Why the profession stinks
 

I miss flying a lot. But during these last years away from aviation, many things have become clear. First of all, trying to fly for the airlines today is a waste of time. No matter how talented or smart you are your life and success depends way to heavily on other people that are fickle, selfish, and greedy. Recently I met a young female flight instructor who's hair was literally falling out, i suspect from the stress of the lifestyle. I look at the stress and aggravation that people put themselves through on the fast track to nowhere and I feel sorry for them( yes I was guilty of doing this too, at the expense of friendships and time wasted). I am a success despite the fact that I never got the atp or made jet captain. I am a success despite the fact that I never got through the plate glass wall to the better flying job, along with many others. I will never fly again unless it is for GOOD PEOPLE that I KNOW AND TRUST. My days of trying to play some gimmicky, smoke and mirrors system are over. Leaving too much of our livelihood in the hands of perfect strangers is what you do if you take the "traditional route" to a flying job. Unless I meet the right people to fly for it is ADIOS forever to flying.

[EDIT: remove religion]

That is the beauty of freedom.

Those of that are better off because of our jobs choose to stay.

Those who are worse off because of of their jobs can choose to leave.

Good luck in your new path Skidoomike.

put simply, the lifestyle and investment to get there is not worth 80K/yr when amortized for time taken to get there and periods of unemployment. 200K/yr, of course, 120K/yr maybe...80K and below? forget it.

Alas, most people in it consider a 50K/yr proposition a worthy opportunity cost. They are the price setters, you can't single handedly change that dynamic.

As to the regionals, even if I had no reservation about them I couldnt afford to work for that little. Time is our most precious commodity. It's not even about the money. I simply have no time to waste on that fickle one trick pony of a 'career'. Flying is characterized by becoming carbon copies of your coworkers. There's simply no way to differentiate your product from another pilot. As long as the ILS is not crappy enough to kill anybody, your center-center ILS won't get you extra cookies.

That and a lack of lateral career options and income retainability are killers to the pilot pool as a labor force. Further combine that with a cultural notion that flying is 'neat-o' as an activity with which to spend your 9-5, and you have no vocational leverage. Most pilots are also sorely pigeonholed as a labor force in terms of ability to market themselves outside of aviation. They're literally like Ricky Bobby in Talladega Nights: "what..do..i...do...with..my.hands...".

To each their own of course. Time with family and time to self-actualize, that's all that matters to me. I seriously doubt 121 compensation is coming back to what it was. The gig is over. Its another bus driver job now. People can still be professional doing it, no doubt, but it's a get paid with smiles job now, meh. If I have to wait 'til my dying bed to get my dream job in terms of QOL and compensation, it's NOT a dream job! Kudos to those who find the trade of QOL, compensation, retirement [or lack thereof], and non-economic valuations suitable to their lives. I truly believe it's not for everybody. Do what makes you happy and change to re-attain it when it no longer fulfills you.

Good luck to you.

Skidoo, I think you'll find the points you make are not the sole domain of the aviation profession.

I've never understood the point of this forum section. If you hate flying, or even if you've just found something better suited for a career, why not just go away? Why the coming back here, years after you leave the "proffesion" (sic), just to vent how bad it sucks?

This section would be better suited to "hey - I used to fly like you guys, but here's what I'm doing now. It's an easy transition, and you can do it too if you get burned out on your career."

Some are trying to be helpful to young career-seekers.
Some think that they see what other pilots cannot see.
Some seek emotional support for a decision they now question.
Some cannot let go of their bitterness at fate.
Some just want to stir the pot.

Those who trumpet the profession also have a variety of motives.
The same thing would happen on a forum about any other career.

And some miss flying so bad.

Good points, Tom. You had a good career (I hope). Timing is everything.

This job has its rough patches, but I usually just remember the good stuff. Mostly away from the gate on a quiet, smooth night with good copilots. And we both know it's nice to sometimes just take it all in without speaking a word.

I still enjoy what I do, but if the wheels come off someday, I hope that I wouldn't ever look back with any regrets.