Quote:
Originally Posted by de727ups
When I was active at Jetcareers, I constantly attacked the easy ways into the career via the All ATP's, the Riddles, the Delta connection academies, the Gulfstreams, and the TAB expresses. Places that promise shortcuts for a high price. It's not worth it. You can't appreciate each step on the way up unless you pay your dues at that step and move on. The moving on has admittedly been hindered recently, but it's ALWAYS been a cyclical biz. I submit that those who persevere through this downturn ready to move up will be the ones who come on here and defend the career as I'm trying to do. No problem with those who walk for their own good reasons. Just don't push those reasons on everyone else cause not all are in your shoes.
The airlines are cyclical but times and conditions definitely are changing. Even you have to admit that things have steady gotten worse.
My main issue is that I believe that most who enter the profession have the same overall needs and expectation as I do. They need to make enough to justify the sacrifices it takes to get there and the continuing sacrifices it takes to remain in the profession. In addition they also need access to a decent quality of life.
I do not believe that those needs are commonly able to be met as a pilot anymore. You mentioned that each of us are different and we are. I have a wife and family to think about. If I can not insure the ability to provide for them financially and the ability to build a decent lifestyle then I can not pursue aviation as a career. I reached a place in my career where the only place I could go was back to 18K per year.
I choose my family over the crummy opportunities aviation afforded me. I paid my dues. How many times is a pilot supposed to get furloughed before it is time to try something else? There just is not enough room at the top for everyone and to me I would rather work as a mailman over being gone 398 hours a month like I was at Horizon. That is no life and no way to live.
Skyhigh