Originally Posted by
de727ups
"I invested into a profession but got a working hobby instead."
If not for your own personal choice, you'd be a Captain at Horizon now. The fact that you don't find that worthy, to this day, doesn't mean many other folks interested in the career will not find happiness as a pilot. You paint a picture of extreme negativity with often unreasonable and outlandish statements. I just hope people read a good bit of your posting history here before they decide to lend you any credibility.
"I however think that a repeated crime is taking place in flight schools and colleges across the nation."
I don't disagree. But it's just as much of a crime to present an intentionally unbalanced picture by telling someone interested in the career they would be better off as a mailman. There are many jobs in aviation where you can make as much as a mailman flying airplanes. But if you want to be home every night and never move to a new place, flying might not be a great choice.
Back when I started my career myself and peer group were universally shooting for something more than a regional. Life as a regional pilot is hugely discounted over what our peers enjoy just one rung up the ladder.
For that matter I do not think that many initiate an aviation career with the goal of flying a turboprop for a quarter of the wages and benefits that someone at a legacy earns. If you had flown for a regional then you would know that their daily life is punishing and the wages insufficient for the job required.
Most do it in hopes of making the leap to a legacy soon after and usually end up getting stuck there for their career. Regionals are not a happy place for most and I have never been one to settle for less.
In addition, from a financial perspective it just does not pencil out to invest a small fortune and perhaps as much as fifteen years at crushingly low wages to make it to the left seat at a regional to earn a bit more than a new plumber while selling off your weekends and holidays to the company. My goals were specific. Flying for a regional just was not going to cut it.
I do not believe that most enter flight training with the expectation of making a career at a regional. It is what happens to you. I could not accept that and why should I? I have a life that I was willing to fit aviation into. I was not prepared to sell off the rest of my dreams to remain in the saddle at regional wages.
My belief is that if most people were accurately given the facts about their career prospects they would choose self preservation. I made my investment for a career at a legacy and it is my belief that most others enter the profession with similar intentions. A regional is not worth it.
Skyhigh