Originally Posted by galaxy flyer

BaronRouge

Many here assume the "starving"pilot stereotype and make comments like "try 7-11", but the facts are your job may, after thirty years, prove to be a good outcome and your dream be a nightmare. Have you read thru the many disappointed and disillusioned RJ pilots here, not say nothing about the same category of major airline pilots?

I've been in this business for over thirty years, flown everything from Century-series fighters to the newest business jet, with stops at the airlines, active duty and two-bit charter operators. Airlines, truly are where aviation enthusiasm goes to die. Living out of a suitcase, home half of the month, eating umpteen restaurant meals takes a lot of the glamour away, the rest is worn off by bsnkruptcies, lost pensions, economy downturns that reduce captain upgrades to the distant horizon. I have meet vanishingly few pilots happy with their careers as they turned out. One said, "if I knew then what I know now, I'd walked straight into a Herc prop.". I've had as good and interesting career as possible, but I wouldn't recommend it.

The serious problem with aviation is one is permanently depending on someone with the capital to buy you a toy to earn a living with and the sure knowledge that 50 other folks would love to take your job for a few dollars less. Buy a plane, fix it up as you want and fly for the fun of it. The most fun is simply cruising around watching the Earth unfold underneath your wings.

GF