Originally Posted by
Pilatus801
OK folks, i could use some solid advice. I am in my mid 40s and itching for a career change. I got my PPL years ago, prior to 9/11. i was planning on making a career in aviation but with all the furlows and layoffs after 9/11 i walked away. Now i am considering getting back into it. Just finishing up my Instrument rating currently and going to finish up the CPL. Not so sure about being a CFI. Hoping i can get on with a charter/cargo/tour company to build time to 1,500.
In reading all the different posts on this site, i get the impression that things aren't super rosy for new hires even as pay and bonuses are going up. I kind of wonder if its worth it at my age. I certainly would be taking a pay cut and i presume i would have to "pay my dues for the next 5 years"
I don't know...is it worth it? Is the airline pilot job really awesome or is that just a false perception that a lot of people have? I think most of us tend to romanticize certain things when we are on the outside looking in. Shower me with your advice......Thanks!!
Do you hate your family and never want to see them? Do you want to work every weekend, holiday and friend and family gathering for little reward and live out of a bag in random 3 star hotels with nothing nearby but a Waffle House and a gas station? Do you crave getting a swift kick in the nuts by management just about every time you think things are about to finally go in your favor with this career? Does the idea of sleeping in a dirty NY crashpad full of 20 somethings to 60 yr olds and sharing hot bunks in a room full of 6-8 snoring people sound like a lovely way to spend your Saturday night? If the answer is yes than the regionals are for you! Living the dream! Sad but true.
If you do go for it.. Number 1 tip, Live in base. It is 1 million times better than commuting to this job. In every aspect. Every time I have lived in base I at least had some happiness from this career choice. Although brief and inconsistent. Ever time I have commuted to reserve or terrible lines I have been absolutely miserable and seriously wanted to quit every day. *Note (I have moved to base 3 times here and been displaced 5 times. No base is safe from displacement or closure. We have had 5 closures since I have been here. 2 came back but there was a lot of pain and families wrecked in that time period. So unfortunately my number 1 tip is not safe from an epic disaster and complete failure. So good luck with that. I would recommend avoiding regionals and 121 flying all together. It isn't as great as it seems. Get a good local job and fly for fun on the side. Of course nobody ever listens to that but they probably should.
If you are single, the pain and BS "may" be worth it to you. If you have a family you care about I would HIGHLY recommend avoiding the regionals like the plague.