leaving ATC career to go back to piloting?
 

Hey guys,

I'd like to hear some input and get advice from you all on something I've been struggling with for quite some time now...

Last year I left my 135 job as a Lear 45 f/o to pursue the opportunity to become an Air Traffic Controller. I was sad to leave flying as a career for good, and decided that I wouldn't look back on it due to the terrible schedule, bad pay, lack of QOL/social life/relationships, hotels, etc...you know the drill.

I had an interest in ATC since doing the CTI program in college, and finally had the opportunity that I couldn't turn down. I was excited to finally have a career that would pay me great money, job stability, allow for a good schedule and vacation time, and give me a fantastic retirement and pension. Those are the main reasons I took the job.

There's one major problem here though....I thought all that would make me happy, to finally have the things I could never have while charter flying...yet now I'm so unhappy with my ATC career! I'm miserable. I really miss flying, I never really worked and I got to have fun all day and see some amazing places. I hate waking up to go to work now, driving the same road every day, working with the same people every day, sitting in the dark tracon...overall I don't really like going to work and all I can think of is my old office at FL410 and spending "work" sitting in the islands. Flying has always been my dream and passion since as young as I could remember.

I've been at ATC about 6 months now, and I'm seriously considering getting back into flying. I've already turned down a couple 135 jet offers, and I have another one in the works now. I want to do it, but honestly the biggest thing holding me back is the pay that I'll be making with ATC, and the amazing federal retirement I'll be receiving in 25 years...it's so hard to walk away from the pay and benefits, yet I don't enjoy going to work. I always looked forward to going to work flying, always had a smile on my face, even though the 135 life outside of flying was pretty painful.

I guess my heart says fly, yet my brain says stay ATC for the pay, benefits, and stability. I recently started doing some part time instructing in 172s, but it isn't doing it for me....I want to be back in the jet and experiencing the world and meeting people. I'm very grateful for the opportunities I've had and continue to have, I seem to be blessed with many flying jobs if I want them, but I'm so lost. I was making 45k flying last, and the upcoming job offer will pay about 50k, whereas my ATC job will be paying 80k in 2 years, then up to over 110k as I progress in the next 5-8 years...not to mention the pension and matching TSP/401k.

Any advice is appreciated and hope to be steered in the direction I need to be going...

I just turned 27 years old with 2500TT, 800 turbine, ATP, CFI, CFII, MEI.....single, no kids or family obligations.

It's a great job until you grow up and want to have a kid, wife, etc. You'll be wishing for that six figure job with good benefits and a pension. While working 135 I can tell you it's very difficult to maintain any relationships. Thankfully my wife is involved in aviation (not flying) and puts up with me. She has all her ratings but quit flying. She makes more money than I do and works from home. I couldn't imagine being single again and trying to start a new relationship while working on-demand charter. I know there are better gigs out there but hopefully I'll find one. Either way I'm constantly afraid of losing my job as my plane is up for sale.

If I were as young as you given the current hiring climate I would go 121 to have some resemblance of a life.

I wouldn't do it. Fly for fun on the side. You would be giving up a great job, with great benefits, a generous pension, etc. You can transfer to different facilities for a change of pace. You can also apply for other ATO (non-2152) positions within the Agency. Don't give up just yet! If you leave, you would be giving up ALOT that you worked hard for.

Stay until you reach the minimum retirement age (57) so you can get the 1.7% FERS. Then go do whatever you heart's content!

Man up, stop complaining and realize how good you have it.
I don't think you're going to find much sympathy here. Stay at your ATC job. In 10 years, when you see you're child on his first birthday, the ACTUAL day, not a made up one for the party, you'll be happy you did.
If I wasn't over 31, I apply to ATC in a heartbeat.
Further, get out of the TRACON if you don't like it after a year. Find an open position in a tower. And you have a problem working with the same people every day? That might be a personal problem.

Timing is good for returning to flying BUT I'll be honest with you, not all flying jobs are going to give you the same safe, secure income as your current ATC career.. you are young and unattached so it's not as hard... but still thing long and hard about it... airlines are hit and miss.. hiring today, furloughing tomorrow.. I've been thru a lot of ups and down over the past 15 years... mostly downs..

I guess I'll be the lone dissenter here and say that if you're that miserable, I think considering a return to flying is a wise choice. Yeah, money and benefits are important, but so is being happy going to work every day. You've already done the flying side, so you know what you'd be getting yourself into. You also know that if your priorities change down the road (i.e. family, kids, etc), you might find yourself very seriously regretting your choice. BUT, if you're pretty confident in what direction you want to go with your life, and you feel like you can manage the QOL and lifestyle sacrifices that being a full-time pilot involves, than I would encourage you to go for it. There is nothing worse than sitting at work every day of your life wishing you were doing something else - especially when that something else is something that you're already trained for and qualified to do.

True happiness comes from within, NOT from a job/career. Don't let the JOB define who you are as a person.

Go back to flying, I did, I don't regret it at all. I've done both, I went to ATC for the same reasons you stated but it wasn't for me and you only live once. ATC is a great career for some but not for me, I got into aviation to fly. Just like you, I hated the routine, dark rooms, same people, same city, training, you sound like you've made up your mind. For some the routine is great, for me it was a slow death, retirement benefits and stability are great things but the job wasn't enough for me.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

^^^^^^This.

How long were you in ATC for, and how old were you when you left? 135 or 121 pilot? Sounds like you were in the same shoes as me...

leaving ATC career to go back to piloting?
 

I was 121 pilot before and then 135 pilot since. I was 32 when I left, married with little job prospects, but got my second choice job and never looked back. I was in about as long as you.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Wow, what is it today ? 1997 ? Everything is peaches and cream, majors hiring, oil is cheap, airlines buying airplanes.

then BOOM, recession, financial crisis, etc. layoffs, etc

Keep the 100K+ ATC job, build up your leave till you are fat on use or loose, attend airshows and volunteer at AOPA workshops via your ATC background, and enjoy that side of aviation.

Fly when you WANT to, not HAVE to.

Good Luck

Thanks for the feedback all, it's good to hear some opinions and keep it in perspective. I know some people would dream of an ATC career also, yet I still find myself day dreaming of experiencing new places and getting paid to sit in the islands (all my experience is 135 not 121). The FAA pay and benefits are great, yet I see the career as so limiting in experiencing the places and people of the world like charter flying can offer. Maybe it's because I'm still young, 27, but I don't see myself wanting kids or worried about traveling...I don't see that will change for me, yet still, what if it does? Has anyone been through this personal transformation later in life with wanting to settle down?

Get back in the air dude. Life is too ****in short to be miserable every day. If you hate going to work, can you even imagine doing it day in day out for 25 years? ..... One life dude, follow your heart.

Yeah, about 90% of men have been through this "transformation". Further, you do realize, you make more than enough money to travel, right? You don't need a 135 job to take a vacation.

Wanna be happy?

Stop chasing a job for your happiness. You won't find it there. Instead...

Here is your password: Gratitude

Focus daily on the things you are grateful for having/experiencing/doing, not the things you don't/aren't. Realize the grass always LOOKS greener on the other side of things, but that's an illusion, and nothing worth having comes free.

The real secret to happiness is being happy with what you have today, right now, not falling for the marketing, gotta-have-it-get-your's-too propaganda all around us for what you don't have. Jealousy & envy (of anything) will keep you wallowing in misery. Keeping up with the Jones is for suckers and fake, plastic people. It's what "they" want you to do. Which means it's a pretty bad idea.

Fact: it is impossible to feel down/depressed when you are experiencing authentic gratitude. And you can choose to experience that anytime you want by simply asking "what am I grateful for? If I lost it today, what would I miss?".

Happiness and fulfillment is an awareness born from a mind-set and attitude...not a destination, a job, or a thing.

^^^^ THIS^^^^^^

If you must leave the great job you already have, at least do yourself this favor- Stay at least 3-5 years. That way you will:

- Be vested in the retirement system
- Can be rehired if you want to come back
- Gain valuable experience

It would be really silly to leave after only trying it out for less than a year.

Don't chase your own tail!

You're right. Something I've been working towards my entire life and still struggle with.

It seems you miss the challenge, fun and excitement of flying. Well, no one's stopping you from building on your experience. Get some tailwheel training, a seaplane rating, do an aerobatics course. I think you'll find that those will be very satisfying and will help you adjust to your new career, esp. since you have experience on both sides of the mic.

One of the happiest and nicest guys I know is a controller who owns/flies a Yak 52 several days/week and is a popular DJ around town. He is constantly showing up at the field with a new, beautiful girl to take along for a flight. High-paying gov't job, radial trainer he can do acro in, solid social life, young, good health....he's got it all.

he training program at the facility will quite possibly be the most difficult thing you have ever done. That crap you did at the academy where you show up and pass is over! I'm guessing you are realizing that now after 6 whole months and that may be part of your unhappiness. I'm also sure you have noticed the that folks at ATC are not really the touchy feely types so the whiny "woe is me" attitude will not serve you well. The people around you are putting their careers on the line to train you. They are responsible for your F-ups until you achieve the coveted title of CPC. If you are unsure of and not totally committed to that career choice then you can not possibly ever be a good controller. If you are not a good controller the people on this site can not afford for you to be a controller. If you are not all in then do yourself, the people around you, the taxpayers, and the flying public a favor and get the hell out! They are wasting resources on you that could be used for someone who want's the job and will the do the job well.

6 months? Training stinks. Depending on where you are, the schedule and people you work with can too. You can transfer. Life takes twists and turns and you end up places you never thought. Usually for the better. I was in your shoes 30 years ago. Only difference was not a lot of flying jobs to be had. I flew 2000+ hours in that time mostly on my own terms. I recently retired and life is great. I still have about 10 years to do 121 flying and more than that part 91. If you really are miserable get out, but I would wait until you are sure it's really as bad as you think.

If you're making $80k, and the pilot job would pay you $50k...I'd say, take $30k (pre-tax obviously) and see how far that will let you travel for a year. :) Might find out you can go to the destinations that YOU want to, hit up the local clubs, bars, night life, and not worry about someone wanting to leave early the next day.

As other posters said, a job doesn't define happiness. You may find a sudden quick rush of euphoria, but the reasons you left will still be there in the end...No job is perfect, it's a means to an end.

So you left flying for ATC? Were you satisfied with your career choices and enjoyed life as a controller? Assuming you're retired now, what are your plans with aviation and retirement?

I guess the question arises for me because I have an offer back in South Florida as a f/o making 50k (plus per diem), upgrade to captain in 18 months making 75k with 8 days on, 6 off... pretty nice schedule. Current ATC trainee pay is 43k, and I'm looking at another 2 years before CPC pay at 80k... meanwhile at let's just say a very undesirable living location.

Understandably, there are no certainties in flying and ATC is much more stable as a career.. sure can't beat the time off flying though. I've actually excelled at training so far, ahead of most others, doesn't mean I won't make a good controller.

In a way, you are in an enviable position. You are young, single and have two good skill sets you can use to make a living. I used to be a regional F/O who made the jump to a federal career (non-aviation related). I am approaching retirement eligibility in five years and will be financially independent. Family life crept up on me (married in mid-30's with kids soon thereafter), and I have been home 99% of the time to be with them. That time is very precious. I have a fantastic job, with mostly good days at work, with a few bad ones here and there, and yes, I miss the hell out of flying too. With the age 50 retirement option, I can still go back into flying and have decades worth of slipping the surly bonds before I really turn old. That is a source of comfort for me, and it's a possibility for you too as a controller.

I'd suggest looking at your life OUTSIDE of work. If you are a pilot and controller, you are clearly a smart and capable person. Use your energy and smarts to take a hard look at your personal life. Do you have hobbies or activities that you enjoy? Creative things maybe? Friends and relationships that enrich your life? A happy and fulfilling life depends on a lot of things, not just your job. You seem young enough to switch one way or the other in terms of career, but make sure you are putting a high priority on having a life outside of work. Spending your days off alone and in front of the TV will quickly drain your soul, no matter what you do for a living. Best of luck to you. It's not easy to make those big choices in life!

In 2007 I was a Regional FO with a class date with the FAA in Oklahoma City and an offer from my present employer a Major International Airline...Although I am happy flying all over the World, I always wonder the what if's had I accepted the ATC job which was for a level 12 Center Facility in my hometown(ARTCC)...If I were you, I would stick with ATC, fly for fun on the side, retire at age 50 with your 20 plus years of service with the FAA, enjoy the pension and then go back and fly professionally if you still have the itch...If I had the option today, that's exactly what I would do minus the part about flying professionally after retiring from the FAA..Its extremely difficult to get hired in the FAA as an ATC, much harder than landing a Major Airline Pilot job so you should feel good about that...Once you are a CPC, you can switch facilities and train for the facility of your choice, there are many options as you already know so I personally would never give that up for a flying job...The retirement and benefits are unmatched and you will retire fairly young to enjoy many decades of those benefits assuming you live to the average age of death...Now, if you absolutely hate it then go for flying because that's just not your cup of tea...I would really think hard about not leaving ATC...Good luck!

Any thoughts given the status of mass retirements and flow to the majors seeming to be good?

Right now things are great, low ticket prices, low oil prices, lots of retirements. However be advised, Aviation is a cyclical industry. Talk to those that have been through an economic downturn, oil prices through the roof, multiple furloughs, dissolved pensions and terrorist activity that occurred in the last airline "bubble" to get their honest opinion... Then decide if the risk is worth the "potential" golden ring of the majors. We Should also mention the possibility of unexpected medical issues that could ground an otherwise healthy pilot. Is a bird in the hand more valuable than one (or two) in the bush? Only you can make that decision.

I'm guessing you stuck with ATC for now. Sorry I didn't see your post from a while ago. I retired almost 2 years ago. Ended up at a part 121 commuting. Had family issues and needed to resign. Having the retirement income and benefits made that decision much easier. Things are resolved and I will be starting back next month with a different regional based where I live. Stress level during training, etc was much less because I already have an income. You are young and if the urge to fly is really strong I'd say do it now before you are too vested at ATC. Just remember what others said about the cyclical nature of this business. Only a few years ago there were a lot of people on furlough. I did plenty of flying during my ATC carreer as a CFI, banner tow, etc. I think I have been very blessed to get the best of both. PM me if you want more input.

Wow, you want to leave a real career with the FAA as an ATC to fly for the airlines? You must love flying a lot! You can always retire from ATC and then go fly for whoever, safer that way one would think. It would be really hard to give up the pension you will get one day if you retired from the FAA. In any case, good luck!