A friend of mine recently quit the industry because "aviation requires you to sacrifice a lot and just doesn't give you back enough in return."
I thought a lot about his words, and decided to come up with a Pros and Cons list. This could help those among us who are considering leaving the profession
A few pros and cons I have come up with, specifically applying to airline pilots:
Staying in Aviation -
PROS:
- Flying jets is fun
- Flight attendants
- The occasional fun crew
- The occasional fun layover
- Leave work at work
- Flexible monthly schedules
- Free travel & ZED fares
- Office view
- Satisfaction of a flight well-flown
- Camaraderie; aviation is a small world
- Beats sitting in a cubicle
CONS:
- Always traveling...can be tiring & difficult to maintain your personal life
- As safe as aviation is, there's alway the chance of an accident
- Job on the line every flight/check-ride/line-check/etc.
- Irregular working hours and days off..can be tough to have a "normal" life
- Radiation, fatigue and other health concerns
- No retirement funds other than 401K
- Contracts getting worse
- One accidental slip up with the law could be career ending
- Lower salary than other jobs that require similar education levels
- Lose your job at one airline and you have to start over
- Recurrent training
- Lose your medical & you're done
- Being a pilot is a lifestyle choice; not a job (could be a pro depending how you look at it)
- There are much easier ways to make more money & be home every night
Do any of these ring true with those of you who have left the industry? Please feel free to add your own thoughts to the list!