skylover

When Will We Have Unmanned Commercial Airliners? - IEEE Spectrum

Very interesting article. I think completely automated commercial aircraft will come eventually, the question for any pilot is just when? During your career? During my career? During the next generation's career? It's definitely an interesting topic to think about.

SkyHigh

It is good to have plan "B" already in the process. There was a good article by Les Abend in Flying magazine a few years ago about how most of his younger first officers had a full time second career going while they were also airline pilots. Not for fun but due to necessity.

Aviation should be treated as the part time career that "might" work out. Before jumping in you need to sort out how you will make a living in spite of having a flying career.

Skyhigh

Alex14

Skylover,

If you are this set on going to ERAU or a school of the same caliber, I'd recommend taking a look at UND. I currently go here and like you, was looking for a place to get my ratings as soon as possible and jump to a regional while in HighSchool, but soon after coming here, I realized just how fun college is. There's no reason to rush what should be the most enjoyable years of your life. Though, it's certainly true that a quick path to the regionals sounds great right now, I can guarantee you, you'll regret not experiencing what college really has to offer, not just a flight school, which is what ERAU is. I, by no means think UND is the best place to be, but if you want the same caliber training you'd get at ERAU plus the fact that it's an actual University and you'll make friends with people outside aviation is great. I've quickly come to realize college is a place to work hard and focus on flight training, but at the same time have fun, party, go on trips with friends and enjoy being young. You owe it to yourself to enjoy college for the short 3-4 years you are apart of it.

Just my opinion.

SkyHigh

I was searching for the Les Abend article and found an old post of mine from 2007. Some things change my message doesn't. Perhaps I should run for office?

There are two articles that are a good read from Les Abend. One is titled "Day Job" and the other called "The 225 Hour Airline Pilot". Both are good reads that I feel apply to this thread.

My old post from 2007 is below:

Recently I spent the $8 for an annual subscription to Flying Magazine. Since the 1980's I have shunned such publications like "Flying" and organizations like "AOPA" since to me they spread false information or have self serving agendas. However since being reduced back to the status of being a hobby pilot I have had to venture into their ranks again.

One of my first issues of "Flying" came in the mail yesterday. The first article I happened to read was from Les Abend in the September 2007 issue. The title was "The 225 Hour Airline Pilot" I suspected that he was going to praise all the glories of factory created wonder kids instead however he went on to profess all the recent negatives to the industry as I have been doing on this forum for years now.

Les mentions all the things we all know about low wages, disappearing benefits and the arrival of the 200 hour regional pilot. He also goes on to quote, almost word for word, all the ridiculous expenses that I have been mentioning about in regards to the cost of college and flight training. His numbers are: $120,000 for four years of out of state tuition and books plus $50,000 in flight training.

He also reaches the same conclusions as I about the current state of the industry, however stops just short of calling new career entrants completely foolish. My positions and attitudes have been labeled as overly negative and eccentric. The truth is that my ideas are accurate and are becoming very mainstream. Many here simply are choosing not to accept the truth about the situation our industry is in.

I am not negative. My message is accurate. I am not crazy either. What is crazy is to spend a fortune on a profession that can't possibly be able to earn back the price of entry. Activities like that are referred to as Hobbies. An airline career today simply doesn't make any sense anymore. Read the article.

You may now return to your previous state of denial.


SkyHigh

bcrosier

Like you, I'm not willing to place bets on it. The one thing I will say, is for at least the last 30-40 years electronics technology has advanced far faster than most expected, with progress coming in an almost exponential fashion. Draw from that what you will, but I'm beginning to think it may occur a lot sooner than I had imagined.


Also, SkyHiigh and Alex both make and excellent points - in particular go back and re-read Alex's post and savor that for a while - you only come this way once, don't miss out on all it has to offer.

USMCFLYR

Yes - Les's message is much the same and in all the year's I've read 'Flying' I've NEVER seen him have to resort to the delivery of the message as you continue to do in the present (I guess even after 5 years ) We've said it a million times Sky - it isn't the message, it is the delivery. Oh well.....maybe that is why he is writing for 'Flying' and you continue to haunt APC.

USMCFLYR

galaxy flyer

Almost 40 years ago, a neighbor who was a UAL captain (he started in '52) told me, "when I was a kid, locomotive engineers were the pinnacle of union power, airline pilots were so few that they weren't thought of, but now who thinks of engineers?" He thought, pst-dereg, airline pilots were doomed to lower compensation and loss of respect. Captain Feneley was quite clairvoyant. Retired in the DC-10.

What's the future? Probably not any better than today.

GF

skylover

It's also important to note the following: the grass isn't always greener on the other side.

Yep, this profession has huge downsides that one should seriously consider. But every profession has that.

For example, take being a lawyer, a career frequently mentioned around here. About a year ago, I "job shadowed" a lawyer for a day. First of all, his education cost him (out of pocket) over $200,000 (including law school) and his student loans were astronomical. After, his starting salary was roughly $40,000 a year (at age 26), and at that position, you get to do all the junk work that the higher-ups don't care to do. He eventually worked his way up, and at age 37 he broke six-figures. He's 45-ish now and he makes around $160,000. In addition, he works 9 to 5, 5 days a week, and typically takes home about 2-3 hours of work every night, and about 5-7 hours for the weekend. He has to deal with clients who can be a pain in the neck every day. His career cost him a marriage, and he told me that the culture with his colleagues is *money money money*. (By the way, even though most of his points were complaints, he was really a very nice guy )

Just trying to present another point of view. Make of it what you will.

galaxy flyer

OTOH, my niece is a lawyer, $160,00 in NYC right out of school at 27. Very much depends on the school and the right internships in law school. Admittedly, that money was in NYC.

GF

Death2Daleks

You need to start looking at the Academies. If I had to do it all again, AF would be my first choice academy! Those guys get to wear civvies after like the first 6 months. I had to wait 2 years...