captainphil
Well-Known Member
Okay, I'm going to go on a little rant here, one in which I have done before but feel like I need to vent. When I first got into aviation, I was so excited and gung-ho about training for a job that most people can only dream of. Having worked in the airlines for almost 4 years, I have learned a lot. I may not be as experienced as most, but I see what I see and I hear what I hear. It takes forever to get a "bump" in pay, management ( or lack thereof) rarely sides with their employees, and everyday I come home feeling overly stressed from a "normal" day of work. Mind you this is just for a ramp job. I truly love flying, there's no doubt about that, however I feel because of my experience in the industry and the "career" insight of many pilots I meet on a daily basis, it has given me a good dose of reality about my chosen career path. The starting pay is too low, you work 16 hour days and only get paid for 5 of them, your away from home constantly and the cost to get the job puts you in severe debt. Remember, i'm from New York, rent aint cheap here! Not to mention my student loan payments. I feel like all of this is really turning me off about the industry, however, I kind of feel like it's too late to go back considering how much money me and my parents have laid out for my training and school. I just feel like i'm at a crossroad and not sure what to do at this point.