The cool pilot?

Ehh, call me immature (or an optimist) then, cause I still think being a pilot is cool. You can take any job and find something to bitch about. I'm a network admin at a National Laboratory. I essentially show up when I want, take a 90 minute lunch when the mood strikes me, post on JC, and & cruise Reddit when I'm not updating systems and pinging stuff. I have an epic benefits package with a nice modest salary. (climbing out of debt sucks, so no real spending money to speak of). All that said, I can bitch about 25 different things at the drop of a hat. I'm the dumbest person in the room at work, I literally work with nuclear physicists, yet they are the dumbest computer users ever.

I look at it this way. Where do I day dream of being? Can I enjoy the job I have now and provide for my family? Yes. But I sit at my desk and still go look out the window when I hear a chopper or plane go by. I have a sweet P/T flying gig doing aerial survey, so that helps, but it's only in the summer. If I could find a p/t 135 or 91 jet FO gig locally, I could potentially see myself staying put, but for now, the airline life still appeals to me (though not my wife, but she knew my goals before we got married).

My kids have visited me at work to have lunch in the office, I can't show them too many cool things. "ohh honey look, a server rack!"

vs.

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Cool is relative. Happiness isn't quantifiable.
 
Derg said:
Flying is still cool to you, otherwise you wouldn't do it.

I had an FO who hated his job. I wish he'd quit so I can get some of you guys in his seat.
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No one should hate the job they're doing. Take pride in that and enjoy it. But at the end of the day, it's still a job. That's not good/bad/right/wrong, it's just a neutral fact. It's something you do to pay the bills, otherwise you wouldn't be working for someone else.

If at any time the job becomes anything less than this, like the above FO, then it's time to move on.
 
Maximillian_Jenius said:
Why does he hate his job?
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"Well, before the MERGER, [...irrelevant comments...]" I would guess... :rolleyes:

MikeD said:
No one should hate the job they're doing. Take pride in that and enjoy it. But at the end of the day, it's still a job. That's not good/bad/right/wrong, it's just a neutral fact. It's something you do to pay the bills, otherwise you wouldn't be working for someone else.

If at any time the job becomes anything less than this, like the above FO, then it's time to move on.
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I know very, very few people my age who get any delight out of what they do for a living, though. I am an anomaly. Most of my friends (non pilots) really like what I do, but a lot of my acquaintances, like folks I went to HS or college with and marginally keep up with, don't like what they do at all. I actually enjoy what I do. (It's got its warts, of course, but you get the idea.)

It's strange, for a generation that grew up being told we can be whatever we want, that not a lot of folks have. Millenials are miserable and I don't know why. (The difference between expectations and reality, maybe.) I don't get it.
 
Maximillian_Jenius said:
Why does he hate his job?
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Unmet career expectations because of an extreme aversion to getting out of his comfort zone and a lack of realization that we're nothing more than simple cogs in the gear of a multinational machine. Pretty much thought he should be a line-holding captain with weekends off, top-scale at only a handful of years of seniority.
 
Derg said:
Unmet career expectations because of an extreme aversion to getting out of his comfort zone and a lack of realization that we're nothing more than simple cogs in the gear of a multinational machine. Pretty much thought he should be a line-holding captain with weekends off, top-scale at only a handful of years of seniority.
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Awww, bless his little heart.

"Meanwhile, at Envoy..."
 
I love being a firefighter. I know for a fact that I would miss it even if I landed that dream job flying a 747 with the major airlines.

Essentially, I get paid to hang out with my mates, throw up ladders, wield some impressive tools, work out, drive around the city in a large machine with flashing lights and blaring two-tones and, as cheesy as it sounds but what it's still all about, save lives.

Kids love it. Most people respect it. And yes, a lot of girls do seem to like it (or so I'm told).

Why the heck would I want to give all that up to be a career pilot? I dunno, I just do! It will be a huge challenge for me and it's the only way I'll ever get to fly a big jet. Nothin wrong with that. :cool:
 
If you don't think flying is cool, then you made a grave mistake when you chose careers. The hours suck, the pay sucks, the amount of responsibility is huge, and there are frequently mountains of BS to deal with. But nothing beats the feeling of strapping into the cockpit of a jet (or any airplane) and getting your aviation on.
 
I think a lot of people in this thread (including myself) are simply being cheeky. I like my job, otherwise I wouldn't do it. I'd just prefer going home and enjoy other parts of my life more. :)
 
pete2800 said:
I still like my job. I think what I do is "cool."


With that said, I'm trying to buy a house in a fairly expensive area of the country on a regional FO's salary. It ain't that cool at the moment.
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Can't you just pay the mortgage with a bit of cool and some logbook pages? Oh wait. I thought we did this because cool was a currency.
 
I love flying! I do it on the weekends for fun (and for some coin). At this point, I've gotten to fly some really cool and amazing machines... but I still like flying and teaching in these little single engine contraptions.

My "real job" currently sucks, but pays 10x more. At this point, I look forward to every three day weekend because it means one more day in the week to fly. What's wrong with me?
 
skypilot6 said:
I still love flying, I still get excited to go to work and fly a plane even when I have to wake up at 2am to do so. I still find it mesmerizing, and I'm constantly learning and evolving, even after thousands of hours and 9.5 years of flying. The trips are fun, the destinations are cool, the people are even better.

Now if I could just find a company that respects me and the work I do, Things would be just about perfect.
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Perfect.
If you ever get over the B6, be sure to send me all of your details. We will become trip trading buddies!!!

I'm an old man, I needs me sleep. :)
 
MikeD said:
Hope you never lose your medical, or we'll have to talk you down from the cliff ledge...... :D
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Our success rate is poorer here. Try though we might, we tend to pick up pieces at the bottom more often than not ...

Find balance in life and, in that, contentment; lest you lose the one thing that keeps you "flying"' through the years. Change often comes unbidden and wrapped in circumstances beyond our control.

Whether in a cockpit at FL410 or the lobby at Walmart, with a tremendous spouse or walking alone through the days of life, our peace in life is our own to make.

So saith the Old Guy and his happy pups
 
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