USMCFLYR

Found this on the Yahoo home page today.

Featured Article - Free Stuff: Jobs with the Biggest Perks

Pharmaceutical Sales Rep and Airline Mechanic
We hear about those two on this forum sometimes.

USMCFLYR

proskuneho

After reading so many pros and cons to the pilot life, I am wondering if I should just go back to grad school full time instead of working on it part time. I took such a huge paycut to leave management and get a job flight instructing. I'm wondering if I made a bonehead move to "pursue my dream".

USMCFLYR

I'm at home during an family emergency and a lot of the family have come in. I have a 22 y/o nephew (one semester of college under his belt) who works manual labor laying artifical turf for a company and travels all over the US. He was saying today that he makes $52/hr. I showed my mother tonight where you would have to be on the regional airline schedule to be making that same money. She was amazed! One of those truly sad circumstances and a statement to the low cycle of the industry in present times.

USMCFLYR

proskuneho

So what would YOU do if you were in my shoes? I'm 34, two kids under 5, will crack 1000 total time this month, over 200 multi, over 900 PIC, over 600 dual given, an undergrad degree (ancient languages, more of an interest than a career), 10 years of management experience (5 running a flight school), a partially completed MBA, and a lot of student loans?
Should I go corporate since I probably cannot afford the regionals? Should I get a part-time job as an FBO line guy to help with networking? Most of my contacts from my management years are up in the Midwest - not where we want to be. Should I just go back to management? How about consulting? What would you do?
Maybe I should start a new thread since this is a tangent...

USMCFLYR

Proskuneho -

I'm the last person to ask. I have plan fraught with peril and no backup. I'm charging full steam ahead into the same uncertain world that you are debating joining.
I know this - I was one of those that said that I wanted to fly since I was very young. I thought military - and when that didn't work out I thought civilian (hence my getting 300 hrs of flight GA flight time and my rating except any kind of instructor (I wasn't ready for that)) - and then back in the military route again. I have that military background to fall back on and headhunters love my type - for all kinds of jobs; unfortunately that I have NO interest in them. When I hopefully switch careers I will take a huge paycut and I do it knowing what I am getting myself into. When I was showing my mother those pay scales tonight she asked the same question you see on here - why? I told her that it was the same reason that I gave her when I told her nearly 20 years ago that I was joining the Marines. She nodded her head and wished me luck.

What would I do in your situation? I would apply the Operational Risk Management (ORM) to my life just I teach all those eager 20 something year olds in a new class. I would say that you need to weigh the risks against the benefits and make the decision that you can live with for the rest of your life.

Can you make it? Maybe. Would you enjoy it? Most likely. Do you have the support of your family? Knowledge is key. This last one is much like the military lifestyle. In that I mean when young men/women are talking about joining the military and they have a young wife/husband at home - maybe a child - and then he/she is told that he/she is going away on a 7 month IA to Iraq and the wife/husband says "what do you mean you have to go away?" I ask them - what did you think could happen when your husband/wife joined? Your family needs to know what is possibly in store. For your career ambitions it could be the time away fom home and the pay. They certainly deserve a say in THEIR future.

What am I doing? Like I said - in 1 yr and 2 months I'm walking out the door and hoping for good fortune on my door step. I'm taking that chance because that is what I want and I've always known it.

One piece of advice that I do like on this forum is the one that says - if you are already entrenched in a good paying job with benefits and a future - why can't you fly for pleasure and not try to change careers so late in the game? Very valid point.....but not for me. Is it something for you to consider?

USMCFLYR

PS. After typing this I realized that I could probably get a job as team leader on my nephew's turf laying squad.

Ewfflyer

I still can't believe he gets $52/hr for that....the grass is greener!!!

Rnav

As a person who did leave a pretty good job making over $75,000 a yr to fly professionally I can say I'd do it again. Like everyone else who's wanted to fly since they were a kid I had to do it. With that being said, I did it and the flying was great and just recently left professional flying. Its the QOL and all the other stuff(low pay, bad schedule, crew schedule abuse, no major jobs, etc.) that make the job blow(at least at the regional level, I can't speak for 135 or the majors). If you have a family you care about, I'd wait until the economy pics up before dragging your family along for you to "chase the dream".

I think USMC's statement says it all and I agree. In this industry you just have to go balls out. Forget the money, QOL and instability or else you'll be thoroughly dissappointed. I realize for me personnally its just a job. Anytime someone tells you to be somewhere, at a specified time and to do a task thats called a job in my book. Now whether or not sitting behind a desk is worse than the above mentioned items is completely up to you as an individual. Good luck whatever your decision. In the end we are all pilots who love to fly.

Learflyer

you'll get there. Make alot of friends on your journey, and keep in touch with them all! I got my original frac job by knowing someone, was offered but turned down several others from friends of mine. Something 350.com or others can't attest to. Got my NJA interview from two friends. Hopefully they'll help me out on the next one.

proskuneho

Next one? Are you referring to Net Jets? I would probably consider Net Jets a destination company!

Learflyer

Nah. I was turned down by them. I meant my next INTERVIEW with NJA.