LoneStar32

No, your parents were right.

Kenny

If I knew 20 years ago, what I know now...not just No but F#ck No. I’ve met some great people, made some fantastic friends, seen some amazing places and at various point made very good money. But overall it’s been a sh!t show of epic proportions and with 17 years to go, I’m looking at my second furlough.

It took me 10 years in aviation to make the same money I made in IT prior to making the career swap. That should have told me something. If this goes on for long enough, I may punch out permanently if I can find something rewarding and stable.

Being a pilot shouldn’t define you; it’s not who you are, it’s what you do. Understand that and decisions about this career are far easier.

say again

If you have to ask, then it isn't for you. Dentisty, now that's where you want to be...

USMCFLYR

In the words of Uhtred - Son of Uhtred (The Last Kingdom) - DESTINY IS ALL!

Bahamasflyer

I don't disagree with much of what has been said, HOWEVER......I really don't consider this pandemic as something that realistically was a possibility a year ago.

Sure, a 2008 style recession or a terrorist attack were in the realm of realistic possibilities that society could have planned for, but this is literally a HUNDRED YEAR black swan.

Remember, this goes FAR BEYOND the piloting profession. We are talking about the potential for massive unemployment upwards of 30% among the general public, and the potential for widespread massive civil unrest among the populace.

So I just think it's misleading to imply that the piloting profession is the only thing being affected when so many of my non pilot friends are too worried about their jobs.

And on a side note, is it any wonder why I NEVER want kids! I worry enough about supporting myself in this day and age, let alone someone else.

123494

I know that this is a pandemic and not just a normal recession, but my neighbor is a dentist and has closed his practice due to the shutdown and social distancing. He has been home more than I have been lately. So it's not just pilots who are feeling the pain with this. Although this is a pandemic and I'm sure dentists do fine in a "normal" recession.

Bahamasflyer

Exactly the point I was trying to make!

USMCFLYR

Just watch the NetFlik series 'Pandemic' (yes - a docuseries) and you'll see that this type of situation has been EXPECTED for years and years.

Firefighterpilo

I agree, there are entire industries that were created to control and minimize pandemics. They have been a constant throughout human history and I am sure will always show up every few decades.

Not a knock on the new guys. Maybe they are just trying to convince themselves, or rationalize their decisions. Covid-19 is not a one off anymore then all the other hits to the industry. Down cycles in this industry always appear in some form or another. None are ever exactly expected. 9-11, 2008, oil price spikes and age 65 are just a few recent things that drastically change airline career timelines.

If you love flying and it’s your passion then by all means do it. Please understand expectations only lead to disappointment. If you see yourself retiring a wide body captain you are going to be consistently disappointed. If you understand you could very well spend years to decades making reserve regional FO pay you will be happier in the long run. The airlines are like Major League Baseball. Every player thinks they will make the big bucks and live the Dream, but in actuality the odds are against it. If you are playing for the love of the game, fine, but if you view this as an investment you will be hurt. There are much better investments with higher returns and predictability.

Firefighterpilo

There is a major difference with dentistry and other careers. If your neighbor, in a worse case scenario had to close his practice, he could easily go get another job in dentistry working for a different practice. Airlines are unique in that when one is furloughing 90% of the time no other airline is hiring. Add in the starting at the bottom of seniority list with first year pay and it creates a uniquely painful job to have during downturns. Aviation is an amazing job but can sometimes be a very brutal career.