Originally Posted by
UNDGUY
SkyHigh,
I just wanted to say that I understand what you are doing. Young people looking into flying as a career need to hear something other than the propagnada that is put out there by flight schools looking to take their money. I salute you for that. Like any career, if you want to make it to the top of a profession, you have to make sacrifices that some people are not willing to make. Sacrifices could include spending less time with family and working long hours for crappy wages for the beginning part of your career. Aviation is not the only career where this occurs. Many CEO's start out in the mail room, doctors make crap and work long hours while they do their residencies, and lawyers generally aren't making a ton of cash their first job out of law school. I have read many of your posts and you absolutely got screwed in your career. I understand that you are bitter toward the industry as a whole, but you should include the fact that many people do make it in the industry and make good livings. You should tell people that if you are willing to make the sacrifices and do whatever it takes in the minor leagues of aviation you can make it. Just a thought.
I am sorry to have to disagree with you. Aviation is different from all real jobs and professions. It is closer to acting, writing or music. Most do not get beyond the minor leagues. Few even get that far. Aviation takes a considerable amount of sacrifice over other professions just to be able to fill out an application. There are far more hopefuls than spots at the majors and the costs and sacrifices required demand a significant return.
I am not here for my losses alone. Moreover I am here to carry the flag for all my friends, co-workers and classmates who were cut down like cannon fodder. All with lost dreams and wasted lives.
It is true that a
few make it to the majors. Even they however often pay a price that is much higher than they were ever prepared to. The military alone trains around 11,000 pilots per year. The FAA issues far more commercial pilot licenses per year. In the last 17 years there have been a tiny handful of lucky individuals who got on at the majors and most of them have been furloughed over the past five years. When you add the numbers up it is staggering.
SkyHigh
As with smoking not everyone succumbs to it a few lucky ones are killed in car accidents.