as a hobby, or as a career?
 

Reading around has somewhat scared me off from being a career pilot. It sounds like the pay sucks until you've been employed for years, and even then, it's a gamble whether or not the airline you're with will stay around - and it's hard if not impossible to start over from the bottom rung of another airline. I like having a roof over my head and knowing I'm probably going to still be employed this time next year.

I was so enthusastic about becoming a pilot, though. That more than anything motivated me to get the ball rolling on college. Then I find out it's better to NOT get a degree in aviation... When should I get flight training then? Post-college? During college? I wanted to get it through college because I could actually get financial aid that way - the flight school by me doesn't with with any fin. aid.

So now I'm wondering if I should just keep this passion as a hobby. But how expensive is it as a hobby? The jobs I can think of that would pay enough to support that hobby are things I'd rather chop my arm off than do, like doctor, lawyer, marketing something-or-other, etc. Even if I had one of those jobs, I'd spend the whole timing wishing the hours away to my next day off when I could take the airplane out.

I've considered talking with an academic advisor at college, but I don't know how knowledgeable they'd be of the aviation industry.

I'm hoping the negatives I'm hearing are a bit blown out of proportion or don't occur as often as it would seem. But I'm also afraid that's not the case...
It's a shame... I care more about flying than I ever did computer graphics, programming, 3d modelling.

There's things I like that don't pay money, so I don't try and make a career out of them.

Getting a loan to finance flight school is just dumb, IMHO. If you don't have a rich mommy/daddy or other relative who will grant you a bunch of money for this (they won't know that pilot careers aren't what they were 40 years ago), then get a job pumping gas at the airport to finance lessons.

The simple reality; there are too many pilots. Get a degree in something that will be a good backup if you do decide to fly for a living. Join the military after college and serve your country.

The first step in a flying career is go spend $100-ish and get your FAA first class medical. If you can't pass that, you were never going to be a professional pilot anyway.

I would say go for it 100%. Im in college right now pursuing a degree in something other than aviation. I plan to work and continue on with my ratings without taking a loan. You definitely dont want to be in the hole making instructor then regional pay for 10/12 years. Have a backup degree just in case your health goes to crap, among other reasons. Regarding finance, It is entirely possible by paying as you go, which is what I have done so far. If flying is what you want to do for a career, dont listen to anybody else and just do it. Just remember to enter the industry with your eyes wide open.

As a Hobby its great maybe even a little bit of charter work on the side but for a career it the worst. Don't fly airplanes for a living.

I'd listen to those who have been there, done that before I'd listen to someone who is still in training. Flight training is a blast...light airplanes are challenging enough to keep you interested but not too difficult to operate and you can have a lot of fun doing cross-countries, etc.

Real-world professional aviation is a different story, especially these days. It used to be worth the effort but they have pretty much removed the payoff for the younger folks, but left all of the dues-paying in place.

Ahh man, I hate to interject against someone who has been on these forums forever. But I must say, even though I personally have not been there, my dad is a CA at a legacy, my mom is a FA at a legacy, my two CFI's are CA's at legacies..it goes on and on. I constantly talk to them about the state of the industry. I have seen them go through hell and back, and your will life will be tough. As a child of airline parents, especially when both flew, it sucked. But it taught me a lot about managing time and appreciating family, and even after all that it still remains what I want to do. Everyone is different, but Rick is right. Flying is DEF not what it used to be, but if its in your blood (like it is mine) you have to do it.

I'm reminded of a guy I knew who was (at the time) a 14 year employee of UAL, flying the B744 as an FO. His dad was a retired UAL guy, also went out on the B747.

They had their own hangar on the field, with several planes in it. Seemed idyllic.

He hated it. Wanted to quit. Stay home. Planned on getting into real estate or mortgage financing, where the money was. Then his dad lost the UAL pension to bankruptcy.

I hope he didn't quit. I think we all know what happened in the real estate biz. Not sure if the family still has the big hangar with all the toys, or not.

That's actually been my other concern - it seems like flying commercial aircraft would have an entirely different feel than flying the Cessna and other personal aircraft found at the local public airport.

Doing charter seems like a good option... I'd have the security and never-downhill (reasonably, anyway) advancement of a regular job, and I could still fly. I wonder how often I'd be able to do it, though.

Unfortunately, no one in my family is remotely close to rich, nor does anyone fly. Seems the more I ask, though, the more I find out some distant aunt is friends or neighbors or cousins with a pilot.

In the end man, take all the advice you can from these forums and any other resources you might learn of in the future. I too was discouraged at first by reading some of the threads here, and almost reconsidered my goals. But, if anything it made me think about how bad I want it. This forum is a first-class resource of information, but dont let some of it get you down. I know airline guys that want to get out, or wish they had gone into a different field. I also know some guys who wouldn't trade it for the world, and are doing great. From what I have seen, the guys who have a genuine passion for their career and who live within their means monetarily are the ones who make it out alive. Again, just my young amateur opinion.

Play or Pay?
 

Skywolf,

If you care about how and where you live or want to have a family one day then my advice would be to put aviation on the back burner. As you surmised it is very expensive and a long shot that you will have a stable career.

Employers abuse pilots and treat them like dirt because they can. Pilots today are slaves to their passion. Most of the jobs that pay well and that treat their workers with respect are no fun and that is the reality.

Find a real career. The kind that makes you want to chop your arm off and make a life for yourself. In the end you get what you pay for. Hopefully if you earn enough so that you will be able to buy a plane or go into aviation after you have paid off the house and sent the kids to college.

Our nation is going through the death of the industrial age. It is going to take much more than passion to make it to the middle class in the future. Airlines and factories are not going to recover the wages that they once had. If you want to be able to create the life that your parents had then it will take some pain as well.

Pilots play all day and go home to unpaid bills and an unsettling future.

Skyhigh