Originally Posted by
Michken
My 5 years in the Army, be it short, and painfull, has taught me one thing. I do not quit. Flat out. Any soldier, any REAL soldier, that has done time and servered honorably will be the same way. The military, though EXTREAMLY dumb at times has trained me to NEVER EVER QUIT. I know that when I get out I will go to a flight school. I also KNOW that I will excell as I do with everything because thats who I am. Finaly I KNOW that I WILL find a job with the training I recieve. I know this all because no matter if I have to beg barrow or steal I will get the money, and I know that I am willing to travel to other countries for a job. My wife who is also former military understands this and is in the same exact mind set.
The only reason I made this post was to ease some of the pressure off of finding a loan. It is difficult however I have enough in savings to finance it all so if it came down to it I would loan myself the money. I dont believe this will be the issue however its there.
Before I joined the Military this drive was not there, and I was a failure/loser/drop out/bum. Now things go my way because I make them go my way. Thank you for all your opinions on my topic good and bad. Its interesting to see where people see the industry and where they think its going.
-SGT Russell
That is an attitude that will serve you well...that is often the single most important personal benefit that folks get out of military service.
However, with regards to aviation...
The don't-quit-no-matter-what approach works well with endeavors that have high entry barriers but also high payoffs down the road...med school, law school, SF training, startup business, etc.
The problem with aviation is that you could do all the hard work and sacrifice and still not get a payoff. More than any other comparable field, there is a huge element of luck involved...
- Your health has to hold up.
- The industry may or may not be hiring when you need it to.
- The worst part is that unlike other professions, if you lose your airline job due to furlough or bankruptcy, your experience and salary is NOT portable due to the seniority system. You have to start all over at the bottom at another airline. Kind of like a Partner at a law firm switching companies and having to start in the mail room for $8/hour. This system also makes it almost unheard of for pilots to quit voluntarily...if they are trapped at a rapidly disintegrating airline. Bottom line: you need a lot of luck to pick the right airline (assuming you even have more than one options...pilots often take the first airline job they get offered).
Not saying don't do it, just be aware of the risks and uncertainty.