The life of an airline pilot! Is it worth it?
- Thread starter Mushrooms
- Start date
mrpilotguy
New Member
Well the reality of it all is this. As a pilot your chances of dying in an airplane accident are very good. If you look statistically at the number of aviation accidents and the number of certifed pilots. It is a very high number. when you hear things like "Your chances of dying in a car are far greater than dying in an airplane" are only true for Joe
Non-pilot. that unfortunately is the reality of it. Why do you think many insurance companies refuse to insure pilots?
But it's a risk that you take if you really love flying. If we lived our lives with a constant fear of death and every decision was made based on "Oh no I could die if I do _____." We would not be safe anywhere, we could not leave our homes, because what if a car hits me while i'm walking to my car, what if i slip and smash my head on the ground, what if I get shot? Actually it wouldn't even be safe to stay in the home, what if the roof caved in? Anyways you get my point. To live life this way is ridiculous. Do it for the love and if it so happens that you die, well I've heard it just gets better anyways.
Fly High
Non-pilot. that unfortunately is the reality of it. Why do you think many insurance companies refuse to insure pilots?
But it's a risk that you take if you really love flying. If we lived our lives with a constant fear of death and every decision was made based on "Oh no I could die if I do _____." We would not be safe anywhere, we could not leave our homes, because what if a car hits me while i'm walking to my car, what if i slip and smash my head on the ground, what if I get shot? Actually it wouldn't even be safe to stay in the home, what if the roof caved in? Anyways you get my point. To live life this way is ridiculous. Do it for the love and if it so happens that you die, well I've heard it just gets better anyways.
Fly High
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Why do you think many insurance companies refuse to insure pilots?
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Because they can. Its not that they won't insure them, its that they charge a higher premium. And they'll use any excuse they can come up with to charge higher premiums.
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Never mind that it is a competitive business, and competition drives prices down. For sure it must be a conspiracy against pilots and have nothing to do with the actuary tables and statistical history of pilots' lifespan when compared to the general population.....
[ QUOTE ]
Why do you think many insurance companies refuse to insure pilots?
[/ QUOTE ]
Because they can. Its not that they won't insure them, its that they charge a higher premium. And they'll use any excuse they can come up with to charge higher premiums.
[/ QUOTE ]
Never mind that it is a competitive business, and competition drives prices down. For sure it must be a conspiracy against pilots and have nothing to do with the actuary tables and statistical history of pilots' lifespan when compared to the general population.....
Bandit_Driver
Gold Member
- Is it really a dangerous career?
I don't find this job to be that dangerous. If you respect the aircraft limits and your personal mins you minimize a lot of the risks. I have been flying for over 4000 hours and have been scared a few times in the cockpit. But that is when you just take a breath and work the problem as you are trained to. Fortunately everything turned out ok. There are very very few problems that don't allow you time to work them and you better know the memory items cold for those.
- What are the chances of being hired by an airplane and getting that paycheck to live on?
slim to none. Most starting pay SUCKS. Most airlines start their FO's out at about 19-22K / year. CFI's will make a lot less while they are building time trying to get to an airline. There has never been a pilot shortage and there never will be.
- The schedule?
The schedule get better with seniority. I have 10-17 days off of month depending on the lines. I am the number 10 FO in the company. Most new hires only get 10 days off. The average line has 12-14 days off.
Relocation relocation relocation?
If you live in base you will have a better QOL. I have to commuted to IAD everyweek. This can cause me to lose 1 day off because I sometimes have to leave the night before due to a very early show time. The majority of the time I can commute in the day of the trip. But be prepared you will miss some important events because you cannot get the day off.
.
I have been flying professionally since 2000 and with an airline since 2003. Life is just now starting to get good with pay and schedules.
If you want this job because you want a get rich ticket or you think it is cool, please don't start training. You will not last and hate your job. All the guys I know fly because they love it and don't do it for the pay check first.
I don't find this job to be that dangerous. If you respect the aircraft limits and your personal mins you minimize a lot of the risks. I have been flying for over 4000 hours and have been scared a few times in the cockpit. But that is when you just take a breath and work the problem as you are trained to. Fortunately everything turned out ok. There are very very few problems that don't allow you time to work them and you better know the memory items cold for those.
- What are the chances of being hired by an airplane and getting that paycheck to live on?
slim to none. Most starting pay SUCKS. Most airlines start their FO's out at about 19-22K / year. CFI's will make a lot less while they are building time trying to get to an airline. There has never been a pilot shortage and there never will be.
- The schedule?
The schedule get better with seniority. I have 10-17 days off of month depending on the lines. I am the number 10 FO in the company. Most new hires only get 10 days off. The average line has 12-14 days off.
Relocation relocation relocation?
If you live in base you will have a better QOL. I have to commuted to IAD everyweek. This can cause me to lose 1 day off because I sometimes have to leave the night before due to a very early show time. The majority of the time I can commute in the day of the trip. But be prepared you will miss some important events because you cannot get the day off.
.
I have been flying professionally since 2000 and with an airline since 2003. Life is just now starting to get good with pay and schedules.
If you want this job because you want a get rich ticket or you think it is cool, please don't start training. You will not last and hate your job. All the guys I know fly because they love it and don't do it for the pay check first.