Rickair7777
 

Bravo !!! Well done !

SKyHigh

Numbers
 

In the end you got to ask yourself "why does my captain live in a trailer park"? Numbers can be very misleading. Firefighters all have new 40K trucks with campers and a boat attached. Teachers go on vacation to Peru. Pilots are poor. Calculate the truth and it will scare you.


SkyHigh

You doubt our Federal Govn'ment? :rolleyes:

However, $113.82/hour times 20.5 hours/week times 50 weeks a year equals $116,600 annually. Sure, the 20.5 hours/week is just the pay credit, not all the rest of the "unpaid" time away from home. And sure, thats the mean - meaning half make less and half make more.

There is a fundemental fact about being an airline pilot - you'll (most likely) spend 250 - 400 hours a month away from home, less if you live in base, more if you commute. But every profession has it's drawback. That's ours, the price we pay. I guess for some it might not be worth it. The biggest change in my QOL was when I moved to my base and quit commuting. It's become much more like a regular job.

Another pitfall
 

Because his ex-wives live in big houses. :p

Uh-oh, that sounds like the voice of experience... :rolleyes:

Voices of experience
 

No personal experience, bit I did fly with many captains who talked at length about their divorces, questionable tax shelters, expensive toys, and other frightening subjects. :eek:

Firemans with nice shiny trucks with huge 40k car note at the bank. Just cause someone has nice stuff doesn't mean they are not dirt poor. Doctor's actually have a very high bankruptcy rate. Anyone can take a vacation to Peru on credit.

Should doctors, lawyers, and other professionals have to figure in the time they sit in traffic, massive overtime they put in every week, all the paperwork, & endless time in training and studying?

There are more doctors and lawyers manufactured from universities every year that almost every other profession. The suicide rate and health rate of doctors and lawyers are higher than the national norm. A book called the Millionaire Next Store says that doctors are much more likely to be bad money managers and be in worse financial shape that the average public. Why? Bigger house, bigger car, bigger credit, less time to concern themselves with those issues.

Life is hard. Every profession has it's ups and downs. I am in the IT field and I am great at it but I don't like it. When I get tired of flying I will move onto something else. If the dream for piloting is gone then the American Dream is dead completely and we should close shop. With that said no one should go into the piloting field without knowing the realities, pitfalls, and not have a realistic plan to fight the potential problems....

You don't need any college unless you want to fly for a major airline or Bill Gates or Target corp. Some have been saying that regionals might start requiring the 4year also. I highly doubt it but if that day comes, I suggest you get a Mack10 and shoot yourself in the head. That is pretty much the same as saying you need a 4 yeard degree to work at Burger King. To a pilot a degree isn't worth anything other than a ticket to getting a job. And that falling back theory is Bull $hit, your degree is worthless if you didn't utilise it in life.

agreed. that falling back theory is even more bullsh!t in terms of a minor.

A college degree is importans regardles of if you want to be a pilot or not. But it doesnt have to be in aviation. Airlines dont care what your degree is in