Originally Posted by
Nantonaku
Compete against who? There is no competition, anyone can be a regional pilot. What he said was an honest opinion from someone in the industry. A vast majority of pilots like flying but hate their jobs, at least at the regional level.
If you have 100k burning a hole in your pocket go get an MBA and have a real career, being a regional pilot is not a career. Where are you going to live when you are 25 and have 100k in debt? What do you do when you want to have a family and want to buy a house? How are you going to get a loan for a house (let alone save for a down payment) making 20k a year?
If you still insist on giving it a go then a pilot mill is the absolute worst decision you could make. It will ruin your finicial future. Unless you charge it all on credit cards and then declare bankruptcy. Also, being only 20 you might be young enough to have to worry about single pilot ops/pilotless planes. It is coming, it is just a question of when.
Well luckily for me both college and flight school will be completely funded for me so I will have 0 debt. The pilot mill will get me my ratings and hours faster than a local FBO. I am not trying to be spoiled here but that is what I have been blessed with. So would it be that bad with 0 debt starting an airline career around 24-25?
and Afterburn81:
"Pardon me for asking but have you found some secret technology that stops time? I only ask because you may be 22 now, and have no kids, wife now, and not really value your life now. But that won't always be the case. One day when have you have worked your butt off to finally be that pilot at Republic you may have a completely different view on your career expectations. Airline management hopes your expectations right now continue to be your expectations. "
No I cannot stop time but the point was I am not bzzt i am not entering the career at an older age with a wife and kids. I will be going through the toughest part of this career without having to worry about those things. I don't think anyone can argue that the first couple years as a regional FO are the toughest time during an airline career. That is the point I was making. I understand my future and all the setbacks possible. I just want to do something I love and I feel that being away from home a lot is tough but better than doing something that makes me miserable and being miserable around my family all the time. To me that is worse then not seeing them for odd periods of time but being satisfied and happy when I do.