Do what you love?
 

Old men sometimes say to "do what you love". I don't think that they really mean to give yourself permission to go crazy. What it means to "love what you do".

The flashy and fancy sounding jobs usually come at a high personal price. Most people have many sides interests and abilities to them. Aviation is usually just one facet. People do not become accountants because they dreamed about it as a kid. They do it because they are good at it and it usually pays well.

It is better to love what you do and to choose a career that will love you back as well.


Skyhgih

Good point.

The problem is usually that if one has a job outside of flying, he cannot afford to fly. If one flies for a living, he doesn't have money for much else until he has spent so much of his life already.

Yes
 

Yes that is the dilemma alright. If you want to fully experience aviation from FL420 on down then you either have to be rich or sell your life away to aviation.

If I could have the opportunity to do it over again I would force myself to turn my back on such a perilous endeavor and develop a passion for something else that is more healthy and offers a better return.

Skyhigh

Well Sky - if you're back to making such sweeping general statements again then I'll just disagree. I spend nearly everyday with people who enjoy aviation from below Fl420 (most of the time) and have not sold their life away. Every one of those people are very healthy too btw.

USMCFLYR

For example? What if you had 940 tt, 185 multi, zero 121 experience, a four year degree, ten years of management experience (5 years managing at a national flight school), an MBA in progress, a wife, 2 kids under 5 years old, and a serious case of the flying bug?

You could be a plumber or you could get a job as police officer in Tacoma, WA. Those are Sky's favorites. My favorite is pharmasuitical sales. Any degree will do and the potential is there for a high income. Ask TonyM, he's the expert is the medical field here at "leaving the career".

Personally, if I had it to do over, I'd change very little. But getting into the biz mid-career and expecting it to pay better than your last job right away probably isn't gonna happen. You need to get into flying because you love flying and are willing to make the sacrifice to pursue it. It's not for everybody. Best wishes as you figure out which way to go....

So the question remains - how can such a person afford to do what he loves? Would I be better off going down the 135 or corporate road? I'll probably have 135 PIC mins in just a couple of months. Then I might be eligible for a 135 or corporate FO. If I did that for 5-10 years, would I be able to go to a major without going to a regional first?

Same Boat
 

I was in nearly the exact same boat. I was 36 years old with a wife 2 kids and one on the way when I was laid off from my 757 gig. It became obvious that my aviation path was leading into mediocrity. I suppose that most minor league baseball players reach a point when they know that the big time is not in the cards for them. They can either continue to play for the minors or try to find their place in the sun somewhere else.

After a year of searching for another flying job while building houses and investing in real estate it became obvious that I had found a much easier life. I made more money and had control over my life again. My wife and kids were happier and more secure. So I turned my back on my dead end dream and kept working my business. Today our lives are hugely better and most of the airlines that I was applying to are gone now.

Today I get calls from my buddy's who are still in aviation asking for tips on how they can get out too. I own a Cessna 150 and hugely enjoy flying it. Perhaps one day after my kids are older I might try to return however with time I am finding new things to enjoy and new ways to satisfy my aviation bug.

Skyhigh

"would I be able to go to a major without going to a regional first?"

Maybe. It all depends on the situation at the time. I never worked for a regional. UPS tends to hire from a variety of backgrounds, to include regional. Yet, if there is no hiring, it really makes no difference. You can't predict 10 years down the road. If you'd like me to back up 10 years, I could say that you could get hired at a major with 135 or corporate pic jet time. But there are no guarantees in this biz and no way to know the future.

Personally, I think when/if the economy turns around and age 65 works itself out, there will be movement in the career. Sky will say it's not a job worth having. I think it is. It's really up to and your situation.

Future
 

It is difficult to tell what opportunities you might find in the future. A better question might be if you would even want a job at a major airline in 10 years.

My prediction is that wages at the majors will keep sliding down to a point where it will not seem palatable after so much effort. Especially with an MBA under your belt. Would you really want to start over in your mid-40's as a new hire at the majors? Low wages, furlough risk, loss of control over your life. You have a family to think about.

I have known it to be true that if someone has a strong alternative to aviation then sooner or later the hardships will insure that they will take it. Seems to me that you have family responsibilities and a pathway to better life already underway.

Skyhigh