It finally happened

djh1007

djh1007

Flying Squirrel Trainee
I'm 24, finishing up school, have girls, a fancy car, good friends, and a little bit of $, and now, a little sadness.

My life is great, I have nothing to complain about, BUT:

Today flying felt like a job. Maybe it's because I'm a new instructor, and I'm teaching and saying the same things over and over and over, but I've NEVER not wanted to go flying before. I ended up doing an hour of ground today because it was too windy, which was a godsend, because I didn't want to fly again today.

When did it hit you?

I've dreamt of being a professional pilot most my entire life, I even soloed at sixteen, and I thought I'd love every last second of being I'm the air.

Tell me to suck it up, sure, but every one has had that realization that being a pilot will still be a JOB.

Thanks for listening, I'm sure you guys can relate.
 
Probably my first year at a regional.

When I was a CFI, I dreamed of how perfect life would be because I wouldn't have to street hustle for students, speak "pigeon" to communicate with my foreign students and could just show up and log sweet sweet multi-engine turbine.

Then one day after re-installing my battery into my car to go to work for a company which had a two-day lesson about NASA fatigue studies, but then crew scheduling disregarded all of the fatigue reducing suggestions, it hit.

But you know, it is what you make it. It is what it is.

Sure beats getting shot at in Iraq or being a custodian for an adult theater.
 
CFI-ing can get tough, but when it gets old, remember the days when you had a cubicle job. Which, given your age and that you've prob been spending time flying to earn your ratings, I'm not sure you've had...(not trying to be patronizing, just sayin')...Maybe at least think back to what it was like to shell out your hard earned dollars just for 0.8 in a cessna because that's all you could afford that week. It can be a grind, but any job can, it's all in your attitude about it.

In Summary: Be grateful for what you have, suck it up, life could be a lot worse.
 
When you're delayed. Due to MX issues, diverting, extended, on reduced rest, anything crappy.

But then you see the sunset on approach to Key West and get to spend 20+ hours there with your friends and none of that crap matters anymore.
 
djh1007 said:
I'm sure you guys can relate.
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Not really...Other than I finished college when I was 24. Had about $200 in the bank, moved back home for year and sold motorcycles for 3 years to save enough money to move out and for my commercial and CFI. Got laid off from the bike shop when the economy began to tank and continued with my CFI unemployed. Got my first CFI job where I was lucky to make $800/mo. Got a much better teaching job but still spent the next 6 years not really knowing if my paycheck was going to cover my bills for the month. Moved to the airport to live in a hangar. Sure got to do a of fun stuff though. I've had about half a dozen breakthrough job opportunities totally vanish. Watched my friends get married, buy houses, have kids. Got A girl. Some how she's managed to put up with me for the last 4 years. Got a "better" job. Now I spend more time away from her than with her. I have Platinum Elite Mr. Awesome status at just about every mid-range hotel chain in existence. I have enough points to live in one for free for a month. I took my first real paid vacation just last month. It lasted 4 days. I did buy myself a new truck last spring. That felt awesome. And for the first time in 8 years I actually have money in the bank. I still love to teach. I still get excited when I get sent out on the road for a job. I get even more excited when I get to come home. I fly fun on my days off. One day I will own an airplane. Don't know what yet, but it will fly upside down.

It hasn't been easy, but I wouldn't call it rough by any means. I'm just good at turning lemons into lemonade. And if I'm bored with my job, I do something about it.

Oh... Suck it up!
 
It's most definatly a job. I remember as a student I craved becoming a flight instructor, after my first year or so, that craving slowly went away. It's a job, but usually not boring courtesy of those student pilots. You're not locked up in a small office (unless you're in a 152) and that's a hell of a plus. Keep Truckin
 
For me, many of the things that lead up to that magical statement - "DOORS AND WINDOWS - CLOSED L/R" can be downright unpleasant - especially if it's one of those days accompanied by reflows, bad weather, short nights, flow control and such. Usually goes away once the engines are running, though. :)

Usually the more grumbly I get, the more I realize that I need to eat something. True story.
 
I can't remember exactly when it became a job for me, but probably at some point within the first few hundred hours of instructing. The first summer I spent instructing, I worked 10-12 hours/day, six days per week and flew 90-120 hours/month. After three months in a row, I started to burn out.

I wasn't totally surprised by it though. Nothing stays all rainbows and butterflies forever. The question is, what would you rather be doing?

In my case, nothing. It just became a matter of making sure the awesomeness outweighed the suck. Set a limit to how much you work, take steps to ensure you have a variety of flying, don't accept jobs for crappy pay, etc.

Also, something I've noticed with getting older and more experienced in the working world, is that I'm able to tolerate more suck without it bothering me. I'm not sure if it's lower expectations, better coping skills, or what, but when things don't go my way, it doesn't get to me like it used to. Hopefully it'll be the same for you.
 
I've been instructing for the last year and a half, and luckily I haven't quite gotten to that point. I've come close though. It was the worst when I had nothing but private pilot students, and they were all at the same stage (3-4 flights per day doing exactly the same thing, in exactly the same area got really old by the end of the day). Luckily that didn't last long, and I got some instrument students. Then multi-students. Just being able to mix things up every day really helps. Also, going on a fun cross country (I will never go somewhere and just do a touch and go), and grabbing a $100 hamburger really makes you and your student feel better.

I also really try to enjoy the little things. Right now it's actually being able to fly as our weather has sucked royally. I've been trying to make things as interesting as possible. This includes filing IFR just to do approaches in actual IMC conditions, having to get special VFR clearances to get into and out of our airspace, even working on a "day in the life" of a CFI video. I hope to have that done sometime soon. Any chance I get, I will challenge my students to landing competitions, go up with another instructor for night currency, and jump in a sim to keep my instrument currency. Also, with the new CFIs that we've hired, it's too easy to play practical jokes on them. That keeps me very entertained!

It will feel like a job in you let it. Just find a way to bring some fun back into it, and those feeling will disappear. Oh well, now I've got to go pray to the aviation gods and see if they will let the weather cooperate for tomorrow. Good luck, and remember, have some fun with it!
 
There have been plenty of times when I'd rather stay on the ground than be in the air, but never have I ever answered 'Yes' to the question "Would I rather be pushing papers than this?"

On a related note, unlike most of these other guys, I love the days when things are going wrong. I love the challenge that they offer.
 
It also depends on where you fly and the nature of the flying... It may cause a little stir by saying this but...

I did most of my ratings at UND... But the pompous up tight know-it-all super pilot attitudes running around combined with pre-flights at 7AM in -30? I think the winter I spent doing my CFI up there was one of the low points of my 20s (besides boot camp). Made me question everything I was doing. But I graduated on time in four years...

Heavily loaded in debt, with a few bucks in my pocket, on a wing in a prayer I headed south to Miami to work with a buddy of mine for my first flight instructing gig. Truth is I had an absolute blast and Florida really made me realize why I got into this industry... I enjoyed my new found responsibility as a CFI, great wx, better new friends, hopping from island to island in the Keys and the Bahamas, students from every corner of the globe, and the most beautiful women I'd ever seen. Pay sucked but that was probably the only real complaint.

Now I'm back up north, flying for a regional, freezing my ass off. Pay is getting a little better and the job satisfaction is okay but nothing like Florida. I no longer read the union blast emails because I'm sick of them justifying why they make 1.5 million/yr from our pilot group or the company email because I'm sick of being told I'm a regional pilot flies regional pax. But hey its a shiny jeeetttt and I gotta check off boxes for the next step. If you let go of the outside BS from door shut to door open its a fun and challenging gig.

I guess what I'm saying is that although there were some points early on even before I started CFIing that I wasn't extactic about flying it doesn't mean it had to be that way from there on out. You'll have good days and bad days and it comes and goes. Some days I was like ugh wtf! and other days I couldn't be happier I chose this career path. Personally, I'm busting my butt now at this job so I never have to do another later on for less pay just to get whatever flight time... and be based somewhere with warm wx year round!

Just because you had one day of being tired and bored doesn't mean the career is a wash. You still have quite a few firsts ahead of you if your a CFI! :D
 
Douglas said:
Just wait until you have that realization that you could get a desk job, and be a-okay with that.
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Actually I'm at that point with my current job. Luckily I'm on vacation for two more weeks, in which time I have several regional airline interviews. Both places are infinitely better than my current gig, but if for whatever reason I should bomb both interviews, I'd happily fly a desk before returning to my company.
 
HVYMETALDRVR said:
...although there were some points early on even before I started CFIing that I wasn't extactic about flying it doesn't mean it had to be that way from there on out. You'll have good days and bad days and it comes and goes.
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True words right here.

I've hit some points in previous jobs when I briefly really, seriously wanted out. I basically said to myself, "If I can't make a decent living and have a decent QOL with flying, screw it, I'm out." Then, whatdaya know, things fell in to place for me to keep moving up and I stuck with it.

Now my job involves 75% office work and 25% flying. Want to know what I think about 75% of the time? The other 25% :D

Maybe not quite that drastic, but let me tell you, after sitting behind a desk for a week straight, I'm plenty ready to get out and do a flight. Doesn't matter where or what type of plane. I just need to get in the air for a while.
 
It's called the law of diminishing returns. The more you have of something, the less it will satisfy your desires. If you can find a way to step a way from flying for a month or so, and then come back, so will the thrill...for while.
 
I've been instructing for almost two years, yes it is a job. Sometimes when I wake up I don't want to go to work, but once I get in the plane I am happy to be at "work"
 
Douglas said:
Just wait until you have that realization that you could get a desk job, and be a-okay with that.
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Haha, never man! Even thinking about going back and working at the desk still gives me nightmares and is the reason I will never take my flying job for granted, I still love it!
 
I think back to when I was 16-17 and started working. Being stuck inside for the 11am-7pm shift stocking shelves at a grocery store on beautiful days was agony for me. Then I worked for a rental company doing nothing but manual labor for a few years while getting my ratings. That was the job that I still look back on and think, man I'm lucky to be doing what I do. I worked with druggies, high school/college drop outs and other interesting people, all ranging in age from 20s-50s. I had my moment of "This could be you in 20yrs if you don't study and work hard."

Yes flying for me, and pretty much all of us who rely on it for a paycheck, is a job, but I still enjoy it and do my best to never take it for granted. I think of how much worse it could really be. While there are days when I'd much rather be on the ground, and grumble as I climb the stairs, the idea of working a desk for the rest of my life does absolutely nothing for me.
 
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