Originally Posted by
Northwind
Let me ask you guys this. How many of you (airlines pilots/ex-airline pilots) found out after following your dreams to become a pilot that your dream was ruined by the low pay and lack of time with your family. I mean I love flying but I'm afraid that going into debt and living in poverty for the next 4 years will turn flying into a bad dream.
This statement might be out of line but being a former manager of over 50 employees why don't the pilots get rid of the unions? Is competition for jobs so bad that they have to lock in low pay rates. Does airline management put down pilots that much. Not to be a union basher. It just seems to me that a pilot that puts over $50,000 into training on top of a college education and then operates one of the most complicated pieces of machinery that man can develope, along with holding the lives of all his passangers in his hands should make more money then a high school drop out. Or am I wrong? Do pay rates increase fast after the 1st year and you can afford to support your self?
I'm just looking for some input. If seems very foggy to me how people are surviving and why don't pilots demand to get paid accordingly for the highly professional jobs they do?
Northwind:
In reading your post thoroughly, I can tell you that you do not have the passion and commitment to become an airline pilot. The airline pay rates are posted on this site. There is enough information to fill a big barn here and certainly ample for you to make some decisions. The world is full of people who talk of doing things, but never do. You have been given input and yet you continue to wallow in this please help me decide trough. You have already established your fatalistic attitude and distaste for the industry and you haven't even got here. I mean absolutely no disrespect to you but you will save yourself alot of money and countless wasted hours by pursuing something else that you can commit to. The people who will succeed in aviation already know it, and are out working to make it happen rather than asking for others to convince them to do so. I am sure you are a great guy. Go for what you love and for what you are willing to sacrifice for. Stay out of aviation!