Originally Posted by
EWRflyr
Just another typical person living beyond their means. I am always amazed by the number of people I fly with who need to be making 85-95 hours a month to make ends meet. Am I really the only pilot who budgets AND SAVES based on minimum pay guarantee? Sure the additional money when I get an 80-85 hour line is great on occasion but I don't need it to survive on a day-to-day basis like many guys I fly with seem to think they need.
I don't want to kill myself at work either or fly exhausted either. The company is going to do that to us 3 months out of the year during summer anyway.
Flew with a guy recently who was upset he got a "light" line for the month and couldn't find the extra 10 hours to pick up anywhere....EVEN IN FO OPEN TIME. He was already one of the opportunists from back in the 80's who benefited more than any group here and he still can't afford his life. Unbelievable.
Live within your needs, not just within your means.
I know their are a lot of Bush lovers out there, but when he signed the age 65 legislation into law, he SCREWED a LOT of pilots. I'm amazed too at the number of over age 60 guys who seem to have 110 credit hour months EVERY month because they're finding it so damn hard to survive on $17,000 a month and need it to make ends meet. So let me get this straight..............you've had from 25-35 years to put away for retirement and you STILL can't do it? Well, from my perspective, another 2-3 years isn't going to make a bit of difference because you'll NEVER be ready. I have ZERO sympathy for a guy who works like this and kicks the bucket at 62 or so. What they don't realize is that they CAN'T take their money with them. (Steve Jobs had all the money in the world..........but he didn't have his health, so what good did all that money do him?) At least these pilots kids and relatives will get to blow all their money for them!
I've foregone the "pilot toys" so that I can leave BEFORE age 60. Theirs way too many things to do and see in this lifetime to spend it at work till I die. Yes, I love my job and the folks I work with, but not till my dying days. Sorry guys, but it's time to retire and enjoy life...........let someone else have a career and be able to support their family. Sorry for the thread drift.