TTOCSMCC

Every career path has it's pitfalls. Most pilots get into the profession out of a love of flying. But we do deal on a daily basis with frustrations associated with scheduling, pay, union vs management, fatigue, safety, etc. (...in no particular order) This forum can be very informative, but does also provide an arena for venting. The great side of the career is still there if you want it. Is the glass half empty or half full?

I don't blame guys who become jaded for the many possible reasons, like furlough, downgrade, seniority list integration... But when you show up to work you still get to fly a magnificent machine. Sometimes it's a battle just getting to work, but once I get there I still love it. So don't let the negativity that you read in this forum prevent you from going for it.

PearlPilot

A great thread for those of us who are in training and for those who are just getting into training...I currently work full-time and all of my co-workers always admire me for what I do and it is their understanding that when I move on to be a working pilot, I will make much more money than I do now. We all know the reality... Being 25 and single, that is not a concern, sure I will have to give up the nice car, the iphone, the Sirius subscription, and some other luxuries I enjoy, but I can't imagine doing what I am doing now for the rest of my working career. I would very much like to be one of the few to be able to fly for a major, a cargo hauler like Fedex/UPS/Kalitta or even an executive jet driver. I have a good feeling that companies like Netjets, Flexjet, CitationAir, Southwest, Fedex/UPS, will be around for some time and will be hiring pilots in the future. So to the OP, keep working hard because it's not impossible. If I had a kid who wanted to be a pilot, would I tell him no you can't do it because of the "economy" etc.? I think there are too many opportunities that one can look at. For an example, the market is booming in places like India and China so there is another possibility.
Having said that, I met a regional pilot a few months ago who recently quit from his low paying job. He used to co-own a Cessna 310 and was at the top of his game in his career working for a reputable company. He loved flying so much that at the age of 40ish he applied for a regional career and took a huge paycut. After 5 years and no upgrade or increase in pay he was forced to quit. He had a family to support. Needless to say, he highly discouraged me from pursuing a career. No professional pilot I talk to encourage getting into the profession. Yes it is a grim and sad fate, but as for me, I have come so far and I intend to finish up my training and see where things are. Of course I will keep my full-time job for now.

TTOCSMCC

Don't talk yourself out of it Pearl. Your 40ish friend may not have made the best choice by staying at that carrier for 5 years with no prospect of upgrading. It is common knowledge that the pay for FO's at the regionals is very poor, captains not so great either. There are other ways to go. On the freight side the prospects for a quick upgrade are better and potentially better pay even without upgrading. If my kid wanted to go for it I would entusiastically encourage him.

PearlPilot

TTOCSMCC, no I won't talk myself out of it. I completely understand his frustration, but my situation is different. I want to keep going. Flying is too much fun to give up. I am sure the economy will bounce back. Next step is commercial for me.

speed550

I'm not a pilot, but I will say that all career paths have their cons.

Remember, that only 50% of students will graduate from college, the other 50% drop out and change majors. Of the few that graduate, only a fraction will work in their course of study. Most people get jobs simply for having a college degree. I know computer science majors that sell cars, and I also know physical therapy majors that fix cell phones.

When I started college, I started off as a Liberal Arts major, then Business Administration, then finally Civil Engineering. I recently graduated with my bachelor’s degree, and I’m almost 30 years old!!!

I don’t think a career in aviation is that bad. In construction and civil engineering discrimination and sexism is rampant. When I worked at the DOT, I heard the “N” word about 40 times a day!!! An entry level position can pay as little as $12 an hour. Not to mention that you have to use your own car (sometimes off road) on a daily basis.

And, AND, an Engineer’s License is only valid in the state it was issued. So if I got an Engineer’s License in New York, I can’t stamp anything from PA or CT??!?!? Pilot’s Licenses are national!

So if you look at the big picture a pilot career isn’t that bad.

P.S., hot girls love pilots!

rickair7777

I've worked in military, industry, GA and airlines. Aviation has a lot of unique issues.

$12/hour for an entry-level engineer? OK, I could believe that for a government job but that's probably either an internship or probation pay. Compared to aviation, a civil engineer:

- Get's paid all of the hours he works. Junior pilots get paid maybe half, and often qualify for food stamps.
- Has stable, probably lifetime, employment.
- Has predictable hours, may not travel, and spends most nights at home.
- Has all kinds of government benefits, including a pension.
- Can quickly achieve a salary around $70K (civil and mechanical engineers are the lowest paid engineers).
- Can go into management to make more (pilots can too, but the opportunities are very rare compared to the number of pilots).

A senior pilot at the best airlines can do much better, but odds are very high against ever getting there.

The construction industry is rough around the edges, no doubt about that. The airlines, as well as most government and white-collar professional jobs will provide a nicer work environment.

erictgill

Also as pilots get older many health issues can jeopardise their Class I flight physical. Imagine working your way to the Capt seat and building hours only to find your aviation career is grounded due to a health issue.