Originally Posted by
Lowlevel
As a, now, former airline pilot, I would steer him away from this profession too. He makes more as a manager of a Pizza Hut than I did as a first year FO, and almost what I made as a second year FO. Now, if recalled and in third year pay, I may be making more than him, but I'm 40 and he is 19.
first and second year may be worse but 3rd till retirement at 65 will be a whole lot more.
To the original poster, I probably wouldn't ask advice from washed out pilots or people that have left this profession. The problem is that too many of them believe that there is something wrong with the profession when it was just them. For example, Ihategojet is a 23 year old FO who was promised a one year upgrade and when he didn't get his promise after 12 months he blamed the whole world including his company and left the whole profession. Me, me, me, he thinks that his upgrade is owed to him. Most pilots that are working, and have some seniority under them are very content with the job. It's not as well paying as it was pre 911 but it still beats doing anything else. With that said I would not do this job unless you KNOW it's in your blood. It's one of those jobs that you really have to love.