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Leave this to be a Cop?

Old 09-27-2009, 09:11 AM
  #31  
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Originally Posted by flynpig View Post
Although the aircraft are faster, more complex and carry more prestige (to some) it is boring flying.

That is an incredibly broad generalization, similar to statements like "all road patrol does is work crashes and direct traffic." Sure, you can just do the bare minimum when flying the line (much like the guy on mids that goes and hides for most of his shift), but you can also become involved in collateral duties.


Every job has its challenges. Sometimes it's up to you to find them. I will digress that the biggest challenge for regional FOs is finances, though.
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Old 09-27-2009, 02:19 PM
  #32  
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Originally Posted by gsphuntr View Post
Alright, I've been an FO for over three years at one of the "preffered" regionals..........I guess my question is for any of you out there who have served for a large police department - Did you/ Do you enjoy it? Is it a fun, rewarding job? Would you leave this gutter of an airline world to pursue law enforcement?

I was a 22 year old Captain for a very small sched Part 135 commuter airline in 1976 ....... and by late 1977, I was a full time Depty Sheriff for a very large Sheriff's Dept in Southern California. There were a variety of reasons for the switch, but the most basic of them was that, at 22 years old and with 2000 hrs of flight time, I was just bored with "gear up, autopilot on"; I knew that airline flying just did not have enough of an adrenaline kick for me, and I couldn't see myself spending half my life away from home and sleeping in hotels, with a job that was, to me, basically, too boring to spend the next 38 years doing. So I "switched", and became a cop. I spent most of the first 20 years of my LE career working uniformed patrol, detective and undercover assignments, both as a Deputy and as a Sergeant, almost all of that time in "inner city/ghetto/high crime areas". To this day, I still miss the time I spent working uniformed patrol in the County territory near "Watts" in South Central Los Angeles in the early 1980's; that was the most fun I ever had with my clothes on, and, even to this day, the only job (or assignment) I ever had where I did not want to leave at the end of my shift, and could not wait to get back to, the next day. (I didn't want to miss anything; it was that fun and entertaining.). For the last almost 12 years, I have been flying helos and F/W at our Aviation Unit, which is also fun......... just not quite as much fun as working patrol in the "inner city". Add in decent pay (at least for the bigger West Coast Dept's); an excellent retirement; and home every nite, and it was, at least for me, a career change I have never ever regretted. And even before being assigned to our Dept's aviation unit, I still managed to remain involved professionally in aviation in a part-time capacity, with a variety of part-time jobs "on the side", from CFI to part-time contract pilot, in stuff like twin Cessnas and King Airs.

I guess the big reason for my switch was not necessarily pay issues, but the other "QOL" things, as well as my feeling that airline type flying is just too boring for my "Type A, Need A Lot of Adrenaline Kick Excitement" personality. Just keep in mind that a career in law enforcement is not for everyone. You have to have a somewhat ahh.... quirky (?) ... sick (?) personality, and a perverted sense of humor to make it through a 20 or 30 year career in LE. And you have to be willing and able to use physical force on another person, and even kill someone, if need be; if you can't do these things, then you will not last long in a LE career. Also always remember that you put yourself in harms way every day. I've been to a lot of law enforcement funerals in my 30+ years as a cop; it is a pretty sobering experience, especially when it was someone you knew or worked with at some point in your career. Feel free to PM me if you'd like more info.
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Old 09-29-2009, 09:51 AM
  #33  
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Just like any occupation, it is what you make it. I decided to leave law enforcement after 17 years. I got hired with a PD in a large metropolitan area at age 22, worked in swat, canine unit, training, task force, flew surveillance, and five years as patrol sergeant. I made close to 80K a year before overtime and the benefits were the best. I could have stayed in it for another 17 years but because of the politics, I started not enjoy it anymore. Handling the shootings, stabbings, rapes and robberies was the fun part. Its the second guessing, back stabbing and ass kissing that I got a little tired of.

I decided to leave the department, open a business and did well enough to pay off the house, cars and airplane that we now own. I started flying about the same time I became a cop and have owned a few different airplanes which I built about 1600 hours in.

I recently sold the business, put a chunk of cash in the bank and got all the ratings I need to make myself marketable as a pro-pilot which is what I've wanted to do since high school. Instead of getting my cfi ratings, I bought a twin comanche and after I built 200 multi hours in it, I sold it last week.

I'll admit, there were a lot of chances I took to get to where I'm at now but so far it seems to have worked out. I have an interview this week to fly FO in a beechjet400A for a law firm who wants the pilot to assist with investigations when not flying. The reason they are interested in me is not so much for my flying experience, but the combination with my law enforcement experience.

So, in my case having law enforcement and pilot experience is hopefully going to allow me to get paid spending time doing what I really love to do...Fly!

Last edited by jbravo65; 09-29-2009 at 10:12 AM.
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Old 09-29-2009, 01:13 PM
  #34  
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Originally Posted by jbravo65 View Post
...........Handling the shootings, stabbings, rapes and robberies was the fun part. Its the second guessing, back stabbing and ass kissing that I got a little tired of......

For those of you considering a switch to a law enforcement career, read and think about the above quote/excerpt by jbravo65. If you read that, and thought "wow, he thought handling the shootings, stabbings, rapes and robberies was the fun part...... what is he, nuts or something?" ..... then run, don't walk, away from police work as a choice of a career. You gotta have the kind of personality that will find handling those sorts of things fun, entertaining and exciting. If not, forget LE as a career. He is also right "on the money" with his other comment. I was just lucky to go 30+ years in assignments and working with people where the "second guessing, back stabbing and ass kissing" was sufficiently minimal, that, while still a pain in the ass, it was manageable and not bad enough to cause me to want to leave the Dept. But, I saw plenty of it, just was able to keep my distance from most of it. (One of the benefits of being on a BIG Dept!) And now, with 32 years on my present Dept and almost 35 years total as a cop, I am in a position to leave (retire) whenever I want to........ which will probably be in the not-too-distant future!!
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Old 09-29-2009, 06:15 PM
  #35  
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Public safety is a very hard road to go down and should not be taken lightly. You get mad because you don't get a full 8hrs rest now weight till you get to the side of keeping people safe. My father was a cop now a lawyer and told me to stay away at all cost. I did and became a firefighter instead. There both thankless jobs that can and will take your life. If not in the line then latter. Out of the guys that retired in the past 3 years i think it was 10 only 2 are still alive. We have a mandatory retirement age of 65. You are complaining about being a fo and only making 40k. Well that is pretty good and remember if you stick it out just like everyone else that came before you then a captain's spot you will get. I am getting sick of all this entailment stuff. If the jobs not for you then quit. However I don't think that you will be happy in LE. If you want more info about public safety then PM me and be more then glad to talk to you.
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Old 09-30-2009, 08:53 AM
  #36  
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Do what you feel is right for you. There are a lot of "knuckleheads" out there who think they have the answer for every one of life's questions. In the end, you are the only person who can look in the mirror and make the final judgement. Good luck.
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Old 10-09-2009, 12:23 PM
  #37  
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Originally Posted by brianb View Post
Do what you feel is right for you. There are a lot of "knuckleheads" out there who think they have the answer for every one of life's questions. In the end, you are the only person who can look in the mirror and make the final judgement. Good luck.
Exactly, Have a buddy who was ex USAir, got furloughed from the 737 and was hired by Customs, flies Citations, Blackhawks and a few other types, when recalled turned them down and stayed in law enforcement.
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Old 10-09-2009, 12:38 PM
  #38  
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Originally Posted by EYBusdriver View Post
Exactly, Have a buddy who was ex USAir, got furloughed from the 737 and was hired by Customs, flies Citations, Blackhawks and a few other types, when recalled turned them down and stayed in law enforcement.
I know someone who did the same thing. Left Delta (not furloughed) for CBP and isn't looking back. Flying Citations out of San Diego.

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Old 10-10-2009, 09:48 AM
  #39  
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Man o Man your not the only one. I think about it all the time. I can really see myself putting the flight case up sonner than later.
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Old 12-23-2019, 09:47 AM
  #40  
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This is funny that I found this thread. I have been a police officer for 8 years, and have been seriously contemplating changing my career to a pilot. I started my law enforcement career at 21 when I got out of college. From High School I always knew I wanted to do two things.... Be a cop and protect people, or fly. I took the ladder after college and went to the police academy. After 8 months I graduated and was hired as a sheriff's deputy. I was barely 21 and so excited. After 8 years in this line of work, I can tell you one thing. Stress is a joke. I have spent my time getting guns pulled on me, having split second decisions of shoot or don't shoot. I have worked fatal vehicle accidents of people ranging from every age, and guess who is the person who tells the next of kin??? That's you Mr. Cop... If you've never driven to someone's house and woken them up in the middle of the night to tell them you just worked their family members crash, shooting, any other kind of death, and to see the expression on their face.... That's horrible. Don't get me wrong, I love every minute of my job, but this job does take a toll that no one can understand until they have done it. That's why anyone that has been in this line of work considers each other brothers. All I'm saying is law enforcement may seem like a great job because they get paid ok, but I can tell you right now, it does not pay the amount it should for what you have to do, and I barely touched the tip of the iceberg. So make sure you are getting into law enforcement for the right reasons, and not just because the pay looks good, because as I've said, you will earn that pay, and learn to realize you deserve so much more...
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