Met AA Captain, #47 on Seniority List

Well, I've also recetly talked with an AA captain who is flying DFW-Tokoyo route on the 777. He went the civilian route (somewhat rare for the pilots of the time when he was hired) and he gave me no such advice. He seemed very excited for me and loved hearing from someone with a passion for flying. He thinks I'm in a great position, and should go for it full steam. Sure there might be bumps alone the road, and things may not turn out exactly as I plan, but that's life. You just have to pick up the ball and run with it. I don't know if the military or civilian backgrounds made a difference in these two pilot's attitudes, but I wouldn't worry about it. Your career, no matter what you end up doing, will be what you make of it. Also, I'd much rather get there and find out it sucks than to not even try and wonder for the rest of my life if I could have lived out my dream.
 
I think the working conditions, what's going on in their personal life, and the overall work ethic play a major part in these guys' opinions. You'll run across the ones that think flying is the greatest thing since sliced bread despite the set backs and tell you to go for it 100%. Then you'll find the guys that are bitter and wish they had done something different. The tricky part is, neither one of them is right or wrong. The first guy could've gotten really lucky as far as when he got hired, etc. The second guy could've been divorced twice and be with an airline that has a shaky future. That first guy under the right conditions could quickly become the other guy (and vice versa). It's all relative and up to the individual. They have to do what is right for them, and we have to do what we feel is right for us. I listen to all the pilots I talk to, and I file away those comments (both good and bad) for future reference.
 
Most of what you get out of your career is determined by what determines your take on nearly everything in your life: attitude.

If you have a bad attitude towards anything, it can turn into a nightmare. A good attitude can make an otherwise miserable experience not so bad after all.

Patience is another thing. By the end of a career if you've made it that far, you most likely have enough seniority to at least bid a schedule that you like. Take a friend of mine at Continental who is #1 on the B-737. He works Tuesday/Wedesday/Thursday. That is it. If he feels like flying on Friday, maybe he'll let crew scheduling know he is available if someone needs a line check. But he got to that nice spot by patiently staying on the B-737 as others jumped to the larger jets for the increase in pay.

I know that when he turns 60 before the end of this decade, he will walk up the jetway sad that he will no longer be able to do what he does. He loves every minute of it, despite the pay not being industry leading. It is not bad either, and it is more than most people make.

Another example, my friend at American on the B-777. Number 90 of 90-something captains at his base airport, he is reserve and will be for another few years. He is within driving distance of the domicile, however, and spends the majority of each month at home, doing chores and being with his family. Another guy could think of this same situation as "darn I'm not going to get my 2 NRT trips and 1 LHR trip in this month so I won't get paid as much." Maybe that guy is single, but there are advantages and disadvantages to each. Enjoy what is happening when it is happening.
 
You have to understand the guy you spoke to has years and years of experience, has experienced the good times and the bad. I am sure if you asked him he would saying flying the aircraft is great - but it is all the BS (politics, time zones, lay offs, and time away from home) that goes along with it sucks!!

I-Banking also has it down sides - long hours, stressful work, however once you have made it you have made it!!

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Some days are great, others suck monkey butt

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I to have gotten both really enthusiastic responses and "don't become a pilot" responses from airline pilots when I tell them of my career goal. Actually I plan on teaching a few years once I graduate college(my degree is in Social Science Educatgion) so I can have some money and just get some experience just in case. Even Teachers have told me "Don't be a teacher, do it for a few years and then go for your airline pilot career". Then some airline pilots say "Be a teacher, and don't do the pilot thing".

Usually when I hear these kind of responses I just say "Thank you for your honest opinion. I respect your concerns and your opinion about the subject but I have to disagree. I feel that I should go for it" Then they usually respect my opinion on the matter and say "Okay, what would you like to know about my job?".
 
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I to have gotten both really enthusiastic responses and "don't become a pilot" responses from airline pilots when I tell them of my career goal. Actually I plan on teaching a few years once I graduate college(my degree is in Social Science Educatgion )....

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I weep for your students /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
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I to have gotten both really enthusiastic responses and "don't become a pilot" responses from airline pilots when I tell them of my career goal. Actually I plan on teaching a few years once I graduate college(my degree is in Social Science Educatgion )....

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I weep for your students /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

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LOL.....I didn't realize that I mispelled that. Oh well, I was really tired when I was on here last night.
 
Everything that was told to you was true. You should listen to your elders. Its a fun career but its not all roses. Make sure you know what your getting into before you dive in. I think its good more people are being honest about it. If you know the worst of what can happen in your career your better prepared to make an informed decision. Welcome to the real world. Some days you feel like /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/spin2.gif others you feel like /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/banghead.gif and others you /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/argue.gif incessantly with your crew scheduling about rest, junior assignments, not being called for cx etc.
 
and getting hired into a 777 at bare minimums doing international flights and upgrading to international captain after 3 years? I thought that I was entitled to that??? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif
 
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How come all the pro pilots I meet tell me to stick with it and that it is an awesome career, and all the pilots ya'll meet tell you to get the hell out of aviation? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

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Anyone?
 
Hey Mike, I've got the inside scoop! A 100 hour Private Pilot told me yesterday, (after telling me that I was just a clueless, aviation naysayer), that he is going to skip instructing and go straight to Ameican Airlines because they are starting Pilots on the A-1 scale at $117,000. Not bad for a 250 hour commercial pilot! And he knows this for sure because he worked as an FA for American until he was laid off!

Let all your friends know - American Airlines is hiring again!!! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/insane.gif
 
My childhood basketball coach is roughly number 30 at American, and I believe he would have a more balanced, realisitc opinion than the fellow you ran into. I think you caught this pilot on a rough day where all he could think of was the negative side.
 
You know what... think of it like this. If you get into aviation, and it is truly horrible, you could always get out (sure, you can). But, if you never did get into it, based on advice you have heard, wouldnt you feel that some day, you would wake up and be like damn, I really wish I had a least given the flying thing a shot. I know that I would. I could never live with myself if I just quit and went on to something else, never having tasted it.
 
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I bet you have a bigger for passion for flying than he does, so generally you would probably be willing to put up with all of the garbage to get to his position.

Plus when you've been doing the same thing for 30+ years day in and day out, it will get annoying, even if you sit on the beach everyday drinking pina coladas for the next 30 years that would get annoying!

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Yeah, don't ruin my ultimate dream of eventually doing nothing! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
I'm rapidly becoming the Peter Gibbons of the airline world! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
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