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How to become an airline pilot

Old 02-27-2011, 07:05 AM
  #11  
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Originally Posted by TonyWilliams View Post
There are numerous threads on the subject. Airline pilot is one of the "glamor jobs" that people want to be. Actor, singer, pro ball player, pilot, maybe doctor / lawyer, president.

Like all high demand things, it's likely that few who want will ultimately succeed.

How old are you? Can you pass a 1st Class FAA medical ? Without the medical, you can't make it to first base.
Originally Posted by Ottopilot View Post
Except all the other glamor jobs listed pay good. Being a pilot does not!
I know that you are aware that there are many, many, many actors (actresses), ball players, and lawyers to be sure that are NOT making big bucks. When you say that they all pay good then you are targeting the upper echelon of those jobs, and the same for pilots can be said if comparing the top tiers of each.

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Old 02-27-2011, 08:25 AM
  #12  
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Default Upper echelon

Originally Posted by USMCFLYR View Post
I know that you are aware that there are many, many, many actors (actresses), ball players, and lawyers to be sure that are NOT making big bucks. When you say that they all pay good then you are targeting the upper echelon of those jobs, and the same for pilots can be said if comparing the top tiers of each.

USMCFLYR

It is true that there are plenty of marginally employed people as actors and lawyers however when they do make it big it is usually to a life of significant income and control.

As pilots we sacrifice and struggle for years in hopes of one day besting the return that a mailman gets. I doubt that most minor league baseball players dreamed of 18K per year and a life of crummy hotels. Neither do most pilots.

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Old 02-27-2011, 09:13 AM
  #13  
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"It is true that there are plenty of marginally employed people as actors and lawyers however when they do make it big it is usually to a life of significant income and control."

Skyhigh- The pilots just STARTING can make 18K and have all the crummy hotels they want! And all they have to do is fly which is what they want to do. If they wanted lots of $ and to sleep in their own bed every night and decided that they were going to accomplish this through being a pilot they're a moron.

I can not speak for actors, but I can speak for musicians. Musicians can be 20 years into a career and not be making 18K. Pilots who are 20 years into a career will be making 18K as long as they can find a job. Once they do find a job, they can be assured that they will keep it until they get furloughed or laid off which won't happen for at least a few months. Maybe never! Musicians get hired to play a gig, and once that gig is over they are instantly unemployed again and need to find their next job.

Jazz musicians do alright, because there are alot of opportunities for work and they play using improvisation so there isn't much rehearsing needed unlike cover bands who spend 7 hours reharsing for one nights set list. Most musicians/singers want to play pop music or rock and can not make a living just singing or playing music, they need to do related things like teach music lessons or open up a music retail store in order to earn top dollar (which isn't much). Pilots who instruct are the low-income level of aviation, musicians who instruct are the minority or musicians who actually have a steady income.

I spent all of high school and the early years of college in bands playing music. I even spent a summer @ Berklee college of music. I wanted to make it big in a band and spend my life in a different city every night traveling and playing music for enough $ to not starve. After a while I found that I enjoyed playing music, but if I pursued it professionally I'd end up in a retail store teaching music lessons/babysitting fifth graders so I could make enough $ to buy a car which could get me back and forth between gigs and my parents basement. If I wanted to travel and see the world and be able to support myself doing it, there was a better career out there for me. Thats why I post on this forum now.

Back on topic to the original poster and everyone else- If you want to be an airline pilot, it is a "glamour job." All glamour jobs are tough to make a living doing, but pilots actually stand a good shot at finding steady employment/enough money to support themselves (not neccessarily a family). If you want be an "Airline pilot" there are a lot of things that will determine your success that are beyond your control. If you simply want to make a living flying, and are not picky about how you do that, you will probably find success. Get your ratings, get an education, network like crazy, be persistant, keep a good attitude, and eventually things will work out for you.
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Old 02-27-2011, 10:27 AM
  #14  
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Originally Posted by SkyHigh View Post
It is true that there are plenty of marginally employed people as actors and lawyers however when they do make it big it is usually to a life of significant income and control.

As pilots we sacrifice and struggle for years in hopes of one day besting the return that a mailman gets. I doubt that most minor league baseball players dreamed of 18K per year and a life of crummy hotels. Neither do most pilots.

Skyhigh
Plenty of those AA baseball players, who are living as terrible (or worse) of lives than the lower tier pilots, dream of hitting the big time just as much as some starry eyed, SJS kid, who wants to be a 777 captain someday.

I see the mailman has become you favorite go-to occupation again

Nop doubt either dream of it Skyhigh - who ever said they didn't?
Fact is that both dream of greater goals.

You think that being a pilot is the worse career in the world.
I, and many others, think there are plenty to go around.

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Old 02-27-2011, 11:56 PM
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Originally Posted by SkyHigh View Post
It is true that there are plenty of marginally employed people as actors and lawyers however when they do make it big it is usually to a life of significant income and control.

As pilots we sacrifice and struggle for years in hopes of one day besting the return that a mailman gets. I doubt that most minor league baseball players dreamed of 18K per year and a life of crummy hotels. Neither do most pilots.

Skyhigh
18K a year! thats 18,000 more a year than im making now. I can't wait to one day become a regional airline pilot!
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Old 02-28-2011, 12:13 AM
  #16  
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I have a question. Say one were to have a very good "second income". Good enough to were the income generated from being a professional pilot would not matter as much.

If my passion is becoming a professional pilot, would it still be fun. It seems like crappy pay/compensation is what takes the fun away for most of you, and I bet it would for me as well if I didn't have that second source of income. (I'm single at the moment.)

The other problem I foresee would be the "pilot" lifestyle, but I think it's more of an individual problem that tends to depend on the person.

I guess what I'm asking is: Does flying "professionally" get old?
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Old 02-28-2011, 03:46 AM
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18.000 per year for minor league baseball? Not anymore. I've had two cousins over the years who were drafted by the major leagues and both received very large signing bonuses. Maybe the $18,000 is just the salary along with the bonus?
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Old 02-28-2011, 06:28 AM
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Originally Posted by Assassin View Post
I have a question. Say one were to have a very good "second income". Good enough to were the income generated from being a professional pilot would not matter as much.

If my passion is becoming a professional pilot, would it still be fun. It seems like crappy pay/compensation is what takes the fun away for most of you, and I bet it would for me as well if I didn't have that second source of income. (I'm single at the moment.)

The other problem I foresee would be the "pilot" lifestyle, but I think it's more of an individual problem that tends to depend on the person.

I guess what I'm asking is: Does flying "professionally" get old?
Most would say that flying for the airlines especially gets old and fast. After that it is just a job and one that often dose not pay all that well.

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Old 02-28-2011, 06:25 PM
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Assasin, from what I've seen on these boards and the professionals i've talked to (i'm not yet one myself) it seems like the family oriented guys get real tired of the job and lifestyle.

They don't have enough money to support a family. They aren't home enough to be part of a family. They aren't enjoying life.

If your single... You would have enough money to support yourself. You wouldn't have anyone complaining that you are never home. You would probably find yourself in the best job possible for a single guy who likes to travel and doesn't find being in an airplane stressful.
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Old 02-28-2011, 06:31 PM
  #20  
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Originally Posted by TheReelDeel33 View Post
Assasin, from what I've seen on these boards and the professionals i've talked to (i'm not yet one myself) it seems like the family oriented guys get real tired of the job and lifestyle.

They don't have enough money to support a family. They aren't home enough to be part of a family. They aren't enjoying life.

If your single... You would have enough money to support yourself. You wouldn't have anyone complaining that you are never home. You would probably find yourself in the best job possible for a single guy who likes to travel and doesn't find being in an airplane stressful.
The ReelDeel -

That is certainly ONE segment of the population.
It is present in about every profession.
I'm willing to say that there are quite a few of the opposite kind too.

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