G550av8r

Looking for some advice...

I am 30 years old, married with two young kids. Currently flying a Gulfstream for a private equity group, living about two hours outside a major metro city which happens to be a junior crew base for a few legacy's. I'm currently on a salary of $170,000 and in addition, we get get a 12-15% bonus check each year, and a small 401K match that only kicks in if we contribute. Raises based on merit and no yearly COLA increases. I don't expect to see my base salary ever to go over $185,000 here, but at the same time I don't have a crystal ball.

QOL is pretty good. Over the last two years, I've averaged 11-12 duty days per month and around 9-10 RONs. Trips range from day trips, to about 12 day stints. Average is around 5 days gone I'd say. All expenses paid for on the road and we get to keep all the points (which is a nice perk to fund my personal vacations). Mostly domestic flying with a couple international trips each year to keep me interested.

I get 3 weeks of vacation a year plus 4 hard days off a month as PTO days of my choosing. Usually not too difficult to get time off when needed. They have no problem using contract pilots to fill the gaps for time off. Otherwise, we are on call until about 6PM everyday, unless the airplane is out flying with another crew or down for MX.

Most trips are scheduled anywhere from 2 weeks to a month in advance. There are a few pop-ups (1 day notice or less) now and then and while on a trip, plans tend to change. You were planning on coming home Friday, now you're back Sunday. They will however bring you off a trip if you have vacation or a PTO day.

I'm home on most holidays. If the airplane is parked over a holiday, they will airline us home.

Overall, I'm pretty happy. However, lately I've been thinking about entertaining a childhood dream of mine to fly for the airlines. My background has strictly been 91/135 up to this point and I've never been interesting in the airline world. However lately, I've found myself peering over the fence more and more over the last year as it seems that the pay and bennies have really surged back for the legacy pilots.

Plus, I think it would be nice to just show up to work, walk on to the plane, grab the paperwork, shut the door, go fly and go home (also shut off the phone!). I know that's a bit of an exaggeration....but my job is entirely the opposite of that. Lots of prep to do including but not limited to... flight planning, catering, needy passenger requests, cleaning, loading bags, ground transport, trip changes, it goes on and on. Looking into the future, in 20 years, will I still want to be dealing with this crap? I'm not so sure....

When comparing baseline salaries, I'm thinking it would take 5-6 years to get to pay parity and after that, legacy pay will totally eclipse mine. Not to mention by year three at a legacy, I'd say most guys are pulling in at least $140K so I wouldn't be poor by any means until I caught back up. I think another benefit that legacy guys have is DC with their 401K. That's huge.....even the best Part 91 gigs aren't contributing that type of coin into their employee's 401K. Corporate is way behind the ball when it comes to retirement bennies, IMO.

Finally, having a set schedule would be nice. While we have a decent target of when we'll be working, as I said above, plans tend to change. It would be nice to know when I'm working and when I'm not. I could also do away with the 12 days trips. It's hard to be away for that amount of time with a family. Though, I would be racking up a ton of Marriott points for the flip-side so I can take my family on nice vacations during time off! That would be a loss for sure as I don't see non-rev bennies being a gain. From what I've heard, it's damn near possible to non-rev a family of four anywhere these days.

The question is, would I be giving up too much and would it be worth it?

In terms of stability, I feel both jobs are equally vulnerable so I don't consider that a factor (airlines with terrorist attacks and rising gas prices, while a few bad investments could burn a corporate flight department).

I know I'll be working a few more days a month and first year pay will be a struggle, but we'll figure it out. Right now, I enjoy long stretches at home (albeit, on call) at times. I don't know how the family will react with me being gone 4 days a week for the first couple years. I think that might be a shocker. I'll probably be missing more holidays, birthdays, school stuff, etc for the first couple years as well.

Overall, it seems that I'm chasing better pay and retirement bennies, number one, followed by have more of a set schedule, LONG TERM. However, I've always heard, don't chase the money, and if you're happy, why rock the boat. On the flipside, I'd like to be that widebody Captain (even FO) one day working 8 days a month grossing over $200K.

It just seems that at my age, I could potentially be missing out on a great career at an airline and so I'm just trying to play all my cards here.

Please, someone knock some sense into me!

Any advice is appreciated and no, I will not be basing my decision solely on the feedback from APC.

GatorHog

Disclaimer: I'm still a military guy, but....
I can speak to the draw in general of wanting to do something different in life and chasing a dream. It can be overwhelming. And if you don't try you'll probably always wonder what if. Why not apply and see what happens? You seem to have put a lot of thought into potential growing pains of the first few years. But if you're 30, I'd imagine the pay and QOL in the long run, which you emphasized in your post, would be far superior for a very long time.

Other guys in here can talk to the specifics of seniority regarding your age and what to expect. And hopefully some can speak from having experience in both worlds. My .02 is there's no harm in applying and seeing what options become available. Then it's time to go with your gut. Don't scoff the little voice in your head nagging you to stay or nagging you to go. Best of luck to you.

Std Deviation

Lots of 30 year olds are making 30K or less at the regionals. 170K? I'd consider myself lucky - which incidentally puts you in the top 5% of income earners in the US. Can you say reserve, Crashpad?
And I'm sure you have an expense account, not a $50 a day per diem. How much is "enough"? It's not just you. It's the pilot mentality. More, more, more, work less, less, less. It's never enough.
You mean I have to work every Tuesday? I just watched 4 guys roof my house in the Texas heat. Now that's real work. The income over 170K at the airlines will probably go towards alimony when your wife sees your new schedule.
I'm being facetious, but it sounds like your schedule is pretty decent now.

My previous airline went out of business. When I was teaching at FSI I never saw a high end flight department go belly up.

pilotgolfer

If you ever want to make the move, now is a pretty good time to give it a try. It's gonna take 5 or more years to break even, but over the next 35 years...you can do the math. g550 time is a nice thing to have in your back pocket when the airlines hit the next down turn.

If you live near a domicile with one of the majors...maybe focus your efforts on that one. Living in base is the best deal going at the airlines.

My dad was a career corporate guy, mainly with the same company. They sold the plane 3 years before he planned on retiring and went to a fractional to provide their lift. He always dissuaded me from going the corporate route. I never questioned it and went the airline route. Been furloughed twice and worked for 3 companies that are no longer in business.

Things are good now, though.

SayAlt

So let's review...


On the flip side...



And yet...



Something doesn't jibe there. But hold that thought.




Your problem is as simple as it is entirely normal. And it all boils down to this...

The grass ALWAYS looks greener on the other side of the fence, especially when one is young with well over 1/2 of one's life left to live.

You, sir, have grabbed the proverbial brass ring in the corporate world at a very young age, and you are wondering if you should let go of it to TRY to grab the brass ring in the 121 world. Well, that is not assured by any means...even assuming you could go straight to a legacy from your current job.


My advice to you is to stay where you are and target the Chief Pilot's job so you can set your own flying schedule and go past $200k/year, then perhaps Director of Flight Operations of a large corporate flight department later on.

You said it yourself....

You know you have it as good as it gets, yet a voice inside of you is pestering you about making a change. Well, don't let that voice put it's thumb on the scales with the small negatives of the job and fraudulently outweigh all the positives of it.

Whenever you are challenged by that voice, choose instead to think of all the things you are grateful for about the job you have. All the great things you like about it and all that it affords you. Gratitude will snuff out that immature "grass is greener" voice like water does fire.

And remember one thing above all....you are holding the brass ring now. There is NO guarantee you will be able to grab it again later on if you choose to let go of it and risk all moving over to 121.

Oh, and one other thing...

It would be more reasonable to take the risk you are talking about if you were single with no family obligations...especially kids. But that is not the case. I encourage you to think about your family and especially your kids. I feel you should be as risk adverse in your job as possible, for their sake. If single, I would say you had less to lose. But you're not, and you have far more at risk re: changing jobs given your family obligations that when you did not have them.

Leave the 121 idea, take the brass ring you already have in hand.

CODs4ever

If you were selling futures or trading stocks on Wall Street making $170 large and totally stressed, I'd tell you to make the leap.

Sounds like a dream job. Stay put brother!

fishforfun

You're going to take a big hit in QOL and pay for a while but eventually, as long as nothing changes, it should equal out and then actually get better long term. Just might be a painful few years getting to that point. Having your days off to yourself will be a huge gain in QOL. It sucks being tied to the phone.

Are you leaving fish to find fish? Good luck!

SayAlt

An excellent analogy. The wise, old fisherman would never leave excellent fishing presently at hand for the hope of finding even better fishing somewhere else. Why? Because he tried that when he was younger and learned that it rarely, if ever, works out.

RetireAlready

Apply first. Getting on with a legacy isn't easy. You may never have to make the decision. Guys at majors don't leave for 91 jobs. Guys at 91 jobs leave for the majors.

RI830

Not true! Rare....but not true.

As for the OP, very tough choice ahead for you. You have a job in the top 5-10% of corporate. Many guys work for years to get where you are and you're 30. As for the "dream".....don't just chase dreams in this business.

Put it all on paper and see where it all works out the best for you and your family. Pros and cons, salary bs salary, bennies, commuting, etc.
Best of luck.