What do you think is the most overlooked career in aviation?
- Thread starter ktsai91
- Start date
USMCmech
Well-Known Member
In the eyes of the general public: Freight. Few if any civilians have any idea how much air traffic is based on moving boxes around the world. For most passenger airlines, the cargo hold is the most profitable part of the airplane.
In the eyes of pilots: Career CFI. Sure, it's a small niche market, but the guys who can instruct full time and make a living at it have some of the best QOL in the industry.
Cloud Surfer
All Roads lead to Trantor
You mean in a good way? I would have to say aviation insurance. You deal with aircraft, sleep in your own bed every night and make a rather decent wage.
ppragman
No pasa nada.
Small time 135 guys. There are guys who make very successful careers flying small airplanes around - usually for charter companies where the boss knows everyone's name and the profits are more equitably distributed between management and the pilots. You won't get rich doing this type of flying (though you'll probably do pretty well if you run your own business) but you'll make enough to retire and be comfortable, that said, a "big" airplane to you will be a KingAir - and a lot of guys really want to fly bigger things.
KSCessnaDriver
Well-Known Member
I was going to say the same thing. It's an interesting field for sure. I took a class in college that was nothing but aviation insurance, there are many things beyond airplanes that need insured in aviation that require or at a minimum benefit from a knowledge of aviation behind the process.
I would have to respectfully disagree. Only because I know enough guys who have had airplanes sold out from under them, and end up looking for work for months, even years and leaving the industry all together. I'm on the verge.
ppragman
No pasa nada.
Plenty of airline pilots have the same struggle - as do corporate guys, I'd suspect that the smaller the pond, the more likely you are to be control a little bit of your own destiny.
ppragman
No pasa nada.
Gotta find a niche man. Gotta find it. I know what my niche is, and I doubt I'll live it again for the forseable future, going back to it was a good move. Find your niche, carve one out, or steal someone else's - but get one or slide into one and keep your expectations low - you'll be a happy man.
jrh
Well-Known Member
I began working in the aircraft sales industry five months ago. At my particular company we specialize in newer, quality, owner-flown aircraft. Lots of glass panel piston singles, that sort of thing. It's rare for us to work with aircraft worth less than $100k or more than $1 million. Other companies have different niches.
QOL is awesome. Every weekend/holiday off and an enormous amount of flexibility elsewhere in the schedule. Pay is unpredictable but has good potential, as it's fundamentally based on commissions.
Flying consists of a few ferry flights per month, coupled with training new owners from time to time. I think I've flown anywhere between 10 and 50 hours/month since coming here.
When I'm not flying, which is most of the time, I'm in an office. I'm photographing and shooting video of airplanes coming up for sale, editing photos/video, creating ad listings (listing avionics/equipment on the plane), auditing maintenance logbooks and FAA records to understand an airplane's history, doing market research to appraise aircraft, answering questions for potential buyers, putting together the logistics for a deal once a purchase agreement is signed (prebuy inspections, ferry flights, etc.), and whatever other odds and ends come up.
I'm still too new at this to decide what I think of it, but so far I like it. I definitely see a lot of potential here.
For what it's worth, as I've grown older and more experienced, I've concluded pilot jobs with no obligations outside of flying are inherently difficult to have a good life with. Corporate, airline, freight, charter, air ambulance, fire fighting, you name it....they're all machine operators. It's a really complicated version of working in a factory.
Of all the wealthy individuals I know, not a single one of them got to where they're at by operating a machine. They all used unique talents and ideas to get ahead.
This isn't a slam on pilots. I love flying. Just saying, I think the way to have both high income and high QOL, at a relatively young age, is to channel your passion for flying into areas outside of a cockpit.
QOL is awesome. Every weekend/holiday off and an enormous amount of flexibility elsewhere in the schedule. Pay is unpredictable but has good potential, as it's fundamentally based on commissions.
Flying consists of a few ferry flights per month, coupled with training new owners from time to time. I think I've flown anywhere between 10 and 50 hours/month since coming here.
When I'm not flying, which is most of the time, I'm in an office. I'm photographing and shooting video of airplanes coming up for sale, editing photos/video, creating ad listings (listing avionics/equipment on the plane), auditing maintenance logbooks and FAA records to understand an airplane's history, doing market research to appraise aircraft, answering questions for potential buyers, putting together the logistics for a deal once a purchase agreement is signed (prebuy inspections, ferry flights, etc.), and whatever other odds and ends come up.
I'm still too new at this to decide what I think of it, but so far I like it. I definitely see a lot of potential here.
For what it's worth, as I've grown older and more experienced, I've concluded pilot jobs with no obligations outside of flying are inherently difficult to have a good life with. Corporate, airline, freight, charter, air ambulance, fire fighting, you name it....they're all machine operators. It's a really complicated version of working in a factory.
Of all the wealthy individuals I know, not a single one of them got to where they're at by operating a machine. They all used unique talents and ideas to get ahead.
This isn't a slam on pilots. I love flying. Just saying, I think the way to have both high income and high QOL, at a relatively young age, is to channel your passion for flying into areas outside of a cockpit.
dasleben
That's just, like, your opinion, man
Cape Air was like that; if I could make the same money that I could flying bigger junk around, I'd do it for a career in a heartbeat.
EDIT: Well, I suppose not "in a heartbeat"; flying SPIFR in a piston twin for a career opens up a fair number of concerns about personal safety in the long run... You guys know I'm right.
ppragman
No pasa nada.
To an extent you are right, yeah, but again, that really depends on where you're at, the company culture, how much risk you personally take on. Being home more often is also priceless too (I say that from a hotel room....)
Tommay85
Well-Known Member
This. There's an operator in Mason City Iowa that flies a Navajo and a couple smaller twins. Would be great for someone that wants to live in Mason City. You top out at 60ish, but that's probably equivalent to making 150k compared to living in a lot of other places.
PositionAndHold
Well-Known Member
When I left steady work as a CO to go fly for XJT I took a 2/3 pay cut. I was 31 at the time. I gave myself until I was 40 to make a career out of flying or I would go back to the sheriff's dept. I defined career as, if I was laid off or out of work as a pilot I could take my experience some where else and make money. When I looked at it like that it made the every day set backs seem tolerable. It's a long journey and if you keep at it you'll get your break. You can't get a job flying if you quit with out giving it a solid go. Set a goal and if it doesn't happen by then, make that the time to make a decision. Good luck, and keep on, keeping on.
bottlenose
Well-Known Member
I vote military aviation. I joined a reserve unit a few years ago. I think a lot of my buds who were and still are CFIs or regional guys were skeptical. I'd say a few of them could have done well in this field but they still were not interested in pursuing it, until it was too late for them (too old).
