Originally Posted by
Freightpuppy
SkyHigh,
I understand your situation from your posts and some people definitely eat the $hit sandwich many many times in this career but there are success stories. Some people give up (which everyone has their reasons for doing so), but once they do, then their chance is over. You say most won't reach the highs which may be true, but the fact of the matter is is that some people do. If you give up, someone else will be in that place. My point is is that SOMEONE is in that place making decent money, good schedules, etc. Whoever it is, it certainly is not someone who gave up.
Sure, someone will make it if for no other reason than to sell more subscriptions to flying magazine, however for everything in life there is a price. Some have shortcuts most have none. In the end we all need to do a cost analysis and benefits comparison to see what our real chances are. I sat next to plenty of pilots who "never gave up" to their own destruction. One of them only had a two bedroom apartment and an old corvette to his name when he retired after a lifetime of dedicated service and hard luck.
This career is unforgiving and success mostly depends upon luck and circumstance. We all could sit there and continue to drop years of our life into the airline slot machine. There are absolutely no guarantees. I was never comfortable with risking my future upon happenstance.
SkyHigh