Major Airline career change
 

The son of a friend of mine (who spent a few thousand on flight training) had his career sights set on Delta Air Lines and suddenly changed his mind and went to work for the Phoenix Police Department, apparently a permanent decision. I notice the Pheonix Police Department is recruiting at a "pilot" job fair.

My question to all you pilots is: "Is this a common career move from pilot to law enforcement, or is it just a unique situation?":confused:

Its crossed my mind a number of times as I sit here on the street. They always seem to be hiring.

As many pilots treat their passengers, and fellow employees like perps, it's actually a rather easy transition.

LOL...I just about blew coffee through my nose on that one...thanks! :D

Just like mgmt..... Leadership from the top baby!

No, it is not a normal transition.

I have one friend who went from police officer (cashed out his pension for flight school) to airline pilot and another who went from airline pilot (at the regionals where he was barely able to pay bills) to the police department for a large raise and so he could be home every night or day if he had the night shift. I guess if you only spent a few thousand on training it would be an easier choice to give up flying, but the average civilian trained pilot now probably has well over 50K in flight school alone not including college/ university costs. That said, I've seen quite a few pilots give up when their careers were stalled at the regionals and I've heard of some furloughed major airline pilots giving it up when the only pilot positions they could find were at the regional level and they just couldn't afford to go back to that pay level with families to take care of, but I'd say it's pretty rare for airline pilots to become police officers in general. Most of the pilots I know who gave it up either went back to college or got into real estate or became general contractors trying for the big bucks.

That was not a "major airline pilot career change".

Having your sights set on DAL is a very, very long way from actually being employed by them as a pilot.

It is relatively common for entry-level pilots to drop out and go do something else, especially when times get hard. I would estimate that 30% of those who earn a commercial pilot license switch tracks within a few years.

Those who like flying are often also a good fit for military, law enforcement, fire dept and vice versa.

I was a Police Officer for a little over 25 years (flying one the side) retired then 4.5 years at Mesa (yes it sucked but, I will say no one ever punched me or ever pulled a knife or gun on me at mesa) then 7 great months a Air Tran until I was furloughed of 9/3.
During both jobs I have encountered many Police Officers that flew and a few Airline Pilots that were Reserve Officers.

Cop=good stable career bad job
Pilot=great job bad career

I would estimate almost double that.

I am currently furloughed and in the process of applying to many different police departments. I have been doing this since November. A few problems I ran into:

1) Most departments are only establishing elgibility lists, which are valid for 2 years. (Varies department to department)

2) If there are vacancies, its for 1, possibly 2, and maybe if your lucky, at the most 3 Police Officers. At the most recent orientations I've seen anywhere from 300 people to 650. I'd say 20% are prior military and you'll always find 10 to 15 already state certified cops.

3) It is a long, drawn out process. The earliest you will hear anything back from the department will be in 3 months.I have to add, however, its funny watching all the trailor trash with tatoo's on the side of there head and 250 lb men trying to run 1.5 miles under 14 minutes, let alone bench there body weight.

I'm currently on one seniority list and in a pool at another airline. It's a matter of what comes first. If I get recalled before I get on the police force I'll stick to flying. If I get a police job I'll be more than happy to go do that and stick to general aviation.

At one of these police orientations (where there were 350 people) I recognized another pilot from the line doing the same exact thing.

Just a note to any furloughed brothers looking for a government job, the FBI went on a huge hiring spree 2 Monday's ago. There looking to hire 3100 agents, in all different areas.

How do you exactly go about becoming a reserve officer?

Call your local P.D. or S.O. and ask for the # of the reserve division (not all depts have them) they will advise on their proceedure.

xcop:
Never been on the ramp at Philly, have ya' ? :D

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xcop:
Great insight! :)

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loungelzrd:
????

I'd say that's true of the airlines overall, but not of any pilot group I've been with.
It's certainly indicative of how the government treats us. :(

Memphis PD is hiring

Bad news, you have to live in Memphis.

Worse News, you'd be the junior guy in Orange Mound, Whitehaven, Fraser, etc.

You got that right, a guy I know just gave continental 1st year pay the finger and got on with the FBI...it amazes me how far people will go to sacrifice for this 'career' to end up doing the common sensical option they could have pursued in the first place...

The good thing about being a cop is that you wont be screwed out of a pension and the big dogs stealing all of your money:rolleyes:

Shouldn't this thread be moved to the "Leaving the Career" section?

Some of the best pay in the Nation though! If you live to see those first few paychecks...Memphis isn't THAT bad a murder town, mainly theft

The majority of pilots-turned-FBI agents that I know are happy with the stability, but terribly disappointed with the daily routine. Pouring over excel worksheets looking for fraud, making a million phone calls, and finally ordering the locals to execute the door-kicking is a tease. Plan to move multiple times in your career, as there is no such thing as a commuter clause (double-edged sword, I know). Segueing into the air unit consists of flying VFR orbits... a majority of the heavier stuff is operated by senior agents and contractors.

The pay/stability can't be beat (25% flat-rate overtime override, COLA, TSP), but the grass is always greener. It all depends on what you want out of life.

Phoenix PD used to be one of the most modern departments out there, but it was all due to overspending. AZ has the largest budget deficit in the union, and its municipalities seem to be no different.

Isn't Phoenix the capital for using radar and red light cameras to try to increase revenues?

After reading articles about them being caught changing the timing on yellow lights to increase fines, I decided Phoenix is not my kind of town.

I'm all for obeying the law, but in Phoenix they are trying to trick unsuspecting motorists into breaking those laws. Unfortunately that trick has spread.

Many Police Officers I know are beginning to complain that the primary focus of Police work is shifting to revenue collection through fines on ordinary citizens for petty, harmless, offenses. Some of the Officers find that very demoralizing.

not a usual transition but there are similarities in the jobs that attract personality types; lots of autonomy, outdoors, high degree of comaradarie among your peer group. I'd add firefighters to the group as well.

Local community college here in town just added an Air Traffic controller major. 2-3 years of schooling and the FAA is banging down the door offering 6 figure jobs to the graduates.

the students are flocking from the pilot program to the controller program.

Be careful with that six figure target. There is a new "B" scale at the FAA ATC facilities. I talked to my neighbor who told me new controllers will top out at 80K a year or so.

I've always had Law Enforcement as a backup occupation to a flying career. I think the military structure and working for 'the man', has had alot to do with framing that mindset. Knowing that aeronautical degrees are not the golden ticket ERAU makes them out to be, I think the best decision I made was focusing all of my education on a degree in the Admin/Criminal Justice field. I am still making myself more marketable by taking several online classes that pertain specifically to criminal law/peace officers in the state that I reside as a backup should my airline fur****. :D

I am currently employed as a police officer and have a commercial, instrument, multi-engine license. There are a lot of things in common between law enforcement and piloting. Some police jobs pay well, some piloting jobs pay well. Most of both jobs will not make you rich. The police job tends to have good insurance and an early retirement. The catch is you have to live long enough to retire. Both jobs are described as a long periods of boredom punctuated by moments of stark terror. Both have odd work hours. I have had some very rewarding moments as a police officer and I have seen some awe inspiring sights from the cockpit.

80k if they get hired into a high paying facility. If they end up at Podunk tower, more like 40k-50k.

Currently, no six figure salaries for ATC new hires on the B scale.

The way airline business is going nowadays it sounds like he made a very sound decision...

Ran into a guy i know from college who's a controller in LIT, he's been there a year, and said he started in the low-mid 40's, and is loving his job.

Have another friend who was furloughed from expressjet, was on sidelines looking in, and applying for every job under the sun. He applied for the Police Department, was accepted, and had a class date. He also had applied to another regional, and was partially through the hiring process with the FBI. I was happy to see him with so many options on the plate, he decided that he'd only be happy flying, took the regional gig, and might now be looking at another furlough. On the contrary, he made a decision that hopefully he can live with, and that's all that matters.

People's choices are influenced by their lives, personalities, and commitments. Each one is unique, and i'd say for the O.P.'s Question, atleast it was unique for the kid who is giving up on Delta.

I was a firefighter early in my flying career. I enjoyed the fire fighting but hated the EMS work. I know quite a few pilots who were cops or firefighters either previously, currently or are trying to become one now.

I was talking with an industrial psychologist just other day who mentioned that pilots, cops and firefighters all have the same basic types of personalities and that the jobs all have the same types of stresses and rewards.

That's funny. Maybe it's genetic. My sis is a Firefighter, I am a Pilot. Same personality? You bet!

Ok Biggs ;) - I said pax airlines because he wanted to work for DELTA and decided to choose a different route...

I rewrote the previous post:

"The way airline business is going nowadays it sounds like he made a very sound decision"

Better? :D

This one thread made me finally sign up for the site after lurking...

I've been looking at law enforcement for a very long time, and I'm considering leaving my fractional job to do it.

I haven't found too many like minded folks on this transition, so yes, another pilot in the mix considering it.