wrxpilot

I know that feeling and situation all too well...

BaronRouge380

Ok, thanks for the feedback!
But what do you know about me to simply write this: "You are too late to have a reasonable shot at the majors. In the attempt you are risking everything. Chances are high you will get stuck at a regional and quit in 5 years".
It will NOT stop me and since when an Engineering dedree and a career is not a good thing to apply at a major after accumulating the required hours? Are you referring to age? I was told it is not a factor in the US and 25 years flying would be enough for me!

GoPats

Don't read anything negative into it Baron. It's actually good insight.
Since you're probably in your late '30s (?) and just starting out in the regional path and the economy being what it is and...

The warning there is that you could very well be stuck at a regional job indefinitely and the quality of life is generally low. Maybe you won't be, hard to say.

Whatever you decide to do, the message is that you should prepare yourself, in all forms, for an airline career consisting of regional airline pay, benefits and schedule (and that's assuming that there're no job changes inbetween).

Good luck.

BaronRouge380

Thanks GoPats, I am going in with my eyes wide open and planning for the worst scenario. But I do not want to wake up 20 years from now kicking myself for not trying!
Plan B would be to go back to Engineering but I really have to give it a good try!
Now I would love to hear why people are leaving their flying career.

GoPats

Plenty of threads in this forum on that subject. I think you will find that:career prospects, schedule, salary and mgmt-employee relations are the most common denominators.

Those factors loom large once the initial thrill of flying a SAAB subsides.

I don't know which engineering discipline you happen to be in but, if I were you, I would make a good effort to keep your degree updated. It's cheap insurance.

Cubdriver

Sincerely glad you are happy but your story is an exception, best I can tell. And are you honestly getting close to a major any time soon?

Even if you are, I do not think many here would argue a post age-40 entry at a regional is a very solid career move. Only if you really don't need the money and have a secondary source of income.

wrxpilot

I doubt that I'm getting close to a major anytime soon (as in the next year or two), but five years from now? Yes, I think I will be.

As far as somebody that is post-40 making a career change, I never said anything about that. My post was made prior to any notification of age, and was directed towards your earlier comments about why somebody would leave engineering for aviation.

I earned my PPL when I was 27, and made the jump from engineering to full time CFI when I was 30. I'm currently 34 and have 2600 TT, ATP, and a type rating. I have no debt and have at least 6 months living expenses in savings. Unfortunately I'm just a regional FO, but I have previous experience in charter and corporate and would be just as happy to get back into that side of things if the airlines continue to stagnate (which I don't think they will).

One thing that I do see a lot of here is that people forget charter and corporate will typically pay off better in the short term than slogging it out in the airlines... However, I felt that I'm still young enough to take a chance on the airlines, and if nothing else at least I would walk away with a bunch of fantastic training and experience if I go back to charter/corporate.

embplt32

Okay - I will take a stab at this one.

Previous job - 121 PIC for a regional - 6 years

Crappy FO pay 21,000 per year
Crappy Reserve schedules
Abusive management
Base Closures
Seniority not honored
Stalemate contract negotiation courtesy of RLA
Unbelievable awful trips - 18 hour 4 days
Two leg commutes
Gone from home 20 days per month
Finishing Salary $63,000 per year

Think that's worth it. Go for it.

Pielut

Don't do it, you will regret it. I don't care how enthusiastic you are or how wide open your eyes are. This industry is continuing to change and it is not getting better. Look at the decline in pay and quality of life at the Major carriers, 40-60% paycuts, reduced benefits and QOL. Look at American, those guys are about to get completely screwed. Think you will make it to SWA for FDX?, join the other thousands of regional pilots that will never get there. Get your ratings, buy a plane and have fun. If that is not enough build time while employed and get on with a charter operation near were you live. I left because crappy schedules, really crappy pay and no real future.

Cubdriver

A need to "get it out of our system" and "go for our dream" and "not be denied" etc. are all valid concerns to be dealt with for sure. But I am convinced having read these boards the last 5 years that "running off to join the circus" is what going to a regional airline past age 30 mainly consists of. It is not the best way to deal with those feelings. Going for it only makes sense if finances are more or less irrelevant and/or you are under 30 when you get started in your airline quest. For the rest of us who have to live in the real world of late middle-age, we use our heads and deal with our feelings of wanting to be an airline pilot in other constructive ways. We teach, buy an airplane, read and write posts on APC, things like that. I assure you I could run off to almost any regional yet I never have knowing what I know about the subject. And I cannot speak for everyone, and maybe you should go. But it is about chance- there is an outcome we will like in this decision, and an outcome we will certainly not like. I am convinced the latter is the one with far greater chance. At the very least I would caution someone before giving up a viable career for an airline attempt to think about it for no less than 3-5 years.