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Dan64456 04-22-2007 01:56 PM

Considering pursuing flying career...
 
Hello everyone first let me start off by introducing myself... My name is Dan, I live in the Philadelphia Area (born and raised); currently work as an IT guy for a real estate company... I am 22 years old.

Now I know that there probably have been plenty of posts with people asking the same kind of questions that I am about to (Given my situation, would you do this? Etc...) But I did manage to read some of them already... Well here is my situation. I have my Associates degree in IT and have been working in the field for 2 years now... I make ok money for a guy my age, but certainly not a lot... My current job is the best one I have had to date, but I still feel some kind of void in my heart. I've learned a lot about the corporate world in my recent experiences in the field, and don't really like most of what I learned. Most people are hoity toity's always trying to one up each other and most are back stabbers, etc... Most of the execs are straight up liars and will do whatever it takes to get more money in their pocket... And a lot of people are way too sensitive with certain topics and I doubt that they really are that way in real life... They just act it to play into the corporate game. The politics are overwhelming and I feel like I am back in high school again sometimes... Of course there are positive aspects of the job, but I feel that these need to be pointed out because they outweigh most of the good about it... Long story short, I no longer want to spend 40 hours a week of my life under fluorescent lights worrying about the most trivial things and being complained to and about from people who have no idea about anything outside of their narrow view point. They complain, point the finger and things like that hoping that their problems will get solved faster, and it’s just amazing how some people can make so much money and not know how to use a computer or see outside of their box... lol. I do like the job some days... some people in my department are really fun to work with and I enjoy going out to lunch in the city to different places and things like that, but I know that I don't want to be doing this for any longer than I have to. Especially given my situation. I am single, live happily with my family (parents and brother) still, have all the freedom I will ever need as of now... But for the past 2 years (when I started working in corporate) my soul has felt so drained. I am dead tired almost every single day, even weekends... from forcing out of bed in the morning to stare at a computer screen and solve problems like that all day... I need more than 2 days to sleep in, i am not a morning person. Before I worked this job, I had plenty of energy, and a lot less stress and I slept much better at night. So I think its time to make a move while I am still kind of young. My company would pay for part of my 4 year degree if I wanted but I'd have to stay a year after I completed it for them to pay... Not only that, but they would only allow me to take 6 credits per year, and that is just too long. I will not waste years of my life being unhappy and bored just to save a few dollars on my college degree... The 9-5 M-F schedule is killing me as well... I'd much rather have a day off during the week, or even do 3 - 12 hour days, because I can't even go shopping without sitting in traffic. So basically I was considering Delta Connection Academy... I have 10 hours logged toward my private as we speak, and I am going to finish it before I do anything... But I was just thinking what if I left all of this behind and started something that I could really see myself doing? I'd be making about what I do now after about 2 years of flying with a regional... Would you take this route in life if you were me? I don't need to be rich; I just want to enjoy what I do and have enough to survive somewhat comfortably on... And right now I have no baggage or large bills...

I appreciate your time to read and help answer my questions!

Look forward to talking with you all...

Dan

jetcaptain 04-22-2007 03:34 PM

Dan, whatever you do, get the piece of paper that says you went to college. Get a degree in something that you can fall back on. (ie.. Information Technology). Work on your ratings during your time off. It may be slower getting into the right seat, but you will have your degree to open other doors in case flying doesn't work out. Good Luck in your flying career.

LAfrequentflyer 04-22-2007 03:59 PM

Sounds like you are mildly depressed more than anything. What else is going on in your life? What do you care if the CEOs or your managers are greedy? Do your job take care of yourself and yours , improve yourself and move on to something bigger or better. Don't worry about what you can't control. You sound like a lot of 20 somethings...

-LAFF

de727ups 04-22-2007 08:09 PM

Hey Dan, don't worry about LA frequent flyer, even though he has 2000 posts here, he's hardly farther along in his aviation career than you.

The guy has two posts. Cut the newbie a little slack.

da_flyn_hawyn 04-23-2007 04:08 PM

Well your post was too long to read, and I saw that you were thinking about going to DCA(Delta Connection Academy). My advice to you would be not to go there. I went there and yes it is a great school, but not worth the money you will spend there. I was going to do my instructor ratings there after my multi-commercial but because it came out to $25,000, I decided to go to another school that can do it in $7,000, and I learned the same thing. My advice is to just find a good instructor at a reasonably priced school, not DCA, and finish it off there.

DMEarc 04-23-2007 06:23 PM

Agreed with DE727-

LAFF has no experience and he has some sick infatuation with ATP Flight School.

YOU DO NOT NEED DELTA CONNECTION ACADEMY! Look elsewhere...

Dan64456 04-23-2007 06:46 PM

LAFF - not mildly depressed, just trying to find my way in this life, and I actually do agree with you that I need to worry about me and not other people... However, I just like my opinion to be voiced about those things that are 'out of my control'... And if I sound like alot of 20 somethings to you, then you sound like an old head to me... lol

I appreciate all of your responses everyone!

dvd1 04-27-2007 09:15 AM

I think that first you need to think if you really love aviation, I mean REALLY LOVE IT. Have you been dreaming about being a Pilot since you were a child or it's just something fairly new? Do you think aviation is YOUR LIFE, or you just think "it would be cool to be a pilot".
If you decide to go for aviation as a career, then I think you shouldn't delay it anymore. Like you said it, you are young and don't have baggage. The big problem about being in love with airplanes (heavy metal, not just Cessnas) it's that no mather what kind of job you do, or how much money you make, you'll always miss aviation. You'll find a lot of people that say go for another career, make money and then fly as a hobby. In my case that wouldn't work. I couldn't settle for flying a Cessna on weekends, I like heavy metal, I want the whole nine yards. For some people that's enough, but not for me. HOW ABOUT YOU? It's that enough? If it isn't then you need to move forward towards being an airline/cargo/Par135 PILOT RIGHT AWAY ! You could be flying for a regional in as little as a year. There are some programs out there that get you in, but I only know one that guarantees a job with a regional flying CRJs without working as a CFI. I don't want to post it here, since some people could think is advertising, but send me a message or email and I'll gladly tell you.

GOOD LUCK !

GauleyPilot 04-27-2007 09:21 AM

There is plenty of politics, lies, backstabbing in aviation, just like any other job. Working 9-5 gets old, but so does not having a set work schedule at all.

Im all for you doing what makes you happy, just don't think that we in aviaiton are exempt from the struggles you endure.

LAfrequentflyer 04-27-2007 09:59 AM


Originally Posted by de727ups (Post 154013)
Hey Dan, don't worry about LA frequent flyer, even though he has 2000 posts here, he's hardly farther along in his aviation career than you.

The guy has two posts. Cut the newbie a little slack.

Hey Dan,

He's right. Don't worry about me. BTW - I'm much further along in my career than you or de727ups. I'll be retiring from the USAF in 2009.


If you're serious about aviation you'll find your way to ATP (www.allatps.com) after your research all on your own...

-LAFF


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