As others here have shown, there are a lot more issues involved in this decision than what you can put up on a message board. Your wife has to be completely involved in whatever decision you make in this regard since she will be the one who will have to deal with you being gone 4-5 days/wk all while raising a kid by herself. In that regard, this decision needs to be made between you and your wife.

If you do make the leap, definitely get back instrument proficient (current and proficient are two different things)...especially if there is a sim portion to the interview. I would also make sure to review the systems of the multi that you flew, and possibly even go up for a few hours again with an instructor. You might study the instrument regs and oral guide, too, just to refresh your mind.

 

wifes a social worker so not the greatest stable income. Everybody has been talking about crappy wages which I know they are. However, that is in the short term. I guess I'm thinking long term. It's probably safe to say that in 10years a new hire could be making 70-80 plus...and in 15 who knows. My struggle is that if I keep working the job I have now that I won't be able to do for a long time I'd probably end up with jumping ships a couple of times and making lateral moves just to keep myself sane. With aviation, correct me if I'm wrong, everything sucks in the beginning but sooner or later you have paid enough dues and it's not that bad of a gig. Granted, the pay scale has come down, but I figure even if I'm making around six figures when I'm 45, have a job that I like, and hopefully enough senority where you can bid a little better schedule...that's not too bad of a gig. On a side note, my wife is supportive of me and my dream, but scared about money and standard of living.

 

I guess this post is more to talk myself into taking a huge paycut sometime soon. I feel I will be in a position where I need to ask myself these questions a few years from now.

Do you really need to live in a $1200/month house?
Do you really nedd ALL the premium cable channels?
Do you really need to eat out everyday for lunch?
Do you really need a car payment or just something to get you around?
Do you really need all the latest and greatest cool gadgets?
Do you really need to live in a high cost of living area?
Besides friends and family, what keeps you in the area you are in?
Do I really need to stay married? (oh, wait.. I am single)

People making less money that you do, do just fine in certain places. I would never make it in places like D.C or SFO where the cost of living are high. But, I would be king in a small town in the middle of nowhere.

aviatorman2008, it sounds like your wife would have issues with taking a paycut. I don't envy you and your decision. But, good luck and keep us posted.

 

I'd kill for a $1200/month house!

 

Let's see.... baby anyday...Big Congrats on that! Hope its a boy!. Can you live, with a newborn on $17,000/yr. Why look at sh$tty paying rj jobs? No one here seems to look a government flying jobs. Not saying military (it is the best way to go), but there are tons of flying jobs with the fed govern. Customs, FBI, US Marshalls, etc. Check it out. My .03 cts.

Good Luck!

 

it's a girl!! we peeked at a dr's appointment. Maybe I'll have to consider military or even the corporate route.

 

My advice to you is that with the baby coming soon, you should think hard about quitting a well paying job. I have a friend whose wife just had a baby, and he switched from a well paying job to a regional job and he is having a hard time right now and regretting his decision.

You have to ask yourself, can you support your family on what you will make as a regional FO. Depends on where you wind up, you can plan on anywhere between $25,000 to $27,000 your first year, and this is if you get hired at one of the better ones.

Another thing you should think about is that in the airline world, you are not really hired until you finish your checkride and complete your IOE. I've seen a number of people not make it through either sim checkride or the IOE. Something to think about before quitting your well paying job. Also, if you have not been flying for over year and a half, you are going to need at least 30 days or more of regular flying to get back in shape.

I recommend that before you make such a radical decision, try CFIing part time to ease back into flying and keep your well paying job until you have enough money saved up to support your family for at least couple of years on regional FO salary. Right now with the merger frenzy going on between major airlines, and the skyrocketing fuel prices, things are very uncertain. Many airline analysts are predicting a major reduction of smaller RJs and demise of some regionals.

 

Thanks....that's a great point that I didn't even think about...washing out. I'd like to think I wouldn't but sure everybody says that and the realty is that it can happen and I'd be up the creek without a paddle.

 

Ha ha ha. I looked at the bid pack and saw that today and thought "some guys junior to me are going to be happy"....LOL! Barring any complications, I will probably be back in June sometime so I am hoping to be able to bid for
08-04 but I don't know if they will let me.

 

If you want a stable life and a happy wife def. don't go into corp. aviation, unless its a fractional. Take it from someone who supposedly has that great corp. flying job that this type of flying has no QOL. Im jumping ship to get with a regional right now. Don't get to caught up with all this money talk, for one thing money isn't everything+ your not going to be an FO making low wages forever anyway especially if you plan on staying at your first company for a while, the pay scale only goes up! Alot of people in this buisness think that they deserve the pay of brain surgeons, but its just not gonna happen. I know the argument is always "But we have____ # of lives in our hands", My rebutal to this is so do greyhound bus drivers, and there not making any where near what a regional 1st yr CA is. My Dad has been a fireman for almost 30yrs now, and risks his life all the time for people that he's never met, After 30 yrs and with working OT he makes about 80k p/yr, In my entire life I have never heard him complain about how much money he makes. I guess thats why I've never complained about the $$ I've made for the various flying jobs that I've had over the years, because I realize there are people out there doing alot more dangerous jobs with alot more resposibility making a whole lot less.
You, your wife n baby are going to be just fine while you make this career move. Are you going to have all the extras like you do now NO, but in a couple of years you will. Make the sacrafices now and the rewad later will be great, plus you'll have a job that you enjoy rather than hate. People who hate this job, probally have either never done anything else or are probally just miserable people to begin with. Good Luck!!!!!