With me being a single guy I can imagine nothing short of a "dating cornucopia" if you will. Traveling to a wide variety of locations does provide these types of opportunities. However a person whom wants to sleep in his or her own bed more often may have their own quips or quirks that may need to be addressed as well. Being away from a significant other can be manageable- Because you aren’t seeing each other frequently, you appreciate each other more.

• You plan special activities for when you are together.
• You spend compressed time together, so can get close fast.
• You send each other love notes/emails to keep the passion alive. More so than if you were within a short driving distance.
• You plan special romantic gestures to show the person you care after the visit — notes tucked in luggage or left on the refrigerator, chocolate hidden under the covers.
• Hellos and goodbyes are particularly sweet.
• You build up anticipation of spending time with your special guy.
• If you have a busy life, you can consolidate your dating into a few days a week/month/quarter rather than allotting time each week.
• You have plenty of time to see friends, work out, and participate in hobbies in between sweetie visits, so you don’t feel you’re cutting out activities you like while developing a relationship.

 

[ZapBrannigan]

Re: For Lloyd..and those who think there is to much 'negativ

Try those with a toddler who worships his Daddy. It isn't the same and he/she will not understand.

Look, I don't expect you to understand. When I was a young single man I never would have understood either. Call it a paradigm shift. Kids change everything.

 

[Matt13C]

Re: For Lloyd..and those who think there is to much 'negativ

I'm not jealous of people who make more money. I'm jealous of people who get to spend more time with their families.

I guess i'm one of the ones who seems negative on this site from time to time. I'll try and work on that while still offering the benefit of my experience -- both good and bad -- to the readers.

I don't think telling your experiences can be considered negative, it is life. As someone who is working on his ratings and considering an aviation career I want to read all experiences so I can have realistic view of what life as a pilot will be like.

It is posts and advice both positive and negative that allow newbs like myself to make educated decisions about how, when and where or if even to enter the profession.

 

[wrxpilot]

Re: For Lloyd..and those who think there is to much 'negativ

I know plenty of dispatchers, instructional designers, inspectors, engineers, instructors, simulator techs, etc who deeply and passionately love airplanes and flying...and yet work 9-5 and spend every night with the ones they love.

Many of the "9-5" jobs are a myth. As you move up the corporate ladder, you are expected to put in MUCH more time than 40 hrs per week. I used to get emails from project managers that were dated 11:30 pm. I remember guys working well into the night at the office, essentially for free (salary). I saw this on weekends too (and did a few myself). When a lot of these guys go on vacation, they are not far removed from their Blackberry, checking VM and sending emails while "relaxing".

I just spent almost 2 weeks getting paid to do nothing. In a couple of days I'll have to go fly for about a week straight, but overall I've had much more time off in aviation (except flight instructing) than I did in the cubicle world.

 

[Sprint100]

Re: For Lloyd..and those who think there is to much 'negativ

Many of the "9-5" jobs are a myth. As you move up the corporate ladder, you are expected to put in MUCH more time than 40 hrs per week. I used to get emails from project managers that were dated 11:30 pm. I remember guys working well into the night at the office, essentially for free (salary). I saw this on weekends too (and did a few myself). When a lot of these guys go on vacation, they are not far removed from their Blackberry, checking VM and sending emails while "relaxing".

I just spent almost 2 weeks getting paid to do nothing. In a couple of days I'll have to go fly for about a week straight, but overall I've had much more time off in aviation (except flight instructing) than I did in the cubicle world.

At least in those 9 to 5 jobs you have the option of how much you want to put in. You can choose to stay to at a certain level so you can work when you are on and chill when you are off. At a certain level you are attached to these remote devices (blackberries, etc.) and working longer hours. 9 to 5 jobs isn't all doom and gloom like some make piloting out to be. Piloting gigs are cool with their pluses and minuses just like 9 to 5 gigs are cool with their pluses and minuses, be in either one long enough and you'd find something to b#### about.

 

[SlumTodd_Millionaire]

Re: For Lloyd..and those who think there is to much 'negativ

With me being a single guy I can imagine nothing short of a "dating cornucopia" if you will.

:laff: Yeah, I used to "imagine" the same thing. I'm still "imagining" it, because it sure as hell ain't a reality. "Catch Me If You Can" is just a movie; it bears no resemblance to reality.

 

[wrxpilot]

Re: For Lloyd..and those who think there is to much 'negativ

At least in those 9 to 5 jobs you have the option of how much you want to put in. You can choose to stay to at a certain level so you can work when you are on and chill when you are off. At a certain level you are attached to these remote devices (blackberries, etc.) and working longer hours. 9 to 5 jobs isn't all doom and gloom like some make piloting out to be. Piloting gigs are cool with their pluses and minuses just like 9 to 5 gigs are cool with their pluses and minuses, be in either one long enough and you'd find something to b#### about.

You don't always have the option of how much you want to work with these kinds of jobs. When you're on a project with a deadline coming up, you are definitely expected to be coming in and working as much as necessary to get things done. My managers never told me that I had the option to "chill" when the clock hit 5 pm when we were in the middle of big projects. It just doesn't work that way in most of the business world. There are exceptions, but I did that kind of work long enough and have enough friends in the industry that I think I know what I'm talking about. Plus, I was in engineering, which is considered to have a better QOL compared to a lot of other stuff (like being a lawyer for example).

I don't disagree there are pros and cons to every profession, but for me professional aviation far outweighs the BS I dealt with in the corporate world.

 

[killbilly]

Re: For Lloyd..and those who think there is to much 'negativ

I don't disagree there are pros and cons to every profession, but for me professional aviation far outweighs the BS I dealt with in the corporate world.

It has been my experience - at least in the IT/Telecom world - that the number of hours you work each week increases with your salary/comp plan.

 

[Sprint100]

Re: For Lloyd..and those who think there is to much 'negativ

You don't always have the option of how much you want to work with these kinds of jobs. When you're on a project with a deadline coming up, you are definitely expected to be coming in and working as much as necessary to get things done.

Yes you always have a choice in how far you wanna go. Choice #1)Do I want to get into a profession with projects & deadlines Choice #2) Do I really want to climb this corporate ladder to have to be that guy to work late.

...but for me professional aviation far outweighs the BS I dealt with in the corporate world.

Definitely to each his own and everyone's situation is different. Personally I'd love to be a professional pilot but I know that this isn't a good time family wise and not a good time to for my family to take that financial hit. After weighing the pros and cons with my current job, I can honestly say I'm happy. Not the type of happy where I don't want to become a professional pilot, but the type of happy where I love the perks, my family is happy, and if I do this for the rest of my life then I'd still be happy because I can still fly as a hobby or build my own plane.