Firebird2XC
Well-Known Member
Sometime, should you ply me with free beer and bat your eyelashes at me, perhaps I'll tell you my genius plan for getting into larger and larger turbine powered aircraft, and all in my spare time.
Getting out?
- Thread starter jsb172
- Start date
Sometime, should you ply me with free beer and bat your eyelashes at me, perhaps I'll tell you my genius plan for getting into larger and larger turbine powered aircraft, and all in my spare time.
LX40
Old School
To each his own. However, that doesn't mean pilots should have to work for wages that amount to a steaming pile of dung. I believe pilots have a right to "whine" about what is going on because things changed for the worse during the course of their careers. That being said, there is a potential to make things a lot better.
Not everyone is in a position to master a new body of knowledge, surplus of financial savings in your case, and work for low wages. The bottom line remains that being a pilot is a professional position and should be paid a professional wage. Period. Nobody in any career should have to use savings to support their career. That is completely crazy. It is absolutely amazing to me that kids these days are willing to save so they can afford/pay to "work" as a professional. That makes absolutely no sense to me. I certainly hope this isn't going to be the way of the future. Otherwise these tough times we see now will be known as the good ole days. Should things be progressing instead of regressing?
Earning a professional wage that will provide a nice retirement, support family, a comfortable living and eating a nice hot healthy meal would make the job not only a lot more fun and enjoyable but very rewarding too.
Honest question: does this new generation of pilots really have no concept of self worth or what a professional wage should be?
MikeOH58
Well-Known Member
Goodluck find a freight job right now.
dcramer16
Well-Known Member
Yeah, ok, if it dropped that low, they can take that job and shove it....
But seriously, who would want the stress of working DFW tower for less than 40K.anic:
Tram
Well-Known Member
No.. They don't..
Flying Bison
Well-Known Member
depends on the facility level. 37,9 could be his salary before certification. I'm new the the ATC side but based on what I'm reading pay is quite well.
If you are called back in 3 years, will you be at year 5 pay, or will you still be on year 2?
Killtron2000
Well-Known Member
I would really be surprised if I could find the perfect job this year but I can wait. In the mean time I'm staying current and if I can build 200 hours in the next 12 months I can get my ATP.
Killtron2000
Well-Known Member
I've always been a night owl, I liked the idea of working for airnet too until the takeover. I think I could swing a freight job and something else. QOL schedule and base is far more important to me than equipment and pay.
dcramer16
Well-Known Member
I can't count the times I've heard, "Oh, you're flying freight, how much longer do you think it will be till you can get on with an airline...." Like flying freight isn't a professional pilot job. IMHO, flying freight is a much better job than flying for the airlines. REGIONAL PILOTS, DON'T TAKE THAT THE WRONG WAY. If you're happy flying for the airlines, great, I just think flying freight is a better lifestyle, and much better pay, but no less professional.
jtrain609
Antisocial Monster
Oh, that never goes away, man!
When I was a regional pilot, it was "how much longer until you can fly a real airliner?"
When I was a flight engineer: "How much longer until you become a pilot?"
When I was a 737 FO: "How much longer until you can get off that puddle jumper?"
When I wasa MD-88/90 FO: "How much longer until you can get off that old DC-9?"
Now (767): "How much longer until you can fly the big boys?"
It really doesn't matter. Find something you like that can also pay the bills and do the work. If you're going to dig ditches, dig the hell out of 'em. If you get into aviation, fly the hell out of it. If you're going into amateur adult video production, well, you get the point.
pilot4500
IT Architect/ Former Cirrus Charter Pilot
Some of us just weren't meant to cruise the flight levels and make a McDonalds salary while being away from home 20 days a month or more. Nothing against those who want to do that. At one time I was one of them, but not anymore. I would much rather have a 9-5 desk job and make enough money to own or rent an airplane and fly on my own terms. I might flight instruct on the side as well. Luckily I am still young enough to make a career change. Accounting world, here I come!
Tram
Well-Known Member
Some of us just weren't meant to cruise the flight levels and make a McDonalds salary while being away from home 20 days a month or more. Nothing against those who want to do that. At one time I was one of them, but not anymore. I would much rather have a 9-5 desk job and make enough money to own or rent an airplane and fly on my own terms. I might flight instruct on the side as well. Luckily I am still young enough to make a career change. Accounting world, here I come!
That exactly it..
There was a point in time where the regionals were a stepping stone to the majors, where all the crappy regional stuff was worth dealing with, as you were going somewhere in the forseeable future..
Those days are long gone..
TheresaPilot
Well-Known Member
Some of us just weren't meant to cruise the flight levels and make a McDonalds salary while being away from home 20 days a month or more. Nothing against those who want to do that. At one time I was one of them, but not anymore. I would much rather have a 9-5 desk job and make enough money to own or rent an airplane and fly on my own terms. I might flight instruct on the side as well. Luckily I am still young enough to make a career change. Accounting world, here I come!
Can I have some of your TT? :crazy:
jwp_145
GhostRider in the Sky
I really wish people would quit pissing and moaning about leaving this industry. I'm very empathetic to your feelings and the reasons you are leaving, but it really doens't make the rest of us feel all to swell when every day someone has to start a topic stating all of the reasons why they have had it with the industry. It is depressing to hear people constantly talking about that.
Tram
Well-Known Member
Well by all means, please let us know what would make you feel "swell" so we can talk about that..
Last time I checked, this message board was pretty much available for those to post their feelings.. I didn't see the requirement of "please put on your rose tinted glasses while posting."
If you are so happy with the job, it shouldn't matter one iota what others think.. Just ignore the nay-sayers and keep on trucking..
If others not enjoying the industry bring you down, perhaps there is a part of you that agrees with them?
If people are talking about getting out of the industry everyday, maybe there is a good reason to do so?
Maybe someone needs to change the name of the board from "Jetcareers.com" to "Positive-comments-on-JetCareers-Only.com"
jwp_145
GhostRider in the Sky
I agree with you on 99% of what you just said, but it just seems as though no good would come of the negativity, and more and more of it is posted everyday.
jtrain609
Antisocial Monster
It's not negativity, it's reality for a lot of people, and good things come from straight talk.
Can't handle the straight talk? You probably should REALLY be reconsidering why you want to fly for a living, or continue to fly for a living, or whatever. If you can't take the straight truth, something is probably wrong.
But if you can take all the things that some people view as negative and say, "Hey, those aren't negatives for me! I think that I can make this work just fine, and in fact enjoy myself while taking the negatives with the positives (because there are a lot)," then have at it man.
mtsu is a great example of this. Nobody is going to get that guy down about what he does for a living. I think that's great.
As Doug said the other day, if you're pushing a pencil across a desk for a living, then push the living crap out of that pencil. If you're flying airplanes for a living, then fly the crap out of them. But Jesus if you don't like the compromises you need to make to push the pencil or fly the desk, by all means do something to change it up a little bit because there ain't much time in life to be that angry about the days you're wasting.
tonyw
Well-Known Member
You know, when I was part of a flying club, one of the things that struck me was how the guys who did fly for airlines all said the most fun they had flying was tooling around in a C172 on a clear and a million day.
That is a lot of fun. Expensive fun, but fun nevertheless. I'm not going to pursue aviation as a career but I still do enjoy just puttering around on a VFR day.
Well, if you're fresh out of college, and $20K a year is a hell of a lot more than you've ever received in your life, then that sounds just fine.
On the other hand, if you didn't start aviation training while you were in college and you've gotten used to being paid a professional's salary, then many people have a tendency to say, you've got to be kidding me when someone offers a wage that's too far below it.
I think the aviation industry is going to lose career changers. When you've worked your way up to an income where you can afford to pay for flight training, the idea of going back to $20K a year just doesn't sit too well.