Notices
Leaving the Career Alternative careers for pilots

wwyd

Old 08-12-2008, 10:06 AM
  #11  
Gets Weekends Off
 
de727ups's Avatar
 
Joined APC: Nov 2005
Position: UPS 757/767 Capt ONT
Posts: 4,357
Default

"Do i give up the flying dream for a good reality?"

It's pretty easy to bash the career in this day and age. The career tends to swing with the economy and age 65 probably isn't helping. If you think you'd have a shot at 100K plus job down the road and you enjoy the flying, then I'd stick with it. If you feel like it will never be worth taking the chance or worth the sacrifice, then it's best to get out.

Congratz on having a solid plan B.
de727ups is offline  
Old 08-12-2008, 10:25 AM
  #12  
Gets Weekends Off
 
Joined APC: Jan 2008
Posts: 1,383
Default

Originally Posted by TimSmith View Post
$31K a year or $100K a year? Not many folks have the opportunity for a 320% pay raise. Next year you might make captain and a whopping $60K. Take the medical position, live like an airline FO, use the $69K extra you make the first year alone and buy an older V tail Bonanza or Bellanca Super Viking if you want to travel. If you want pure fun, try to find an older Pitts or an RV-6 or RV-4. You may have to save 6 more months for the Pitts. It's what I would do. Money=Freedom. Show me the money cause I love to be free.

whoa, whoa, whoa, you just told Skyhigh in another thread that leaving Horizon was a big mistake. Now your telling this guy to leave his place, and it wouldn't be a mistake?
Learflyer is offline  
Old 08-12-2008, 10:41 AM
  #13  
Gets Weekends Off
 
Joined APC: Apr 2006
Posts: 193
Default

Run, don't walk away from the airlines. You say you're not sure you want to give up the 'dream'. What kind of dream includes wal-mart wages, living out of a suitcase and spending half your nights in hotels, never ending instability, having to worry if any slight medical issue will end your career, missing out on half of your kids life, etc etc. This isn't a dream, it's a nightmare. Being a doc, you should know that to even have to question what to do in your situation warrants time in front of a shrink.

Go for it, don't look back. You'll thank yourself!
Nightsky is offline  
Old 08-12-2008, 11:44 AM
  #14  
Flying Farmer
 
Ewfflyer's Avatar
 
Joined APC: Jul 2006
Position: Turbo-props' and John Deere's
Posts: 3,160
Default

I guess it all depends on what kind of medicine you're doing......are you a proctologist?
Ewfflyer is offline  
Old 08-12-2008, 11:52 AM
  #15  
Gets Weekends Off
 
Joined APC: Jan 2008
Posts: 1,383
Default

You to good for butts, or somethin'?
Learflyer is offline  
Old 08-12-2008, 11:55 AM
  #16  
Gets Weekends Off
 
Joined APC: Jul 2007
Position: 744 CA
Posts: 4,772
Default

That sounds like my time in the military..... AND the airlines.... only I spent a year living in tents...

Originally Posted by Nightsky View Post
Run, don't walk away from the airlines. You say you're not sure you want to give up the 'dream'. What kind of dream includes wal-mart wages, living out of a suitcase and spending half your nights in hotels, never ending instability, having to worry if any slight medical issue will end your career, missing out on half of your kids life, etc etc. This isn't a dream, it's a nightmare. Being a doc, you should know that to even have to question what to do in your situation warrants time in front of a shrink.

Go for it, don't look back. You'll thank yourself!
HercDriver130 is offline  
Old 08-12-2008, 03:53 PM
  #17  
Gets Weekends Off
 
Joined APC: Jan 2008
Posts: 210
Default

Originally Posted by Learflyer View Post
whoa, whoa, whoa, you just told Skyhigh in another thread that leaving Horizon was a big mistake. Now your telling this guy to leave his place, and it wouldn't be a mistake?
Sky left because he continually skipped around and was very unhappy. Some people are just not cut out for the lifestyle. It's not all candy and nuts all the time. This fellow enjoys medicine so much he EARNED a medical degree. It sounds as though he will be equally happy at either job. That being the case, take the money. Law of compound interest...the difference in money in the next 10 years compounded at a measly 5% will ensure the flying profession will never make the career money his medical profession makes and that doesn't account for raises in his medical profession. If he is truly unhappy in the med job, then sticking it out in airplanes isn't a bad gig in my opinion, just has the potential to be a lot rougher ride. Some like me say "Ride her til she bucks ya." Been rough, but I ain't hit the dirt yet.

Good luck with your decision buffalo, turning down the freedom that comes with those financial numbers is a tough decision.
TimSmith is offline  
Old 09-08-2008, 02:14 PM
  #18  
Moderator
 
Joined APC: Oct 2006
Position: B757/767
Posts: 13,088
Default

Originally Posted by TimSmith View Post
$31K a year or $100K a year? Not many folks have the opportunity for a 320% pay raise. Next year you might make captain and a whopping $60K. Take the medical position, live like an airline FO, use the $69K extra you make the first year alone and buy an older V tail Bonanza or Bellanca Super Viking if you want to travel. If you want pure fun, try to find an older Pitts or an RV-6 or RV-4. You may have to save 6 more months for the Pitts. It's what I would do. Money=Freedom. Show me the money cause I love to be free.
You might want to rethink that statement. There have been MANY people with A LOT of money who have felt SO FREE they've KILLED themselves.

To the original poster, I wouldn't be happy if I left flying. Therefore, I would stay.
johnso29 is offline  
Old 09-08-2008, 02:20 PM
  #19  
Moderator
 
Joined APC: Oct 2006
Position: B757/767
Posts: 13,088
Default

Originally Posted by Nightsky View Post
Run, don't walk away from the airlines. You say you're not sure you want to give up the 'dream'. What kind of dream includes wal-mart wages, living out of a suitcase and spending half your nights in hotels, never ending instability, having to worry if any slight medical issue will end your career, missing out on half of your kids life, etc etc. This isn't a dream, it's a nightmare. Being a doc, you should know that to even have to question what to do in your situation warrants time in front of a shrink.

Go for it, don't look back. You'll thank yourself!

O.K. But what kind of dream provides endless meetings, e-mails, telephone conferences, being locked in a cubicle, not being able to save a persons life or fix their problem, telling someone they just lost of loved one, missing out on half of your kids life, etc. Just because it isn't flying doesn't mean it's any better. I've run into many people in non aviation careers who are just as busy(if not MORE busy) than I am. I even had one guy tell me he envied me because I got to leave my job behind when I was done flying. He had to work 70 hours a week, and that didn't include the emails he had to sort through when he got home. And doctors don't exactly work rosie hours. It's a good bet they work MORE than pilots.
johnso29 is offline  
Old 09-09-2008, 03:33 PM
  #20  
Line Holder
 
SeatMeat's Avatar
 
Joined APC: Apr 2008
Posts: 62
Default

Originally Posted by TimSmith View Post
Take the medical position, live like an airline FO, use the $69K extra you make the first year alone and buy an older V tail Bonanza or Bellanca Super Viking if you want to travel. .
V-Tail? Isn't that the plane they call "The Doctor Killer"?
SeatMeat is offline  

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are On
Pingbacks are On
Refbacks are On


Thread Tools
Search this Thread
Your Privacy Choices