Just wondering what everyone thinks. I am a company pilot flying a PA31-350 When I am not flying I work 8 to 3 with an hour paid lunch. I currently have 1500 hours and 740 hours of twin PIC time. I make $40K a year with paid benefits (salary). Due to the lack of flying I am only putting about 150 hours a year in my logbook. Most of my time is cross-country with a lot of Southern Cal. flying. QUESTION?? Just wondering if you think it would be good to stick around after my contract is up next year or move on. I have a great QOL happy with my pay and get treated like gold. Hard to find in aviation. BUT, lack of flying, will it hurt me if something happens to this job in 5 years or so? Career wise what would be the smart thing to do? I am also 35 years old and washed out of regional airline training. I never made it to the sims. Hopefully all this information will help you guys give me some good advise. I also have a CFI and MEI. Thank You

 

If you leave that job you most likely will spend the rest of your life trying to duplicate it without satisfaction. Especially now with the current economy I would stay.

Skyhigh

 

I completely agree with SkyHigh(this is a rare event!!!). Seriously in this market, you gotta be crazy to let a job go.(unless it's a safety thing). Don't take this the wrong way either, but your times and experience aren't going to get you hired on too many places anyways. There's guys with turbine hours and type ratings out there without jobs.

If you're wanting more hours in the ole' logbook, maybe start teaching after work? I mean you're off at 3pm, that's plenty of time to get in at least one lesson a night after work. Also gives you a chance to network a little more. Never know when that student of yours is a big-wig at a company or knows the right person!

 

Yea man, why dont you see if your current employer will allow you to Instruct on the side. If not then be thankful for what you have.

 

Thank you for the advise. I do like my job just wish I could fly more. I also realize that getting 40k to be home everyday is very rare. I just wonder about the future, say 5 years down the road when I only have 2500 hours in my logbook and no turbine time how my career will be then if something happens to this job. I also know that good pay is hard to find. Also I really enjoy the people I do work with and the aircraft is maintained very well. We have our own mechanic on payroll and we have a blank check for anything the airplane needs. I am very lucky just wondering what everyone else would do in my shoes a year or two from now. Look for turbine hours or stay and relax and enjoy the semi-retired life.

 

Keep what you have now, and if you're interested, start looking elsewhere as the economy starts to turn around.

QOL is always king...

 

Wait . . . I thought that was cash!?!?

 

Stay where you are, and find a hobby if you're getting stir crazy.

Believe it or not, your in a good place right now - Congratulations.

 

Why did you wash out of flight training? Do you have any indication you would qualify for anything else?

 

I washed out of training because I didn't pass my systems final. I missed it by two questions. I needed a 80 percent on the test. Being very honest I went into class and knew nothing about the aircraft I would be flying and just seemed to be behind the entire class. I did fine on the indoc test, all limitations and flows just came up short on the systems. I was also dealing with trying to sell a house/foreclosure. No excuses just came up a little bit short. I am not real happy about that but I did study and did not screw off during ground school. I honestly gave it 120%. I was released from class before the sims even started.