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Looking for some advice

Old 01-09-2013, 03:13 AM
  #11  
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Originally Posted by Squawk87 View Post
What's your concerns other than the low salary? Can your wife support you financially for the first years?
Squawk87, I wish she could but unfortunately her income wouldn't be able to pay for the house and all our bills! Perhaps later down the road she could, but not right now ...
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Old 01-09-2013, 03:42 AM
  #12  
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Originally Posted by smores View Post
JamesNoBrakes, you are exactly right! Personally, I just love being able to fly when I want and to have control of the cockpit. You made a good point though because I don't necessarily NEED to be an "airline pilot". I guess it is somewhat assumed that all individual need to become airline pilots in order to support a family given the low salaries; which is probably the case if that is ALL your going to do.

I am definitely considering just gaining my PPL and Instrument just to go up and enjoy ... and still have a full time job elsewhere.
Can you imagine a better adventure than building and flying your own plane, like an RV-7 or something with some performance and capability? It's fairly economical (less than 100K vs. 400+K for similar performance with a new production aircraft)?

The best part about this is that if you choose the right career path, you can still be neck-deep in aviation and doing fun and interesting stuff. Maybe working in aviation insurance, aviation financing, aviation safety, aviation regulation, aviation and aerospace engineering, aviation and aerospace production, aviation and aerospace testing, aviation maintenance, etc. If not, you can STILL enjoy and be deep-in flying, on the weekends, getting type ratings for fun, instructing, advanced instruction, etc.
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Old 01-09-2013, 05:54 AM
  #13  
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Default Do what you love?

Flying, drinking, smoking and drugs are all fun but it does not mean that we should do them. Join a support group, resist the urge and in time those evil thoughts will fade.

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Old 01-09-2013, 06:06 AM
  #14  
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Default Cruel

The cruelest thing I have seen is when the lust for aviation abates too late leaving the afflicted alive, well, too old to make a change and having to deal with the realization that they have wasted their lives.

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Old 01-09-2013, 06:14 AM
  #15  
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The cruelest thing I have seen is when the lust for aviation abates too late leaving the afflicted alive, well, too old to make a change and having to deal with the realization that they have wasted their lives.
You must be speaking of yourself.

There are none so blind as those who shall not see, and none nearly so pathetic as those who blame that refusal to see on the industry or the world at large.
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Old 01-09-2013, 06:26 AM
  #16  
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Originally Posted by SkyHigh View Post
The cruelest thing I have seen is when the lust for aviation abates too late leaving the afflicted alive, well, too old to make a change and having to deal with the realization that they have wasted their lives.

Skyhigh
Skyhigh your problem is you never made it! I get tired of hearing your posts that are negative. I fly for a 121 operation upgraded in less than 2 years! Problem is people don't realize there are "other 121 ops" that are not pax ops! Oh and btw I was hired in 2010, how you like that Skyhigh?
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Old 01-09-2013, 06:34 AM
  #17  
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Default Making it is a relative term

Originally Posted by 51driver View Post
Skyhigh your problem is you never made it! I get tired of hearing your posts that are negative. I fly for a 121 operation upgraded in less than 2 years! Problem is people don't realize there are "other 121 ops" that are not pax ops! Oh and btw I was hired in 2010, how you like that Skyhigh?
I made it far enough. I could have continued on like my peers to enjoy more lay offs and furloughs. Plenty of my friends upgraded and were then laid off again. Several are onto their fifth job since 9-11. A true success story does not really exist anymore. The best we can hope for is that things will be good for a while.

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Old 01-09-2013, 06:37 AM
  #18  
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Originally Posted by JohnBurke View Post
You must be speaking of yourself.

There are none so blind as those who shall not see, and none nearly so pathetic as those who blame that refusal to see on the industry or the world at large.
John,

A sat to the right of plenty of old men who came to the realization long ago that they had wasted their lives. Not pretty. Some however are lucky enough to be able to perpetuate the self delusion.

I sincerely hope that everyone here is happy but wish to warn of the consequences.

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Old 01-09-2013, 06:59 AM
  #19  
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Default The good news

The good news is if you want to be in the left seat of a 737 you most likely can have it. In trade however aviation usually demands your wife, kids, home, friends, family, hobbies, health and financial security.

Imagine waking up from the trance in your late 50's with only a rusty old corvette and rented two bedroom apartment to show for you efforts as an airline pilot. It happens all the time.

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Old 01-09-2013, 07:03 AM
  #20  
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Default Success and happiness

Pilots often are happy when they go to work. The key however is to be happy to be going home. Build a life not a career. Resit the urge.

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