To all Upbeat Airline Pilots

Doug Taylor said:
Seeking completeness comes from the inside first and THEN the people that surround me. Yup, I don't feel like getting up in the morning to go my job, but if I have to do my job, I'd rather do the job that I'm doing now rather than anything else, if that makes any sense.
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Work is still a four-letter word, and this is, believe it or not, actual work (from time to time).

Not an airline pilot. Aiming to be. Just starting out in flying for a living...and very happy thus far.
 
Think of any profession like a chair with a loose leg.

IF you emotionally stand on your two feet, you can lean again the chair for support. But if you but your full emotional weight on it, that loose leg is going to give and you're going to fall on your face. Just a hard-learned lesson from 2005 from an old man.
 
Troy said:
After spending a little time on this forum it's pretty easy to notice all of the disgruntled and unhappy airline pilots. So I'm reaching out to anybody on here who is an airline pilot (regional or major) and is ecstatic about their job AND career. Just a quick reply would be nice to know that such a person actually exist and is really out there, let us know how many years you have been an airline pilot (you don't have to list your airline if you don't want to) and although you're content if you could do it all over again is their another career path you would of rather taken?

Please don't list any negative comments or points about the job in this thread. Trust me, I have pretty much heard everything and know what has changed after being raised by an airline pilot who was hired by the largest most profitable major airline carrier (at the time) at a young age and has just received his 40 years of service certificate. It took him close to 20 years to upgrade and he now has one of the crappiest captain paychecks in the industry with no retirement. Thanks and if nobody replies I'll have to assume that nobody on here is happy with their airline career. :)
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You managed to use about 10 fallacies of logic in that post. Hope you accomplished what you were looking for.
 
The reason you think everybody here is so unhappy is BECAUSE you haven't been here long. Come to NJC and you'll find most, if not all of the folks are somewhere between upbeat and extremely dedicated to what they do.

The internet is not a good indicator of job satisfaction.
 
jtrain609 said:
The reason you think everybody here is so unhappy is BECAUSE you haven't been here long. Come to NJC and you'll find most, if not all of the folks are somewhere between upbeat and extremely dedicated to what they do.

The internet is not a good indicator of job satisfaction.
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The internet does a poor job of that and an even worse job of relaying any emotion, good, bad, or otherwise!
 
I think happiness is a function of fortune and your place in life. When I started grad school I was making $12k a year teaching 20-hours a week (with free tuition waiver). I was living like a fat king - slapping $5 bills on the counter at Arby's, being able to afford to wash my car. Life was good. But I was also 21 and needed $700 a month to live off of. I had classmates who were mid-career changers who complained about the compensation and lack of benefits. Sure - makes sense. I mean if you a wife and two teenage kids at home - and if you were making $50k a year before this, your outlook won't be so great.

It seems to me that a lot of folks on here who are very upbeat are also those who've had great fortune in their careers. A friend of mine was very down on the career, but that was after he sat for 5 or 6 years at Indy only to be out of a job when the company went under. The thought of starting over as an FO on the bottom of the seniority list killed him, and he left the profession. Can't blame him for feeling a bit bitter about how things turned out.
 
Doug Taylor said:
IF you emotionally stand on your two feet, you can lean again the chair for support. But if you but your full emotional weight on it, that loose leg is going to give and you're going to fall on your face. Just a hard-learned lesson from 2005 from an old man.
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It could, in fact, all go away tomorrow.
 
Troy said:
So I'm reaching out to anybody on here who is an airline pilot (regional or major) and is ecstatic about their job AND career.
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Ecstatic? Well, that's a strong word, and I don't think I could use it to describe my feelings about any job, but I am quite happy with my job and career, and I do recommend it to guys out there wondering about whether it's a good career path. I think this career is soon to be on the upswing, and now is the time to get in.
 
Doug Taylor said:
I've had a fairly fortunate career!

However, don't look for any job in any career track to "complete" you on a personal level because it's not.

Seeking completeness comes from the inside first and THEN the people that surround me. Yup, I don't feel like getting up in the morning to go my job, but if I have to do my job, I'd rather do the job that I'm doing now rather than anything else, if that makes any sense.
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What he said. Don't let this job define how happy you are in life. My company is in a downward spiral. With that said I love what I do everyday. What makes me happy is knowing my family is ok in what I do. There are some downfalls no matter what job you have but I am happy I made this choice. Not everyone gets to live their dream. I've made great friends over the years.
 
Wow, I picked a great day to log back into JC after a lengthy hiatus. I love what I do and don't regret for a day the career change. I'm also "close" to upgrade at a regional, and I'm excited about the airline world to come. I feel like we're really on the cusp of something major here, and I can't wait to be a part of it. My airline has its problems (they all do), but the people I work with are absolutely stellar and the view is second to none.

Plus, I don't have to try on 50 different outfits in the morning, wondering which makes my butt look the cutest!! :)
 
I am not airline, Part 91 FO but I could not be happier.

My wife and I are just getting done with a 5 day trip to the bay area that she came with me on. Saw great sights and was able to get paid to spend some great time with her. I started in 1999 with training when I was 16 and have been teaching since 2007 so it has been a slow long road for me but the waiting for the perfect company has paid off. I couldn't be happier to fly the people around that I do and the captain I fly with. There is always blood, sweat and tears to work through, but in the end it will pay off.
 
Im a newbie at a regional, and although things are hard right now (have ready reserve lines and live out of base) i know it will only get better. Also i have enjoyed every bit of the trip getting here. Seems like all it takes is one amazing sunset or other awesome scenery from the air to all of a sudden make things better. Thats probably what i love most about this job. We get to see and experience things that a lot of people never will in their entire life.

The other thing i really get satisfaction out of in this career is walking out with the passengers on an overnight and see families be reunited or anything of that sort. It really is something that will put a smile on my face after the hardest of days.

Also whenever i really start feeling crappy about my job or career choice i just go by a local fast food joint..

One last word of advice as well, take everything you read on the internet with a grain of salt. People are much more inclined to post something negative then positive on these boards. Thats just how it is, myself included. So just because most of what you read on this and other boards is usually doom and gloom, it doesn't mean its all that way. Im very excited to see what my career has in store, i know there will be hard times but i for one think anyone getting into the airlines right now had a very bright future ahead of them.
 
I like flying a jet to different locations. But unless your life revolves around hanging out with other crew, having a life can be difficult because the schedules are so bad.
 
I love my job. I'm not airline but work for a private flight department. Great destinations and never knowing where the next one will be, from London to the Maldives; great equipment from a B767 to a G550; awesome crews which are my friends in life even when out of work; good schedule with time off to be with the family and watching my daughter grow; great compensation package which affords me the lifestyle I wish to have and compensates me properly for what the job is worth; but most importantly it has been one heck of a journey. From six years in the Marines to being a CFI, to working at charter outfits in Arizona and then to a small upstart flight department in Moscow it has been one hell of a ride that I would not want to give up. Relish the every day and work hard for the tomorrows. I have been overall very lucky in my career but I believe that I assisted luck by doing what needs to be done and keeping my head high. I love aviation and can't think of anything I'd rather be doing. I wish you all the very best of luck.
 
BobDDuck said:
Eh... Tell that to the three friends of mine that all had their flight departments close their doors in the last year.
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Actually, my post was referring to a corporate guy posting in a thread for airline guys to specifically respond to. Should've been more clear. :D
 
MikeD said:
Actually, my post was referring to a corporate guy posting in a thread for airline guys to specifically respond to. Should've been more clear. :D
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Gee thanks Mike! At first I was going to leave it to the illustrious airline guys but since I saw others (not just airline guys) posting I figured I would give insight into another branch of aviation. As you will agree there are many professional aviation positions out there, not just United Airlines 747-400 Line Check Captain. :) Just trying to help out guys.
 
fsiflyer said:
Gee thanks Mike! At first I was going to leave it to the illustrious airline guys but since I saw others (not just airline guys) posting I figured I would give insight into another branch of aviation. As you will agree there are many professional aviation positions out there, not just United Airlines 747-400 Line Check Captain. :) Just trying to help out guys.
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Nah partner, Im just messing with you! :D

It was a good post with good info, just like this one is. Truthfully, guys do need to see that there's actually aviation careers out there besides 121. There's no requirement to be slogging through the crap that 121 guys have to put up with if someone didn't really want to.
 
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