Airline Pilot Central Forums - Best guess on hiring, looking for advice

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Quote:

Originally Posted by letsfly (Post 596415)

I've never opened myself up for a beating on the forums before so here it goes:

Does anyone that is posting this stuff know what its like to fly in the freakin desert or be away from your family months at a time living in a tent or a hard billet that smells like hell? I get out in Aug and I get it...times are rough, times are hard. For me, I'm taking my reserve job and getting out. I can't stand the four months deployed to the desert every 15 months on top of being on the road around 10 days every 40 to 45 days....oh ya and all of this is on top of the possible ground deployment to OIF/OEF for 179 or 365 days. And this is a C-17 junior 0-4s schedule. Talk to the co-pilots or better yet the C-130 guys and ask them what they think of active duty.

I appreciate all the retired/separated/civilian guys comments about keeping the bird in the hand, but you have to put yourself in our shoes. I think if you've been planning for this (saving), and have a reserve job then now is the perfect time to get out. If it takes a me couple years to get on with someone and I blow all the money I've saved well then that is exactly what I saved it for - and I'll get some much deserved time off to hang out with my wife and son.

Good luck to you and to me...I have a feeling we are both going to need it.

I'll try to answer your post as well as fly4unclesam's.

I do get it. I served for 18 months (non-flying) in the sandbox including a couple of fun filled months in a really smelly USA provided tent in Bagram when they were still demining right after it opened in 2002. I was in the process of getting out in 2001 but was asked to stay after 9/11 and it was the best thing for me in the long run.

I know where you're at right now, you're missing your family and you're sick of the BS from a bunch of spineless O-6s and above (there might be more than a few sackless O-5s as well:eek:). However, you're providing your family with great benefits as well as an awesome salary. Don't discount the cost of medical/dental as well as the SGLI etc you'd be losing.

I got lucky and got to fly my last year in the USN and that allowed me to go right to DAL but when you get to the airlines, understand its not all the bed of roses you imagine sitting in the sandbox. We've got 12-13 days off per month, which sounds great unless you figure you'll lose a couple of those commuting to sit in a crash pad waiting for the phone to ring or to a trip that doesn't end until after the last flight to your city leaves. You'll still be away, closer certainly by phone than you are now, but still away. When you get to 20 in the airlines with a very few exceptions, there is no pension. That's what folks are saying when they tell you to stay in.

If you have the ability to get an ART job - take it. Best of all worlds, otherwise do what you can to stay flying or better yet get an non-aviation Master's degree as others have said. Get Uncle sugar to pay for it.:)

Fly4unclesam: the signs of recovery are there. See some of the posts from ACL65pilot. My Chief Pilot is telling us that we're short for this summer and revenue/network wants to increase the schedule for next summer, that means we might need to hire since we staff for the summer schedule. Of course, all of this is subject to change in an hour or less:D. So, if your dream is the cockpit of an Airliner, then stay flying and retire with 20. The retirement makes thefirst year much better. Feel free to PM me.

Thank you and your families for your service (we don't serve alone).
Fly Safe - D

Quote:

Originally Posted by bull (Post 594664)

I am looking for some advice.

Bull, there's a lot of good advice on this thread, and none of it is wrong. What that means is only you can figure out what's right for you.

Quote:

Originally Posted by letsfly (Post 596415)

Dude,
When you know....you know. Seems to me that you know. Be confident in yourself buddy, I'm sure you'll do great.

Quote:

Originally Posted by letsfly (Post 596415)

Thanks for your service.

Yup, been there, done that. Multiple 6-month deployements with 5000 of my closest friends on USS Neverdock. 4 months at lovely Prince Sultan Airbase, 4 months at Incirlik (but that was fun), 1 year remote in Diego Garcia...you get the idea.

Not trying to compare tales of woe with you, just hope you realize that any military vet that is posting here has probably seen his or her fair share of family sep and a$$ pain.

I still say, warts and all, the military career beats the airline job these days.

Good luck to you guys. Fly safe.