Originally Posted by PearlPilot

As a CFI I run into many pilots from current, former, furloughed, wannabees, dreamers, etc. Being a pilot has always been a sort of dream for me, that after becoming a CFI I felt that I achieved my goal of getting paid to fly and that "Dream" quickly turned into a job. Yes I enjoy flying very much, and I love the challenges of being a CFI. It is also a great feeling to sit in a 172 and look up at the night sky and the bright lights below. I can go on and on about the magic and the beauty of flight. I would be lying if I said that I haven't at all felt discouraged, bitter, and sad about the "industry." The more time I spend at the airport and among pilots I hear phrases like "the industry is always changing, always have a backup plan, aviation is never certain etc." Although these statements are absolutely true, it does little for a person like me to be hyped about aviation. I was more hyped about aviation before I got into training. After becoming a CFI my interest level in aviation has substantially gone down. I never thought it would happen. The industry being so bad, and the amount of furloughed and unhappy pilots, and hanging around much negativity has certainly put a dark cloud on me. I was badly in need of a motivation factor. I needed something to keep going. I still want to give this a shot, I am far from giving it up. The dream is still very much alive thanks to a simple thought. I love the beach, the sun, and the "island." So I am hyped now and have made my goal to someday work for Hawaiian Airlines. The thought of working at Hawaiian makes me happy and makes me want to work hard as a CFI, work for a regional for a few years and then apply for this major airline. I am now back to being a dreamer. I know it sounds a little silly. I may never even get a shot at Hawaiian, but I think aviation in itself is a dream because flying is extraordinary. Hence to stay motivated and to remain hyped about aviation, my goal is to set a very high standard. Am I way off track here? How do you stay motivated? I do apologize for all those who have been furloughed and if I in any way hurt your feelings. That is not at all my intention. I am simply stating that we need to find ways to keep future pilots excited about flying as it is and can be a very rewarding career...

Originally Posted by Fourpaw

It sounds like you and I are in very similar boats. I'm a CFI/II and have been going at it for almost 2 years now. I even just got my MEI last week, paid for by the company I work for. Things used to be exciting, and I guess they are when I'm busy...I'm not sure about your neck of the woods but I'll be either insane busy or so slow I'm wondering if all of Aviation is coming to a halt.

It is definitely different from any job that I have ever done before. How many jobs can you work 80 a month and be living a pretty comfortable life?

I myself just started applying to the airlines. I'm married and have two kids. We are far from family because I took this job. I'm thinking the airlines could bring us back home even though the first year would be a pretty big pay cut. I'm not sure what the going preferred minimums are nowadays but I'm sitting at 1200/130. Now that I have my MEI, my multi-time is going to skyrocket.

Hope you get your passion back. I'm definitely working on mine myself.