XJPILOT1

Here go the violins!!! Drama, drama, drama!! How will I live on my little paycheck and 18 days off? Oh misery!! I should have stayed at my 9 to 5 job!

XJPILOT1

Easy on the booze SAAB!!!

rickair7777

Back to the original program, ha ha...

- You are young enough to do this, but your family situation is a big factor. If you're single and childless you are in much better shape. A family will limit your flexibility to take low paying jobs far away which require extensive travel.

- Without the degree, you will be limited to regional airlines. Top pay for most is $100K after 12-15 years or so. But remember to subtract out the cost of training and lost wages for 5 years.

- Regionals have some downsides. Their work rules are often poor, meaning you get abused and have no control over your life...you could be on your way home for Xmas or to take your wife out for your anniversery and the company could call you and assign to a three day road instead (with zero advance notice). Also regionals are subcontractors...they can be (and often are) fired on a moments notice to be replaced by another regional with a yournger, cheaper workforce. This will probably happen after you are established at the ten year point with a family and a house in your domicile city...oops time to pack up, move across country, and take a big pay cut (or start over elsewhere at $20K/year).

- Regionals have upsides: You upgrade within a few years (2-8), and depending on your base, you may gain seniority quickly (as senior pilots leave for major airlines).

Also be aware that regionals also prefer college degrees, they are just not in a position to enforce that right now...but things could go back to normal at any moment (economy, age 65, oil prices,war, terror, etc).

As others have said, I would only do this if you really want to fly airplanes...don't do it for the money or a comfortable lifestyle. Also to do it right, you should get a degree (4 year).

If you just want to avoid breathing and handling paint, maybe become a service writer, supervisor, or start your own shop.

SkyHigh

Save that qoute from yourself and re-read it five years from now. In time you will begin to understand my position.

SkyHigh

shredder

The advice I give to anyone who asks me this question remains the same: If all your life you have dreamed of becoming a pilot, by all means pursue it and make the most of it. On the other hand, if you are just looking for a career and flying seems like an "ok" thing, then I strongly steer them away.

My biggest reason: There are ZERO other careers where if you get fired or your company goes bankrupt, or whatever, you start back at the BOTTOM all over again. Most americans I talk to don't understand this. They think a captain is a captain is a captain...if NWA goes under, they just slide over to DAL to be a captain there. I personally know too many pilots who have started over at multiple carriers, it's no way to live----unless you absolutely have to fly.

XJPILOT1

Yes... in time I too will learn. The force is strong in this one. All kidding aside, I do understand your side. I just don't agree with it.

shredder

I try to stay as positive as I can, but taking a hard look at all the nights gone, full days gone and holidays missed....9-5 M-F starts to look not so bad. That's 20 days work a month, home every morning and night and holiday. As I'm sitting reserve out of domicile and the age 65 rule is about to pass, I'm looking at significant time away from home for quite a while and then again when captain upgrade comes (10 years from now). With small children at home, it really makes me question this career choice. I'll never be able to get back all the time I miss with my kids. I'm just being honest.

XJPILOT1

That is the goal....QOL. What does that mean? To me...I have it. You may see my lifestyle and not agree. I would like to fly a 737 (320) but how would that disrupt my...QOL. More money...less time, maybe. It's working for me now but the only thing that is constant...is change. We shall see.....

de727ups

For Skyhigh, being an airline pilot wasn't in the cards. His personal demands of the career were not met and he got out. Don't necessarily put yourself in his shoes, though. They are his shoes, not yours.

Everyone has their own expectations out of the career. For some, 100K and working 15 days a month is worth it. For others, it's not worth the time away from home and other sacrifices. Knowing what I know now, I'd do it again, even if I never heard of UPS.

The reason APC is here is to educate you to both sides of the story. As long as you go in knowing what you're getting into, you'll be fine. My problem is with the big academies that sell the career to kids who never saw APC or JC and are getting in for the wrong reasons and with the wrong expectations.

The age 65 thing will come and go. The guys working their way up the ladder will be held back a bit, but some of them will hit 60 and still have five years to go at the highest income level. I think some of them will look back in 30 years and think...hummmm....did I really complain about that back then?

I still think it ain't a bad gig for someone who wants to be a pilot when he grows up. But to each his own...

Led Zep

I respectfully disagree with you, although I do see where you are coming from.

The MD-11 is a modern jet, but a landing with an 18 knot crosswind is not possible with the autopilot engaged. Skill better be up to par because you will be hand flying it.

I will agree that the magic built into modern airplanes has made a lot of things easier to manage. But I have also noticed that it has made many of the easy things more difficult for some people, such as hand flying and thinking when the magic goes tango-uniform unexpectedly.