Originally Posted by
de727ups
"No one can really say what will happen.... Skyhigh 5/20/08"
Skyhigh would be a Captain today at Horizon Air if he hadn't left for a shot at an LCC 757 job. It would be interesting to hear his comment as to whether being a Captain at Horizon making 80K is a job worthy of his time or if he would have walked from that as well....
DE727UPS is back !!!!
I took a chance and grabbed for the next rung on the ladder. I was not getting any younger and the LCC job seemed to be worth the risk. At the time there were several start up LCC's. Some made it while others folded. Hindsight is 20/20 however at the time it was not clear who the winner was going to be.
I had every reason to believe that my LCC would be the next UPS. I mean you essentially did the same thing by jumping to UPS during its fledgling years. The only diffrence between you and I is that my company went under.
In any case my worst nightmare was to end up stuck as a career Horizon Air captain. After ten years I still would be making less than 80K and gone more than half the time. The life of a regional pilot is miserable in comparison to what legacy and LCC guys have to do. By going to National Airlines I nearly doubled my wages and increased my chances a great deal.
Why should some of us be expected to be satisfied with earning less than a third and working harder and longer then others in the industry? I got into aviation because I wanted to fly but also because I wanted a better life for my family and self. Why shouldn't I have taken a shot at the big time?
I took a chance and so does everyone who tries for the next rung. Honestly however if I had known that the best I could do was Horizon Air I would never had taken my first flight lesson. The top or bust !! and I busted, but also had the chance to start a new life.
Skyhigh