Originally Posted by FlyJSH

The facts:

If you want to be a family man (or woman) who wants to be there for all of lil' Johnny's B-days, soccer games, holidays, etc. most jobs in aviation prohibit it, as will long haul trucking, the military, or working on an Alaskan fishing boat.

If you rack up $200k debt to get a $20k job, it will take a very long time to get out of debt (think 20 year mortgage).

If you make a job out of your hobby, your hobby will become work (no longer much fun).

On the other hand:

If you are single (like me), want to stay single (me again), or at least don't want to be joined at the hip to your family, being away is far less painful.

If you can get your tickets without gaining a ton of debt, $20k is livable if you can live in a cheap city (especially if you can live in a cheap base) and drive an older car.

While my love affair with flying has ebbed somewhat, now that I have a little seniority and have found a niche that I like, flying still beats digging ditches.



I think the problem many of the new complainers have is their vision of a "pilot's life" were unrealistic. Kinda like the folks I worked with in the Navy who took the word of the recruiter as gospel. The older complainers (15 plus years) are saying the same sort of things the autoworkers, steal workers, and other heavy industry workers are saying: "We helped build the company, we gave back to keep the company afloat, management asks for more, and we see more of our work outsourced" (in aviation, the regionals).

My biggest complaint is not the pay: I knew what I was getting into. Nor is it that my upgrade time as greatly increased (my company does not drive the economy). My complaint is that my company treats me like a brain dead child, something none of my previous employers have done. Oh well, I'll stay here for a while (I am still eating and paying the bills), but the second a job comes along that better meets my needs, I will jump ship.... but I will still be flying.