LNL76

STILL scratch my head over why Skyhigh STILL feels the need to surface occasionally to spew advice on a career he left behind and "has no regrets over." Hmmmmm, methinks he's STILL hooked on some level.

Rnav

Careers are like marriages. Some work and some don't. Some people look back fondly at their flying career, some are bitter about it. If you remember why you got into flying in the first place I believe you can't be angry about how things turn out for the good or bad. You had fun while it lasted.

People that do make it to that dream flying gig are in a good place. They were willing to sacrifice and put the work in. And a little luck never hurts either. Like the title of the thread says, "I punched out and have NO regrets." That's how I feel about it. Just because my marriage(aka flying) didn't work out, doesn't mean other people can't find success. And good for them.

Sky you gotta let learn to let go bro... either that or get back in the saddle. Because I sense you've got unresolved issues about your professional flying career you need to figure out.

Blue Skys

Just read a bunch of posts here and I wanted to give my two-cents. I retired from UA two years ago. I flew both regionally and nationally for almost 30 years with no bent metal. For me, I would have never wanted to do any other job. In 30 years, I was through a lot. Furloughs, strikes, then too many hours and so on. But through it all, I am very proud that when someone asked me or even asks me now what I do or did for a living, I could say that I was an airline pilot.

I enjoyed watching all of the vacationers coming on-board and I could see the excitement on their faces. The little kids were very excited. The business people on the other hand were the rudest of all and very inconsiderate of the other passengers. Not all, but most of them were just thinking of themselves.

After landing and the folks were exiting the plane, I liked to stand at the front of the plane and thank the passengers for flying with us. It just gave me a really good feeling of accomplishment and that I got everyone to their destination safely.

So, if you are unhappy with your job as an airline pilot and a lot are, then yes, by all means, you should do something else. With having the degree that you have, getting another job should not be too difficult even in today's economy. But, I would bet that after you leave, you will still look up when you hear a jet flying over-head.

JohnBurke

Why are you so determined to be an apologist for your own abject failure at your career?

The price for living the dream is a salary you'll never touch, international travel, more time off than most could hope for, an opportunity to see sights and fly equipment that many will never enjoy, and complete job satisfaction. Can you say any of this about your "career?"

Waiting for left seat in a regional jet? Hardly. Was that the pinnacle of your aspirations, and you failed to achieve even that? How sad for you. No wonder you crawled away in tears, and return to cry here on a periodic basis. The number of years you claim to have tried and failed would leave a great deal of angst for many people; it's little wonder that you're so emotionally scarred and unable to let go.

Those of us who stuck with our careers have done quite well, and enjoy a quality of life to be envied, to say nothing of excellent job satisfaction. I look forward to going to work, and I enjoy coming home. You...come here to whine about the life you wish you'd had.

You're sort of a satan of the internet threads, aren't you? Your existence here is only for the reason of trying to drag others down to your comically inept level, and to share in your sorrow. If it weren't so melodramatic and wrong, one might be moved to feel some mote of sympathy, but you exhausted any such credit long ago. How can one feel sorrow for someone such as yourself who wouldn't lift a finger to elevate himself, yet carries on incessantly about his poor misfortune? Chance favors the prepared, mate. The onus was always on you for the preparation.

If you were unable to upgrade, unable to make it in the industry, then the industry can hardly be blamed. You never saw success in your career, so you can scarcely comment on what it's like to be successful as an aviator. You rabbit on about the low wages, the poor quality of life, and the sad state of the professional aviator, but you never progressed far enough to know anything at all about the quality of life for the dedicated pilot. It's really quite good.

Just not for you.

brianb

Yet another indictment of Sky's mental and professional downfall. Woulda, shoulda and coulda.

bugy

Long time did not come here ^^

I got out since nearly 2 years ago. And glad I did...I don't miss flying actually, I mean it was more a job for me than a absolutely need.

Few months ago actually I was ready to came back (after a burnout).
So I was in touch with the airline, and after some emails exchanges, well...what I learned ?
that they make FO to pay now ! In USA you're lucky you don't know that...that's why some still like this industry. But in the other part of the world this industry sucks a lot (in Asia especially and europe). PayTo Fly has become the cancer. And there is nothing legally to change it.

My airline did not make it pay at first. They even paid us during Line training.
Now FO have to pay LT and more (500h on type).
A LT is only 150h max.

So, of course they were not interested in me anymore.
Ok. No problem I told them the same. I was not interested to work in this kind of airline. It was a good reason to not regret it. I am a professionnal not a customer. What a pity they changed like this though ! But I'm not surprised...

so now, I'll be studying a professionnal degree (water supply and management) and get paid by my government. First time in my life I study and get paid lol. until now, I always paid anything for anything. It's nice to see in the other part of world, some institutions trust you and pay for your potential.

I feel happy too, to get something I can fall back on. Personnally it makes me feel peaceful. So I think I had to do it, just to feel no stress...
Until now I had only a high school diploma to enter at the university...but professionnally I had nothing more in case of problem (lose medical, furlough etc).

So my advices for young aspirant is the same : get a plan B!!
even if now I got the chance to study again, it was not easy of course....so it's better to get a plan B BEFORE the CPL IR.

Then I will see what life will bring me later. I learned something important in life. Nothing is steal. I mean Life is a constant movement.
I study now and maybe next year I will fly again or not, I really don't care. I live in the present moment.
As some comments above, I do see planes flying , but I don't miss it like before. I grew up. Yes personnally (and like many pilots actually) I was like a kid when I saw a plane anytime.
Now I just see it as a public transport, as a passenger, meaning that is normal.
Did I fly at the flying club ? not for one year...I don't feel I need to. But I will for sure, to keep my licence current at least !


About Skyhigh, I saw many people against him.

But I would like to add that a forums allow people to release a certain frustration.
Maybe skyhigh you should come here less ?

but it is the same for everybody posting here regularly, and I noticed there is not only skyhigh. Some have 500 to 1000 messages here lol. Get a life guys.

I just write this message today. But I will not come here to post again and again, because I don't need to.

Happy people don't use forums (or just sometimes).

Wish you good lucks guys. And if you're not happy in your career, don't hesitate to get out. Nowadays people have several jobs in their life, and there are tons of new things to discover. If you're not happy it's your fault.

CrimsonEclipse

Trying to save other people from his predicament.

Can't blame him.

Flyboyxc91

I get nobody has a crystal ball etc... However people need to know the risks of why they got into a regional cockpit from a career standpoint and what it entails. Indeed happiness is key though and if it's not happening then one must change the course.

JohnBurke

No, that's untrue.

There is blame to be had, and it's entirely his. His story over time reads like a bad dime store novel. It's not one of misfortune. It's not one of a person faced with insurmountable odds and a hostile industry. It's more like a story about Homer Simpson, burning himself over and over again then complaining each time that no one told him it was hot.

For someone who makes numerous wild, untrue claims (frequently debunked here, although he makes the same claims over and over as though repetition makes them true), the frequency of occurrence of what can only be described as abject, intentional ignorance is staggering.

He claims to come from a family of aviators, yet claims that nobody ever told him the truth. He claims that he was lead down the primrose path, thinking everything would be given him, and that he'd breeze his way to living "like a king" at the top of the heap. Are we to believe everyone in his family knew the truth, and withheld it from him? Are we to believe he made it through school completely ignorant of reality?

If he were preaching to an unknowing crowd, that would be one thing, but that's not what he's doing. He's got an audience of professionals who have been there and done that, and succeeded. He's not preaching to the choir. Those of us who fly for a living understand that it's not necessarily an easy course, but we didn't give up. He rabbits on about his sad state and the terrible standard of living, but you couldn't prove that by me. I'm no genius or ace of the base; an average pilot, and frankly if I can succeed in this business, then anyone can if they're willing to try.

The one who shall not be blamed simply didn't try. For that, he shoulders all the blame.

I don't hear his claims to be living like a king now, yet that's his basis for condemning the industry. Interesting.

You won't read this reply, apparently, but others may. You seem to think that paying for training is a new thing, and that it's unheard of in the USA. It's been around here for 20 to 30 years. Definitely not new.

I don't know what a LT is or what it has to do with hours, but it sounds as though you're very inexperienced; from your description, it sounds as though you have somewhere between 150 and 500 hours. Under current regulation in the United States, one would need at least 1,500 hours to be considered. It wasn't always that way, but entry level jobs, especially regional jobs, have always paid very poorly, and for a number of years pilots have been asked to sign training agreements, bonds, or even pay for their training. Not all companies do this; usually only the bottom feeders, but a number of companies do.

A number of pilots who entered the system attempting to run before they could walk got into regional airlines with far too little experience, and having nothing but their airline second-in-command experience, found it difficult to upgrade or go anywhere else. Many of those bought their training or tried to "fast-track" their way into the industry using a system like the comair academy. Now they're upset because they feel like they're stuck, and they're realizing that there are thousands of other pilots just like them with no significant experience, all if it identical, and nothing to distinguish them at the next rung of the industry. Some feel betrayed.

What most of them have in common is that they didn't go out and earn their stripes or pay their dues. How many of them spent a couple thousand hours frying single pilot night freight in beat up Navajos and Beech 99's? How many of them got into a regional as 300 hour wet behind the ears wonders and now have no other life or work experience except that one airline?

Many tried to buy their way into the industry, thinking they'd cut ahead of the line by rushing their career ahead, only to find it didn't do for them what they thought. They tried to cheat, and it didn't get them their prize.

Those who went about their careers with hard work, knowing it takes time and effort and experience are often grateful for the experience...especially on a dark night in rough weather with an emergency at hand and a new copilot...now their experience pays off. It counts to have real experience at several operators. It might even save their life. Those who don't want to go get that experience, those who are part of the me-now generation who want everything for themselves, and want to live like kings, might just be disillusioned when they don't get everything they want now. Those of us who put in the years and the time aren't disillusioned. It makes a difference.

Thedude

Well said John Burke.