Originally Posted by
abelenky
If you're still young enough, I'd recommend looking at ATC instead of being a pilot.
First, realize that many commercial pilots aren't really flying at all. Auto-pilot is typically turned on about 90 seconds after takeoff, and disengaged around 30 seconds before touch-down. Nearly everything in between is just twisting knobs.
Next, realize that most professional pilots make very little $$$. Reading around this board should provide plenty of evidence of that. When a professional pilot is done working for the day, he can neither afford to, nor has any desire to go flying for fun.
If you can become a Controller instead, your pay will be much better, your schedule will afford you more time off, and you'll be able to fly for FUN, not WORK, and you'll still be involved in aviation on a daily basis.
I learned about the benefits of being a Controller too late. (you have to start young), or I would've done it. Thankfully, my profession as a Computer Programmer lets me get in lots of flying without the many downsides that my Commercial Pilot friends complain about.
You can hand fly the plane all you want. Someone who turns on the autopilot 60 seconds into the flight and twists knobs does that because they choose to do it.
I still enjoy flying for fun. Almost every pilot I know at the airlines flies for fun, is involved in aviation groups or owns their own plane and has great stories. It seems that the people on this board most of the time are just the ones who want to complain about the job and the pay and how much they hate flying. I've never had any interest in hanging out with those people.
The career is what you make of it. If you're going to hate flying and make yourself miserable then don't do it. If you're going to hang around with positive people and develop some hobbies then it's a great career. I've had some bad things happen to me in the industry, but I still have never regretted getting into it.