Biglewi1

Ok, I was asked to do some reading...so are you asking me not to comment? Confused?

SkyHigh

Big Lew,

The Truth About the Profession - Home

Check it out. Save your money.

Skyhigh

rickair7777

He was just pointing out that some info may be dated.

Biglewi1

Sky,

Sir that was an awesome article. I read all of it. I see the points of many when the hourly pay comes into the picture.

For example: $70 per hr to make it even..FO 2yr
Pilot is only paid when flying or dead heading...except when employed by a company that pays 79 hrs per month regardless....contract written.

$70 x 79 = $5530 gross per month x 12 = $66360 annual gross.
not bad, then I also understand there are the commutes (not paid) additional duties etc... I get it.

So unless you're behind the yoke, or dead heading you're not getting paid...for the other stuff...etc...got it.

Now put your self in my shoes...short of like a pro pilot except the following:

I'm enlisted, active duty, able to work up to 16hrs a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a yr. Get shot at, mop floors and what ever else I'm directed to do, if I wanted to or I didn't... travel to areas where we're mortared, IED'd, bombed, the local temp exceeds 120F. Away from our loved ones 180 days at a time/ 6months or more some times. Come home for 60 days, get up and do it again. All for the big pay check of $22K a year. Ok, with benefits...but hey...it pays the bills...oh, did I mention, our contract is none negotiable? Nope, no union either...we don't vote for what we get...test for your pay raise against your peers. That's our check ride.

It's called maintainers...you guys are known as Operators...the grass is always greener somewhere...

But I didn't sign up for the money, I did it because I wanted to. Because of Osama needed that bullet in the face..

You guys have it nice, great A/C (aircond), and equipment that you don't have to fix yourself. You don't mop before you go home...I could go on and on...but hey..I just want to fly and make money at it...it don't have to be $200K a year...but I don't have the SJS either.

From all the griping I hear, it's a turn off to try to even fly an Airliner..you all deserve an EMMY, cause every time I've flown (many times, mind you) it's always been a pleasure and pleasant experience to speak with the pilots. As disgruntled as this forum is, you'd think you'd jump out of the window in mid flight. All it really takes is one person, it's like poison...it spreads like cancer.

I'm going to do what my heart tells me to do...if it don't work out, it's me that has to deal...but I do thank you for your opinion.

Please don't take my rant personal, it's my observation of being from the outside of the "business". Things are going to turn around, hell we just shot Osama, how bad could it be?

Aim High...

TonyWilliams

You fly because you want to, and you'll take just about any wage. Great. That is the primary reason that the pay is as low as it is. Your acceptance, and the numerous similar thinking folks before you, will ensure many more years of gloriously low pay and bad conditions.

You state how bad it was in the military (and I thank you for your service), but honestly, to compare any civilian job to that standard doesn't "fly".

It's quite insulting to hear from YOU, the guy who has never sat in the seat, or earned the certificates and ratings, to tell those of us who have about EMMY's.

xcop

Luck timing and hard work. You will need it all but, it can be done. At 30 I had my private and 257hrs and was a Police Officer. I worked overtime and private security details and earned my CFIIME. I then stopped working extra police overtime and started instructing on the side, then did 135 work and became D/O of a 135 Air Ambulance for 8 years. Retired from the PD with a pension. I was then hired by Mesa (airline boot camp) worked there 4.5 years then was hired by Air Tran which was of course acquired today by SWA. It can be done.

Sailplane Flyer

I'm an aeronautical engineer, currently working with defense aircraft development at Embraer (Brazil). I graduated in 2008, did a 1 year trainee program and work effectively since 2 years, and now I’m (almost) 25. The salary is very good, and the job is quite interesting, but…

I’ve always been an aviation fanatic. My dream was to be a fighter pilot, but for some reasons I decided not to join the Air Force and became an engineer instead. I do not regret, but now I feel that I cannot stay the hole day sitting in front of the computer while the other guys pull into the blue sky out there...

During college I started flying sailplanes, took my license and have been flying on weekends ever since. I love gliding, it’s the most enjoyable flight for me, but unfortunately I cannot make money doing that!

So last year I started my private license. Took about 8 hours in a taildragger and was about to solo, but the club was very crowded and I could not arrange me flights on the weekends (I cannot fly during the week because of my job), so I got disappointed and quit for a while.

In Brazil we have a huge problem with flight schools. Despite our 1325 rotary and 11151 fixed wing fleet (2009 data), we have a lack of training aircraft and flight instructors. For airplane license it’s less complicated, but for heli the things are really bad. To check heli IFR one has to pay something like US$4,000 an hour!!! And there is a queue!!! Complete absurd…

But now I decided to come back into flying and this time is for real. My plans are to use my next vacation to finish my airplane private and in parallel save money to do the heli training in the US. I need to save money to complete the training until I become CFI and start making some bucks (or just survive!) and accumulate some hours. I think I can save something like US$70,000 until late next year, what would be sufficient to do the training and live for a while in the US. Then I would come back to Brazil and find a job as a pilot. The market is quite warm for heli pilots and will be hotter for airliners too with the World Cup and Olympic Games coming in the next years…

So, I’ve taken the hard decision of quitting my good paying and quite stable job and going deeper into the flying game. I read a lot of forums and many professional pilots’ opinions before doing it, and I think it’s what I want. A friend of mine is in the same situation, and he’s planning to go with me so we can share our experiences/expenses.

I’m thinking of moving to Florida or California (where there are good soaring sites too!) and join a flight school with good support for international students (heard about Bristow Academy, is it good?).

Any comments and/or suggestions are welcome!

Good flights!

TonyWilliams

Well, my comment is simple. Congratulations on doing a fine job of writing in english. Better than many of the native english writers on this forum.

I'm confident you'll do fine in Florida or California.

Tony