Thinking of becoming a pilot?

EatSleepFly

Well-Known Member
Then consider this:

1.) My paycheck is late. Well, not so much late, but I never know how long it will take to get. Sometimes its 3 days after I turn in my sheet, sometimes its 10. Currently this is day 12 and it didn't come today either. So much for financial planning.
2.) Because of my paycheck being late, my rent check which is due today, will also be late and I will get a rediculous fee.
3.) I now have 2 utility bills due, totalling nearly $200. Because my last paycheck wasn't enough, I couldn't pay the oldest one on time. If I don't pay that one within the next four days, I'm going to be living in the dark. Since my current paycheck is late, I guess I will be stocking up on ice and a cooler to save what little food I have when they shut everything off.
4.) My credit card minimum payment is $218. Wouldn't be so much, except that I pretty much had to live on it last winter when things were even slower than they are now.
5.) I found out today than I make sigificantly less than what the industry standard is for someone in my exact same position.
6.) It costs me $15 in gas each time I go to the airport and back.
7.) I flew 9.7 hrs. yesterday, with an even 14 hour duty day. And don't give me crap about building multi turbine time either. It wasn't worth the money. This is supposed to be my job, not my damn hobby.
8.) I know what its like to wake up in the morning knowing that there is no way I will get a single, real meal that day. And people wonder why I only weigh 140 lbs...
9.) I also know what its like having to sleep in my truck in the parking lot, because I can't afford gas to drive home and then back again the next morning. Wonder if the FAA considers that "rest time".
10.) My girlfriend makes more than I do working in an office for 25 hrs. a week. Thankfully, she is more supportive (emotionally) than I would ever expect from anyone.


So let that be a lesson to all of you who are considering this $hitty career. Go spend your six figures at Riddle, etc. If you think its worth it, just know that what I posted above is not unique to just me.

Alright, now flame away. I can't wait for all of you wannabes, and hopefuls to tell me how full of •! I am and how you'd kill to be in my shoes. I need the entertainment.

Oh, and P.S.- I'd just like to thank all you a$$holes who paid for jobs like mine for ruining it for the rest of us who prefer to get jobs the right way.
 
[ QUOTE ]
I flew 9.7 hrs. yesterday, with an even 14 hour duty day. And don't give me crap about building multi turbine time either. It wasn't worth the money. This is supposed to be my job, not my damn hobby.

[/ QUOTE ]

Yup, Landlords and bill collectors don't accept "Turbine Multi-Time" as payment...

[ QUOTE ]
I'd just like to thank all you a$$holes who paid for jobs like mine for ruining it for the rest of us who prefer to get jobs the right way.

[/ QUOTE ]

And people wonder why I get so mad when they say they'll work for nothing or practically nothing because they just "love to fly" and "money doesn't matter" and they are "Doing it for the experience"... Easy to say when you are living at home with Mom & Dad... Fortunately, what goes around comes around and one day, once out from under the financial protection of Mommy & Daddy, they to will be living in a truck (or some relative equivelent hardship) and will then and only then, see the error in their ways... Of course, it will be too late...

And the race to the bottom continues...
 
Hey man I think thats a great post. Everyone should realize that this definately isnt the best industry. People have a love of flying and sometimes those 100LL or Jet A fumes can make everyone irrational things like boy id fly for free. Flying is a lot of fun but sometimes it honestly can be just a career just like any other job. I think this is a good post for potential career changers as well, sometimes the grass isnt always greener on the other side. I would look at this more as something fun to do after you have made tons of money in another job and now its all about the journey. Once you take the plunge to do this as a career then your married to the profession. Unfortunately there are a lot of slimebag operations out there that do buisness like this. The problem is now that everyone is under the impression that its ok to have to do jobs like this because its just building experience. Sorry folks but if we want to be considered professionals then maybe pilots should start getting paid like professionals starting from the CFI ranks and regionals need to get their stuff together too. With the changing nature of the industry for the forseeable future you could be stuck at the job you think is "just a timebuilder" for longer than you think. It can take a lot longer than just a year to get another job. You could be stuck at a regional a lot longer than just a year or two. Remember each person who does PFT or does multi instruction for free or any instruction for free is responsible for setting the market like this. Until everyone stands up together in unison and says we are professionals damnit like this things will stay the same.
 
If I had a dollar for every time someone emailed me about plunking down $25K for a few hundred hours in a Metroliner and then breathlessly defended himself, I'd be a millionaire. Well, over the past few years, at least a thousandaire
smile.gif
 
or if you could have $1 for each time someone has come on here asking about those type of programs then wondering why people get so pissed you could probably retire to the bahamas
insane.gif
 
I've gotta say something else here too.

I've had the privilage of meeting ESF a few times and let me tell you he's one stand up dude that does not deserve any of this crap. But there are bad company's out there, and they will screw you at any chance they can possibly take. Let this be a warning to ya'll out there, it can happen to you. I'm really glad that this place exists so that people can find out about this stuff ahead of time. So don't get too pissed off and flame ESF, beacuse he's just giving it to you like it is.
 
[ QUOTE ]
10.) My girlfriend makes more than I do working in an office for 25 hrs. a week. Thankfully, she is more supportive (emotionally) than I would ever expect from anyone.


[/ QUOTE ]yeah.. but she probably doesn't enjoy the office view like you do!
 
[ QUOTE ]
I've gotta say something else here too.

I've had the privilage of meeting ESF a few times and let me tell you he's one stand up dude that does not deserve any of this crap. But there are bad company's out there, and they will screw you at any chance they can possibly take. Let this be a warning to ya'll out there, it can happen to you. I'm really glad that this place exists so that people can find out about this stuff ahead of time. So don't get too pissed off and flame ESF, beacuse he's just giving it to you like it is.

[/ QUOTE ]and that's exactly the way it is too...don't expect anything different...

the rat down near your toes with the section of cheese he just found is richer than you are! it's something to get used to.. but there's no other way than up, in my opinion!

it's amazing how you'll find ways to "make it through" thought... like scrimping for pennies, finding free things to do, really thinking about your purchases and making buying a worthwhile experience... all in all, they say pilots are the most frugal with their $$ (cheap a**es) and it's the beginning of the career that teaches you that aspect!
grin.gif
 
When I was a CFI, there was a pretty well-monied, freshly minted CFI that would drop by Wings Over California and see if we had any job openings.

Well, he ended up paying $10,000 to go to ground school to fly around a Twin Otter in the Caribbean. After his check cleared, the company shut down and he was out of a fist full of cash and his parents flew him back.

So he flies back to California, asks his parents to purchase a Cherokee 140 for him and starts up a flight school. His charges were $40/hr.

$40/hr for the airplane, fuel and yes, his CFI fee.

Basically, he was flying for free and pretty much at a net loss just in order to build flight time. Meanwhile, he had a great car, lived at home with his wealthy parents and dropped a virtual bomb on Reid Hillview Airport.

Potential students would drop into W.O.C. and balk that the school was charging $59 for a 172 and another $30/hr for a CFI where "...That guy is only charging $40 for EVERYTHING! Why are you so expensive?"

Meanwhile, his plane isn't being maintained, there was a lot of illegal maintenance being done on it but people wanted his "$40 for everything" price.

Granted, few of his students actually passed (according the DPE and the FSDO), but he got loads of flight time, sold the aircraft and then 'bought' a job at a commuter.

Those people are out there and it's absolutely sick.
 
I just gotta say something way OT

Cosmo:

Your avatar...

WRONG, WRONG, WRONG. WRONG!

but funny as hell.

Naunga
 
[ QUOTE ]
Oh, and P.S.- I'd just like to thank all you a$$holes who paid for jobs like mine for ruining it for the rest of us who prefer to get jobs the right way.

[/ QUOTE ]

Yikes, hopefully it's a bad day or just being hungry talking. You chose the job the career etc. Sounds like you need to take stock and decide if you want to go another way.

I can't get over the last comment though. "The right way".

Market forces are always "right" in that things will always end up where the market takes them. If there are enough guys willing to pay for time, then so be it. If the market is too saturated then pay and everything else will be against pilots. Most professions require paying for the chance to be there. Some take out huge loans to be lawyers or doctors. Others get it paid for by the folks. It's not fair.

So there it is. As more people decide that it just isn't worth it, as you seem to be saying, then it will move the other way.

But it is a voluntary endeavor.

Dave
 
Mind if I have a friend post this at a.net? See if they still complain about over paid pilots...
 
ESF - I appreciate you post. If more of us (in ALL PROFESSIONS) actually knew just what was involved in them, we'd have chosen otherwise. I say quit. Move on. Do something else. Life's too short for misery. Believe it or not, I just told a doctor friend the exact same thing last week. He listened. My friends told me the exact same thing (about my current profession). I listened. Walk away.
 
I'd have to agree.. Great post ESF...

That's one aspect I really enjoy about people on this website.. they're not afraid to speak of the realities of aviation... it really has the ability to swallow people up quickly if the committement and desire really is not there.

For me and I think most others it's always a good reminder that I need to keep working hard to prepare for the insecurities of the industry since I would like to make this hobby a career someday...

good or bad.... lol.. time will tell !!

wink.gif
 
Food for thought, ESF. Hopefully things will get better for you. Any chance you can go somewhere else?

Anyway - best of luck.. keep us posted and thanks for the post!

R2F
 
[ QUOTE ]

And people wonder why I get so mad when they say they'll work for nothing or practically nothing because they just "love to fly" and "money doesn't matter" and they are "Doing it for the experience"... Easy to say when you are living at home with Mom & Dad... Fortunately, what goes around comes around and one day, once out from under the financial protection of Mommy & Daddy, they to will be living in a truck (or some relative equivelent hardship) and will then and only then, see the error in their ways... Of course, it will be too late...

And the race to the bottom continues...

[/ QUOTE ]

The "will fly for food" signs are more factual than the joke they're intended to be. Unfortunately, too many people take them seriously. Just like with, for example, Mesa Airlines. How could Mesa change the QOL over there for the pilots? If the idiot CEO didn't have the supply he does. Yet, he knows how much the pilots are worth since he's paying them crap, yet there's still a TON of resumes of people just chomping at the bit to willingly and lovingly work for crap. All to be able to have the title of "airline pilot".
 
[ QUOTE ]
ESF - I appreciate you post. If more of us (in ALL PROFESSIONS) actually knew just what was involved in them, we'd have chosen otherwise. I say quit. Move on. Do something else. Life's too short for misery. Believe it or not, I just told a doctor friend the exact same thing last week. He listened. My friends told me the exact same thing (about my current profession). I listened. Walk away.

[/ QUOTE ]but honestly, the misery doesn't last that long.. maybe anywhere from 2-5 years depending on where you at...

once you land the job you want, it only gets better and before you know it, those bills are PAID and you are debt free....

we all get stuck in a bind every now and then...yes, even with our office/day jobs! haha
but would you rather be an optimist (glass 1/2 full) or pessimist (glass 1/2 empty)? that's the real question....

or maybe the real question is: do you have the balls to get through it and MAKE it work? the determination to do what HAS to be done to get you from Point B to Point C?

that's what a future pilot has to ask him/herself....

it looks like ESF definately HAS those qualities....you'll succeed bud, just take it as it comes and throw a book at the wall while your at it (it always helped me in college! haha)....
 
[ QUOTE ]
Just like with, for example, Mesa Airlines. How could Mesa change the QOL over there for the pilots? If the idiot CEO didn't have the supply he does. Yet, he knows how much the pilots are worth since he's paying them crap, yet there's still a TON of resumes of people just chomping at the bit to willingly and lovingly work for crap. All to be able to have the title of "airline pilot".

[/ QUOTE ]

I've also gotta say something about this here too, and I'll only post this up here because it was said on the AIM chat, and I figure if it'll get said in there it'll get said in here.

ESF was offered an interview with Mesa, but he turned it down. He turned it down for exactly what Mike just said, and I think that takes some serious balls to do to that. Mesa could have produced a better schedule, more hours and a study paycheck that he has exact knowledge of when it's going to get better. He turned that down because of ethics, and he didn't want to add to that problem.

More reason that ESF is one hell of a guy. I'm not sure I'd be able to turn something like that down myself, even though I'd like to sit here, fat happy and warm, and say I would.

Cheers


John Herreshoff
 
ESF, you should find out what the requirements are in your area to be a substitute teacher. You work when you can, the shift is 7am-3pm, and here it's $75-80 a day. If you're able, it might be a great way of making ends meet while flying at the same time. It's what I plan to do...
 
Back
Top