JamesNoBrakes

There's nothing wrong with aviation and there are plenty of opportunities.

Everything is broken and wrong right now with being an airline pilot. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone I know.


Too many people think aviation=airline pilot. I do wish some of the posters would stop using the term "aviation career" to only describe being an airline pilot.

I start a new job in aviation very soon. I couldn't be happier. About 3x the pay of a regional airline pilot. I'll be able to afford flying on the side (outside of a bit of flying I get on the job). Not constantly going through security and taking off my shoes. I won't be worrying about furlough. I won't be worried about getting "stuck" as an FO, etc...

So many people set out with this "single goal" before college, and sometimes before high school, they are going to be an "airline pilot". After adjusting my goal from "astronaut" to "airline pilot", I figured that this was achievable, but being that I set my sights on it early, I tried to make all of my efforts centered towards it. With so many people doing everything they can to reach this goal, the airlines and industry can sit back and draw off of the constant/steady supply whenever necessary. No shortage, no reason to pay them a lot of money as long as their sights are set on that 777. If you REALLY know what you are doing, you can get certs and ratings on the side while you have a fairly decent job, save up a chunk of money for some ATP stuff, get a type rating, do a little corporate flying, then wait and "pounce" on the major airline job with your turbine time. There are a few ways to do something similar, but timing and luck are everything as indicated all over this site. The funny part is that with an "alternate route" you can often cut out the regional airline thing and the excessive misery, but once you are "locked in", it's hard to get out (example of circumventing: was offered a CAE position, starting off teaching ground, moving to sim, getting type, acting as FO or CA when necessary, after a year would have option of going to any partner (major) airline or big pay increase to stay at CAE). Problem is, no one is going to tell you about these things and only so many people can come in "from the sides", so once that's filled up you don't really have a choice, but no one is usually out there letting people know about these alternate routes or how to have a decent job you enjoy while doing the flying thing "semi-seriously" until a good opportunity comes along.

If we could change this one perception that aviation=being an airline pilot, I think we could make some amazing progress towards better quality of life and respect for the position. These "aviation schools" can be beneficial for these types of jobs outside of "airline pilot", but from the students, to the professors, to the instructors, to the recruiters, all that is preached is "airline pilot" and how "some day" things are going to get "really good again". So many airline pilots are out there now hoping and waiting for this to happen...


"tell me about the rabbits again george!"