The problem is that aviation gets into your blood, and is like a drug......the lifestyle is unlike any other that you will experience with any career.....I mad a mid life career change at 30.....got my ATP, began by instucting....got a great job witha great company flying night freight.....and then went to US Airways Express (CC Air) flying the Dash8......got fuloughed after 9-11....so I went back to my old career.....(Mortician)...yes a funeral director......(the second best career)
9-11 was the best thing that ever happened to me......i had financial obligations and had to leave flying, and the furlough made the decision for me.....i could not afford to sit around, right seat at another commuter......only to be rewarded for right seat at a regional or major.....that would inturn fulough me again as many of my buddies have....of my class of 15......only one remains in professional aviation today....take my advice, take the memories, the great experience and get out running. ..........i met a retired airline pilot who was working at home depot....he said he had to, to make ends meet...... as his airline had pilfered the retirement fund (any guess who that was?).......that is sad, very sad....
Originally Posted by
proskuneho
So what would YOU do if you were in my shoes? I'm 34, two kids under 5, will crack 1000 total time this month, over 200 multi, over 900 PIC, over 600 dual given, an undergrad degree (ancient languages, more of an interest than a career), 10 years of management experience (5 running a flight school), a partially completed MBA, and a lot of student loans?
Should I go corporate since I probably cannot afford the regionals? Should I get a part-time job as an FBO line guy to help with networking? Most of my contacts from my management years are up in the Midwest - not where we want to be. Should I just go back to management? How about consulting? What would you do?
Maybe I should start a new thread since this is a tangent...