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04-14-2014 | 06:54 AM

#13

blaquehawk99

Gets Weekends Off

Joined: Mar 2014

Posts: 114

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From: 141 IFR Student

Quote:

Originally Posted by Livesoverwater

Hey blaquehawk,

There is some really good info from the experienced guys in this thread. I work for a major airline in Asia and absolutely love my job. I'm 30 and have had a relatively successful career and thus have enjoyed every part of it. I haven't worked in the USA so my advice is likely not valid.

I am, however, interested for my own curiosity, at this point in time, what are your biggest concerns/desires about a career in aviation? Eg enjoying your chosen career, making money, spending too long on my low income, not getting employed, spending too much money.

What would you say are the biggest ones?

Good luck to you.

The most important concern for me is that I enjoy what I am doing. I know that I will enjoy flying for a living, but not if it comes at the expense of QOL over the long term. I recognize there are dues to be paid at the beginning of a pilots career. Right now I’m trying to figure out what suites me best as a career: airline pilot, 135 cargo, law enforcement, fire fighting, etc. If you’ll pardon the Rumsfeldism, I’m trying to match knowns with the unknowns. For instance, I know how much airline pilots earn versus 135 cargo pilots or corporate pilots, but is there a trade off in QOL? Will I have a better QOL as a corporate pilot but at the sacrifice of pay and job stability, hell, how does one become a corporate pilot in the first place? I know (or believe) flying for LE would continue to fulfill my sense of duty, but can I compete against career Army helo pilots for those jobs? So with that said, I’m scouring the internet and forums in search of some personal experiences of pilots: what did they do to get to where there are now and what would they do differently.
As crazy as this may sound I don’t believe I will have a problem finding a job flying. However, finding the right job in the right place for the right money is what is important.
As far as spending too much on training, that’s where I’m counting my blessings: I can either pay for training at AllATP in cash or let my rich Uncle Sam pay my way through school. But as always there’s a choice and a trade off in time and money. Do I pay to go to AllATP and finish before I retire from the Army and basically begin flying right away, or do I use my GI bill to pay for training and wait to begin working for those two years of school and saving myself $70 grand? The answer may seem obvious at first, but remember I’m 37 years old. I’ll likely be 42 by the time I go to work as regional FO after going to college for two years and building time as a CFI. If I pay out of pocket then I could begin flying just before my 39th birthday. If I were 23 I’d probably try a few things out before settling on a career path, but I don’t have the luxury of time.
I have about 14 months until I absolutely must make a decision. Between now and then I’m just trying to gather as much information as I can so that I can make an informed decision.

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