Money is inportant
 

Money is important. I am not a trust fund baby. My wife stays at home with our four children. She did not come from wealth. My efforts are the only thing that keeps food on the table and my family in a good situation. I spent nearly 20 years in pursuit of my aviation dream. Most of that was spent far below the poverty line.

As such I was unable to build the financial momentum that most others in fruitful professions enjoy. I know how badly pilots are hurt by accepting low wages. I am here to pass on that money is very important and that none of us can afford to waste our youth on a dead end.

So yes money is very important to me. It is hypocritical of you to suggest otherwise. As you have stated your spouse is the main breadwinner in your household. If she did not have such a good job or if you had to stay at home with small kids then we would not be having this conversation. You left flying to make a real living before. I can not understand how you could think otherwise.

I am not so naive to think that I can selfishly satisfy desires that are not going to bare a profit. My family needs me to make the responsible choice and to provide for them. Aviation is a hobby job. Maybe someday once my kids are grown and my retirement is secure I too can return.

Skyhigh

LOL. Mr Skyhigh, not only am I over 22, but I am not poor by any means. I am, however, smart, responsible, resourceful, and a very good planner. Yes, money is important, I never said it wasn't. It's just that making loads of it or not as much is not the key factor. It's what you do with what you have that counts.

Not a loner, and definitely not a hermit. Not poor at all. And very happy! ;)

Great
 

I am happy for you. :)

SkyHigh

You are not happy for anyone Sky. I dont think you can find ANYWHERE in my posts that I left aviation to make more money. I left because of many reasons.... crappy pay just happened to be the by product. Sitting RSV and commuting was the biggest reason...... I was at Eagle at the time and being SCREWED over by the mainline APA union guys was the second largest reason. So, please DO NOT put words in my mouth. Nor am I a trust fund person as you suggest.

Sky....really most of us get your point... we really do. Problem is you come across as this jaded, bitter guy who is really mad that his life didnt turn out the way he envisioned..... well join the train pal, neither did mine. Life's not fair and aviation certainly wasnt kind to you, it hasnt been kind to alot of people. You found another path in life, congratulations. EVERY job or career or profession is fraught with pros and cons. My problem with your line of bull is that you would have people that aviation is the only one that can cruel to those who choose it. Finally, as for my wife, while she is well employed at a company with good benefits, after 24 years in HER chosen profession she makes no more than a senior RJ Capt... and has a hell of a lot less time off than said senior RJ CA.

Take care sky.... go fly that 150.

Pretty much done with this career. 3 carriers, lots of time on reserve, no money, no retirement plan, absolutely no stability what so ever in this industry. 10 years flying. Furloughed....mortgage payment, car payment, cc bills and so on. Now what?
Entry-level pilots being payed less money than garbage collectors. Abuse by greedy management. Risk of losing medical. Risk of enforcement action. Time away from wife (when an emergency happens), time away from kids (missed that ballgame again), disrespectful F/A's, disrespectful gate agents. Incompetent TSA screeners (will he catch that bomb next time?). Furloughs, layoffs, displacements, downgrades, 10+ years to upgrade at a descent carrier (lucky you at UPS, FDX, Southwest or NJA). Current available flying jobs in the American-hating Middle-east, Communist China or filthy India: again, no retirement, abusive management, shiny new jets though and maybe some cash. Brits cursing Americans... Wanna go?
Why insist? What really makes us think things will get better? Take a good look around at our current world:
Al Qaeda wanting to screw things even more. Iran wanting to screw things even more. OPEC controlling the world's oil. Hugo Chaves threatning to cut supply every day. Radical Islam wanting to liquidate us (and infiltrating our society). Political correctness. Banks going bankrupt. Markets upside down. Foreign and internal debt highest in the world. Primary and secondary education among the worst in the western world. Wait until 2010 and beyond for recovery? For airline capacity to return to pre 9/11 levels....again? Naaa...
I've always been an optimist, but this time... I believe the country is on the verge of collapse. The current administration is incompetent and got their head up their butts. The candidates for presidents are mediocre at the best.
Trying to get a federal govenment job. Hopefully one that I will assist in kicking Bin Laden's and Radical Islam's @ss.
Good luck to all.

Great post! this ought to be a sticky. BTW, whoever posted the thing about the nurses/plumbers.........they make coin now! More than pilots!

amen... so now what?

Herc-wasn't that a fun time at EGL-I actually had a guy with a scope badge call me a scab because we didn't support their 5 minute strike. Thought about punching him in the face, but decided not to soil my knuckles.

How 'bout that contract huh?

God bless you bro-

For the new to the profession
 

Am not denigrating anyones opine, BUT, have met ALOT of pilots from my military/GA/commuter sans regional group of peers that absolutely made choices that ruined their career opportunities and often now leaves them bitter.
Examples:
1:When active duty in a decreasing civilian market: Did not personally mind working at a commuter since it was the current starting point (if lucky) as majors were starting to furlough. Result: Left military and instead of legacy, accepted commuter and moved to domicile of new job. Almost everyone of my military peers were surprised at my decision. They refused to accept a) the status change b) the 75% cut in pay (poor planning decision self induced) c) or the desire to live where they worked (which amuses me as being military you deploy and are usually assigned other than where we dreamed <g>. Conclusion, many of my former military peers sat out the commuter days, are now not flying and usually are wist full (sp due to filter <g>)of :"what could have been..." OR, got back in when things ramped up, but didn't have recency, had to start at the regionals anyway, and some remained as markets closed down again, or, are relatively very junior at the cargo/legacy, etc to peers that stuck with the business.

2: When arrived at commuter, found many accepted the low pay and compensated by being resourceful, however, many were reluctant to pack it up and explore new flying jobs for a variety of reasons, however, the Capts I flew with, often acted like the military peers. The majority somehow expected legacies to knock down their door to invite them over. The reality was they accepted their current job with a certain level of satsifaction/resignation/dissatifaction and were unable to break the inertia of the current status. i.e. Didn't want to re enter job market hunt because it is painful, did not want to move. Struck me that we aviators are very similiar regardless of background <g>. Same essential reasons to not attempt diligently a better job. It was that they believed they were owed something more.
Have met a few mom and pop successful plumbers, electricians, HVAC, developers, etc and the truly successful ones always struck me that they did not feel owed anything, and were willing to move, etc to where the most success might be possible. Yes, many are compensated better than a regional F/O, etc.
So to the ones that flying doesn't work out, that is the breaks. I was lucky, but also made the most opportunities present themselves by financially being ready, willingness to move, willingness to stay in the market when it is easier to sit back and catch a breath, and willingness to look at all professional, honorable flying opportunities. Took the detours believed by many that they themselves were not willing to sacrifice and make. Fortunately, had a supportive wife. Many did not and that influenced their decision that in retrospect cost them the flying career. It is a tough profession with many difficult decisions to be made but it is no easier in so very many non flying careers that have the opportunity to be financially rewarding. No gauarantees even if you do everything right (just like any entrepeneur (my philosophical position is that pilot profession is entrepenurial) We are different than doctors and lawyers in that respect because they have very established lanes into their profession.
Ours is very open to a variety of lanes.

Best to all, again, this post is aimed at the new entrant to this profession for reflection and perspective.

Point.
 

I am not angry at life. Life is fine. I believe that aviation has lost a significant amount of value that makes it a justifiable profession. It is false advertising to let new career entrants assume that they will be able to earn back the price of entry.

Everyone knows that choosing music is a risky profession. If it cost 150K to learn how to play the guitar then there would be a lot fewer rock bands. If you had to survive solely on what flying provided then we wouldn't be having this conversation either.

Income is important. Wages determine how well you will live and what opportunities you and your family will have. Fun is fun but it is my position that most average people, without a trust fund to burn through, choose aviation in part because they expect to earn their money back with interest. When you add college to the cost of flight training in my home town the total comes close to the price of a new starter house.

It is false advertising not to disclose your situation fully. Your job is being supported by outside income. You are past having to raise small children. You do not have the same needs and requirements as someone who is evaluating this profession as a breadwinner. Aviation anymore is a hobby job. It does not have the ability to provide adequately for the needs of the average family and can not earn back the investment it takes to get there.

I hope to fly my 150 today. :)

SKyHigh