In response to "Enough of a glorious flight career"

[clrd4takeoff]

In response to \"Enough of a glorious flight career\"

What is it that makes flying such a bad career choice?

Low pay? Terrible schedule? Bad management? Long hours?

Wow, there are a ton of jobs out there that fit that bill!

It doesn't matter what job you hold, you will always start at the bottom and work your way up. You will always have days where you wish you would have done something else.

No one will ever give you anything! You will always have to earn it! That's life!

If you are really passionate about flying, you can and will succeed! If you are in it for the money, maybe you need to try something else!

I am just tired of reading post about how bad flying is as a profession!

If you want to give up flying you can always get a job driving the big rigs or join the military! Try those for a while and flying won't seem so bad!

Just my .02

clrd

P.S. Mavmb, I would hate to see a good pilot give in to a real estate career. IMHO, you have invested too much to give up flying!

 

[Guest]

Re: In response to \"Enough of a glorious flight career\"

Could be clearer what you said. It is time we start being positive here. What are we, flightinfo?

 

[flyover]

Re: In response to \"Enough of a glorious flight career\"

One thing I've seen over the years is despite much moaning and complaining very few people leave for a new career. The truth is the grass isn't greener out there for the most part.

It takes considerable drive to duplicate the historical pay and benefits of the airline industry in some other field. To get up to that level usually requires long hours and some talent.

Now the pasture isn't as green on the airline side as it once was. And it probably won't be. But in another couple years we will get through this shakeout and come out the other side. The we'll know if it "isn't worth it" anymore, and even then it will be a personal decision.

The number one requirement still is you've got to want to fly airplanes.

Dave

 

[Mr_Creepy]

Re: In response to \"Enough of a glorious flight career\"

[ QUOTE ]
It takes considerable drive to duplicate the historical pay and benefits of the airline industry in some other field. To get up to that level usually requires long hours and some talent.

Dave

[/ QUOTE ]

I don't know about that Dave. In one year I surpassed the most I made in 7 years of airline flying.

Depends on the field I suppose. Leaving to become an actor may not work out right away LOL.

 

[SteveC]

Re: In response to \"Enough of a glorious flight career\"

[ QUOTE ]
...I am just tired of reading post about how bad flying is as a profession!
...

[/ QUOTE ]

The glossy Flight Training and Flying magazine ads and Air Inc and PanAm DCA literature may be a better source for your information then.

<kidding.........really>

 

[derg]

Re: In response to \"Enough of a glorious flight career\"

Well, both points are valid. I think giving a person the floor whose made another career decision is just as important for everyone to read as a person whose absolutely in love with the business.

The truth is somewhere in between. And both the negative and positive aspects have validity and need to be heard. This certainly isn't a "glossy ad in 'Flying Magazine' website", but it surely isn't the converse. It's an informational-based site with actual experience from actual people and we can all glean knowledge, both the good and the bad.

Certainly, if Mavamb's post scares you, there's surely a lot more things that'll scare you far worse than his posting!

Personally, I enjoy the performance of my job greatly, but everything else surrounding it drives me crazy -- mostly because I'm someone's employee and you never get ahead in this world or can approach true nirvana if you're someone's employee.

I got into this job to see the world, and I've seen a whole lot of Tallahassee, FL and Baton Rouge, LA over the past few years.

 

[flyover]

Re: In response to \"Enough of a glorious flight career\"

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
It takes considerable drive to duplicate the historical pay and benefits of the airline industry in some other field. To get up to that level usually requires long hours and some talent.

Dave

[/ QUOTE ]

I don't know about that Dave. In one year I surpassed the most I made in 7 years of airline flying.

Depends on the field I suppose. Leaving to become an actor may not work out right away LOL.

[/ QUOTE ]

I should have added the disclaimer "your results may vary". Of course it depends on which end of the aviation spectrum you are on and how much drive and talent you want to apply in "the real world".

It's just been my observation that the guys that talk the loudest about leaving for greener pastures never do. Meanwhile there are a few quiet ones that have either started a successful business or invested well who really can walk away if they want to.

I'm sorry I guess I should add, married well.

Dave

 

[jtrain609]

Re: In response to \"Enough of a glorious flight career\"

[ QUOTE ]
I'm sorry I guess I should add, married well

[/ QUOTE ]

That's my plan!

 

[jdflight]

Re: In response to \"Enough of a glorious flight career\"

I'm with JT on this one. I had been working for four years when I quit to start flying. Only two years in my professional field. With zero experience in my field and only two years out of college with another job, I began in the mid $30K range. After two years, I was making near $60K and was on track to break six figures in the next year and a half. As a senior instructor, I'll make 2/3 of my beginning salary. All of my regional pilot roommates will make just under what I made my first year in that field. Yeah, I had to work long hours and deal with harsh management decisions, but I was home every night. I was able to join volleyball leagues and not miss games. I certainly don't think that aviation is for everybody, and I am not going to give anyone grief for trying it and deciding not to stick around.

 

[pilot602]

Re: In response to \"Enough of a glorious flight career\"

You've got a point Doug, but being your own boss isn't all it's cracked up to be either.

Case in point, when I started my little newspaper I was literally a slave to it nearly 24/7 - and it was just breaking even at the point it would pay for itself to print. I still had to work a full time job. My reporters were working on the condition if the thing ever started making enough money they would be paid, in the meantime they were using the experience for clips in their portfolios (which meant highly unreliable "story streams" as everything else in their lives took precedent over working for me ... which I was absolutely cool with).

Or take a look at how much time you put into JC.com. Imagine if your livelihood depended on it! You'd be logged in 24/7 and marketing like nuts which I'm sure sounds way appealing.

I've had several friends who run their own highly successful businesses and the common theme is no time away from them. You have to sit on these things all the time. So while you may not have a direct boss, per say, there are always some kind commitment or deadline or promise you need to keep so instead of one boss you now have 100.

In the end, yeah, you answer to no one but yourself but usually "yourself" is the hardest boss you'll ever know.

I think the biggest disconnect for folks when it comes to flying is two things.

1) Most people who get into it as a career are fairly young and haven't worked a 9-5, m-f "real job." So they have very little to judge the flying gig against.

2) Most other careers which require a similar level of training have starting salaries much, much higher than the average CFI pay of 10k a year.

Combine those two things with eating ramen noodles seven days a week and the "romantcized" version of flying goes out the window and with a quickness.