What If?

[ZapBrannigan]

What If?

25 years ago today was my first day as a pilot at US Airways. I was 25 years old. (I'm sure Dad - a US Airways 757 Captain at the time - pulled every string he had to get me that job).

On a different timeline in the multiverse I might have gone back after the furlough and would be flying for American right now (with much better relative seniority I would imagine!)

I’m 50 now, so It was literally half of my lifetime ago... and just yesterday.

 

[DE727UPS]

I got turned down by Continental in 89 after the second interview. Getting that letter in the mail was pretty devastating as I had a friend there from Riddle who was helping me. Haven't followed it closely but I guess I'd have been furloughed a time or two and ended being pretty senior at United by now.

The other one was in the mid-80's I had saved up some money spotting fish and had a friend who introduced me to his buddy at Hawaiian. They would hire lower total time FE's for the DC8 who didn't have heavy time if you had the full FE ticket. I was probably at 1800 hours total around then with a wet ATP and CFII. Mostly single engine Cessna. I decided to go to Chrysler Aviation at Van Nuys for their part 91 FE course in the 727. Got the ticket. Friend supposedly walked in my resume at Hawaiian. Never heard a word. I was 25 but never been to the islands. Perhaps I should have visited.

Never kick yourself over what could have been. We make the best decisions we can at the time with the information available to us. I'm 62 and retired from Brown two years ago. Had I stayed a couple more years I could have got a years pay to retire last November. Might have been a good move but who knew. During Covid, it wasn't a fun job, and the future was uncertain. The schedules had been getting worse over the last couple years, even with my high seniority. Still, had I known Covid was about done and would get a years pay to retire early, I probably would have stuck it out. Who knew.

Anyway Zap, the Gods of the aviation career are fickle. You're doing fine now. And you're only 50. That's not that old.

 

[ZapBrannigan]

I got turned down by Continental in 89 after the second interview. Getting that letter in the mail was pretty devastating as I had a friend there from Riddle who was helping me. Haven't followed it closely but I guess I'd have been furloughed a time or two and ended being pretty senior at United by now.

The other one was in the mid-80's I had saved up some money spotting fish and had a friend who introduced me to his buddy at Hawaiian. They would hire lower total time FE's for the DC8 who didn't have heavy time if you had the full FE ticket. I was probably at 1800 hours total around then with a wet ATP and CFII. Mostly single engine Cessna. I decided to go to Chrysler Aviation at Van Nuys for their part 91 FE course in the 727. Got the ticket. Friend supposedly walked in my resume at Hawaiian. Never heard a word. I was 25 but never been to the islands. Perhaps I should have visited.

Never kick yourself over what could have been. We make the best decisions we can at the time with the information available to us. I'm 62 and retired from Brown two years ago. Had I stayed a couple more years I could have got a years pay to retire last November. Might have been a good move but who knew. During Covid, it wasn't a fun job, and the future was uncertain. The schedules had been getting worse over the last couple years, even with my high seniority. Still, had I known Covid was about done and would get a years pay to retire early, I probably would have stuck it out. Who knew.

Anyway Zap, the Gods of the aviation career are fickle. You're doing fine now. And you're only 50. That's not that old.

Thank you. I agree with everything you’ve said (possible exception being that 50 isn’t old. Sure feels old.)

Sometimes these milestones pass and it’s hard not to reminisce and wonder about the path not taken.

 

[A300Capt]

I was turned down by AA in late ‘87. Everyone in my interview group was current or ex-military and well, I wasn’t. And while I was flying left seat in a Metroliner for a USAir commuter (Chautauqua), I couldn’t get USAir to even acknowledge they had received any of my resumes. Word was you needed a family member working at the mainline to secure an interview and that’s generally what I saw. This was all pre-Internet days and flying jobs weren’t exactly plentiful and info was hard to come by.

At one of my lowest points and thinking, believe it or not, I had gone as far as I was gonna go in my aviation career, I got a call in early 1988 from UPS. At the grand old age of 26 which was only 2 months into their new airline I became a B727 FE. Looking back now I can’t help but think of a few things. First, it’s funny how I thought I had “career peaked“ at age 26. Second, thank God for unanswered prayers….we all know what happened to USAir. Third, when one door closes another usually opens to even better things….never give up! Fourth, and this is surprisingly the most important thing I learned, is that whatever you do….take moments along the way and enjoy the journey both good times and bad. I don’t mean just a glancing look. I mean to really stop, soak it in, take pictures and notes or keep a journal. I wish I had looking back on my career. I was so focused and worried on the finish line I didn’t stop to enjoy the journey as much as I should and it’s something I deeply regret.

I don’t know what life would’ve been like had AA hired me in 1987, but I do know what it became for 34 yrs at UPS and wouldn’t change it for the world.

Best of luck, Zap! Enjoy your final years in your career!

 

[CFIT99]

@ZapBrannigan this industry is weird...after getting hired by Eagle in 08, class was canceled 3 days before I was headed to Dallas...fast forward 2 years later and I'm flying the 175 for Shuttle America, Eagle calls and asks if I want to reinterview?...reinterview? You hired me when I had 495 TT and no jet time, now I'm flying a 175...I was an angry/naive 25 Y/o and I said NO, 6 months later they got the flow installed...I tried to call them back but with no luck...If I had gone I would have flowed in 2018, I'd be a WB FO or a NB CA by now...

timing and luck....that's it...

thanks for sharing!

 

[SFCC/UND]

This is more current for me. But I was hired by Delta in 2020. But Covid hit and classes were canceled. I was hired at Brown in early 2021. Then AA and UA reach out in 2021, whom both have a base where I live. I keep thinking about what if I've gone to UA or AA. Maybe be a CA already and drive to work?

 

[Roger Roger]

I wonder what it’d be like if I’d hightailed it to the first available regional post-2008 instead of farting around with 135 for 13 years.

 

[Ian_J]

This is more current for me. But I was hired by Delta in 2020. But Covid hit and classes were canceled. I was hired at Brown in early 2021. Then AA and UA reach out in 2021, whom both have a base where I live. I keep thinking about what if I've gone to UA or AA. Maybe be a CA already and drive to work?

You’d be a CA at UA no problem and driving to work if you live near any base except Cleveland, Orlando, or Guam.

 

[SFCC/UND]

You’d be a CA at UA no problem and driving to work if you live near any base except Cleveland, Orlando, or Guam.

I figured. Oh well...

 

[Screaming_Emu]

I'm pretty happy with where I ended up. I'm a 40 year old 747 captain which still blows my friggin mind. I've got two "what ifs" that occasionally creep into my mind.

The first was about a month before I started firing off applications to the regionals, the owner of the flight school said he was investing in the first civilian flight school in Nepal and was looking to send a CFI out there. I knew that it was time to get moving to the regionals, so I passed. But the lady that went had an absolutely incredible time and was the first certificated flight instructor in Nepal. I'm sure it would have been a fantastic experience, but ultimately would have delayed my progress towards where I wanted to go.

Number two was when ASA was trying to mitigate some furloughs and offered leaves of absence to go out to Vietnam to prop up an airline that Skywest Inc had invested in. That experiment didn't last long, but from those who went it sounded like an incredible experience. Ultimately, when preparing the first wave of people it sounded too good to be true, when they announced the second wave I think I had about a week to make up my mind, which wasn't enough to tie up loose ends.

 

[JDean3204]

my story can go the other way…

What if…

My Commanding Officer didn’t save my military career and stop the paperwork of an OTH discharge of a 20 year old sailor. I would have moved back home, with that on my record and No GI Bill (what I eventually used to get my ratings). I think about that quite a bit, this gives me great gratitude to fly at a place that just fly’s guppies up and down the West Coast.

My life would have went an entirely different direction had the CO said Cya. I probably never would have known what it would feel like to solo a Cessna, let alone call for N1 or Set Power on a Transport Category aircraft.

 

[DPApilot]

It’s weird. What if I didn’t spend7 years putting around at @CK ’s outfit and was a regional captain? What if I had my degree and got hired at my dream job earlier? So many different scenarios, but had I even been hired a class before I was, I wouldn’t be putting around the world in a Bus not as cool as @derg ’s I guess it’s pure luck, timing and when we all start in this whirlwind of a career.

 

[bimmerphile]

these kind of threads make me very curious how things are going to go during the next industry hiccup for those that made it to career destinations in a blink

 

[drunkenbeagle]

Fourth, and this is surprisingly the most important thing I learned, is that whatever you do….take moments along the way and enjoy the journey both good times and bad. I don’t mean just a glancing look. I mean to really stop, soak it in, take pictures and notes or keep a journal. I wish I had looking back on my career. I was so focused and worried on the finish line I didn’t stop to enjoy the journey as much as I should and it’s something I deeply regret.

I've been pretty lucky - I haven't needed an airplane job to pay the mortgage, so there's a been plenty of time to enjoy the things that not everyone appreciates. Bumming around the airport. Turning wrenches. Flying clapped out aircraft with terrible paint. At least everything is still new. I guess, until it isn't. The journey has been great so far.

 

[Flyinthrew]

these kind of threads make me very curious how things are going to go during the next industry hiccup for those that made it to career destinations in a blink

It is going to depend ENTIRELY on when the blink happened. I interviewed at Delta a few weeks before Covid and got the job offer. A few months later I was cancelling my retirement from the Marine Corps, but I knew that wasn't going to be a viable long term plan, so a few months after that I was off to fly King Airs in the southern Philippines for a government contractor. I got the call back to Delta while I was laying in bed in my shipping container hooch. That made me one of the first 150 in the door of a 5000+ (and counting) hiring wave. I'm 25% in category and 69% (giggity) systemwide. I'm not "safe" from the black swan, but I'm going to have a window seat. People hired in 2024, not so much if the industry coughs suddenly. I'd say maybe get a glimpse at a ULCC, but they're attriting from the top so fast at the moment, their poor financial performance isn't affecting anybody.

 

[Flyinthrew]

I've been pretty lucky - I haven't needed an airplane job to pay the mortgage, so there's a been plenty of time to enjoy the things that not everyone appreciates. Bumming around the airport. Turning wrenches. Flying clapped out aircraft with terrible paint. At least everything is still new. I guess, until it isn't. The journey has been great so far.

You have a level of enjoyment, satisfaction, and purpose that many legacy 121 pilots either refuse or are too obtuse to seek. That's not luck. It's wisdom.

 

[derg]

Nah, the 'what if' game is bad. Imagine everyone you love, the things you cherish and all of your life experiences gone, that's what making different decisions would potentially mean.

 

[DPApilot]

these kind of threads make me very curious how things are going to go during the next industry hiccup for those that made it to career destinations in a blink

This is something I’ve had conversations about with captains. Not to sound old man, but hearing complaints about things from guys that spent less than a year at a regional before getting a wide body here makes me wonder. The majority are awesome and love it, but the few that did this for the check, I doubt they will stay during the next downturn. The industry is cyclical, will they stay during a furlough or go to the next big ticket job?

 

[Cherokee_Cruiser]

This is something I’ve had conversations about with captains. Not to sound old man, but hearing complaints about things from guys that spent less than a year at a regional before getting a wide body here makes me wonder. The majority are awesome and love it, but the few that did this for the check, I doubt they will stay during the next downturn. The industry is cyclical, will they stay during a furlough or go to the next big ticket job?

Where they gonna go?

 

[killbilly]

these kind of threads make me very curious how things are going to go during the next industry hiccup for those that made it to career destinations in a blink

This is, sort of, something that keeps me up at night, being one of those people (depending on your persecptive) currently.