SkyHigh

Looking back I never really cared for flying the big stuff much and I don't like the airlines either. I had the most fun flying in Alaska. My dream was that aviation would develop into just a paycheck for me but it is difficult to keep the dream alive when you make less than a guy who manages a compost pile at the dump.

Skyhigh

Stretch 8

SaltyDog -
Thanks. I liked the -8 so much, I passed up the -10 and 747. Both were junior to me. When they announced the retirement of the -8, I announced mine too! You shudda stayed on the best jet transport ever built.

johnso29

I think he wanted to, but he got forced off.

flynlion

Good paying groundhog jobs might be out there somewhere, but I haven't found them. I gave up flying almost a year ago and so far the best job I've seen is driving a roller coaster at the local amusement park for 7 bux an hour. I start next week.

flynavyj

I left my job at the airlines only a couple weeks ago (as you can tell from when i started this thread) I'm sure I'll have up's and down's as far as being away from the cockpit. I"ll have to find a way to fly in some capacity, whether it's with students, or just with myself has yet to be seen. Even if i get back into instructing, there's no way i'll be looking to do it full time, or with guys who are just hammering to get things done, the pace will be leisurely, get them the experience needed to get where they need to go, but not the "break your neck, 141, you need to finish tomorrow to get your stage check done" mentality.

As for me, the jump is very different. Went from the best view in the world to an office w/o windows, and a walled in cubicle. On the contrary, i've got my own phone line, can ride my motorcycle to work, make more $$, and am home sleeping in my bed every night. But everything is a trade.

bryris

Time will tell. I have gotten quite comfortable with this "at home" life and the thought of running about the country again doesn't appeal to me. However, I do sort of miss the flying, if I can be truthful. I am flying GA fairly often, which works well. And I am ramping up to purchase my own airplane in the not too distance future which might "change" the whole game - fly when I want, etc. But, I still entertain the idea of going back to a flying job - when there are some to be had.

But time will tell.

Some birds aren't meant to be caged. The only question is, what constitutes a cage?

flynlion

Bryris, what are you doing now that you have the time and money to fly some GA and maybe get your own plane? I need some ideas LoL

bryris

Well, my wife and I were fortunate to have made 'decent' combined money for four years or so before I resigned from the airline to go back to school. So, right now I am in school full time (more than full time, actually, took 17 credit hours in the spring, and am taking 10 in the summer) to finish my CPA. Accordingly, my income stream is very low right now - but my wife is making nearly enough to support us and the rest is coming out of accumulated savings and we are debt free (except the house). So, when the CPA is done, I'll easily be making enough money to buy an airplane - at least a 150, but ideally, I'd rather go with a Decathlon or something - but that will probably be down the road further.

One of my students right now has a C150 and in exchange for my teaching him, he gives me access to the airplane whenever I want to fly it, just for the cost of gas. So, its the next best thing to airplane ownership - some could argue its better. If something breaks, then HE pays for it, not me!

However, once he gets his license, unless we extend the agreement somehow, this opportunity will dry up and I'll need to find something else. I am not a big fan of dropping $80/hour to a flight school to rent their airplane. I'd rather spend $100/hr with my own airplane.

flynlion

Thanks for the reply byris

I'm in a similar situation in that at least I had a little coin saved up when I left the airline biz, but that won't last forever. All I ever wanted to do is fly, even my college degree is in Aeronautical Science. What I'd like is to find a ground job that I don't hate but still pays enough to let me rent a plane once in a while. Good luck with the CPA thing, I was never that good with numbers LoL.

cargo hopeful

Hey Bryris, I’m I the same position since I’m back in school for a second bachelor’s degree. I’ll finish in 18 months starting June 1st and also just like you; I still entertain the thought of applying to the regionals in around 3 or 4 years from now.

But do you think that it’s wise for us and other like us to spend all that time and money to go back to school, get another degree, just to turn right back around and head into aviation? Is that time and money well spent or not? That thought is always in the back of my mind. I just don’t know…