Fokker28

Something you should know about 'SkyHigh' (who is 'GroundedLow'): He's obsolete. He doesn't even work in our industry anymore. Now if we could just get him to spend some more of his time on 'StereoStoreManager.com' or whatever!

Widow's Son

In good times and bad, I have seen a lot of people fall through the cracks, for myriad reasons. It happens in all industries, not just ours. Some are truly sad or tragic and others are Mother Airgoddess's way of purifying and protecting the industry.

I have also seen a lot of people who had the genes and desire to fly who for whatever reason (often lack of spousal support) didn't pursue it. To a person they often wish they had and wonder what could have been.

It is a screwed up industry for sure, but at its worst, it still beats working for a living. The harder you work at it, the luckier you get. I've had real jobs. Real jobs suck.

reddog25

My appologies...You'd better stick with your regional then...ya ain't gonna see that sked at the Majors......I'm with NWA.....the only way you'll get 18 days off is 'cough..cough'

SWAcapt

Our MCO capt lines for Sept. have 3 lines w/ 19 days off and 89 w/ 18 days off. Worst line has 16 off.

av8rmike

If you can swing it, look at VR, either as a TAR or SELRES. Great transition from single seat to transport flying and, more importantly, the guys who will get you your interview are working there now... I flew VR for a little over five years and have helped 6 guys get on here at FedEx. Don't get me wrong, they won the job themselves, but I met them through the Reserves and that's what got them their interviews. Also, if you can live on what the wife brings in plus $30-40K from your part time VR job, you can explore some non-aviation options you might not be considering now. Good luck and enjoy those night traps...

Ottopilot

You can't compare The American Idol winnner or lotto winner with a pilot with a job. There is only one idol winner per year and your chances of winning a lotto are millions to one. There are thousands of great pilot jobs. Lets be real.

SkyWestPilot

I'm a seven-year regional pilot leaving for the majors in two weeks. It's going to be interesting to see what going from the top quarter of the seniority list to the bottom of the major list will be like. But I'm in it for the long run; got 25 more years in the industry. It'll pay off in the end. I've seen the lines I'll be flying and they're better than much of the stuff I get today.

I love being an airline pilot. My family and I have adjusted to the lifestyle, and it's great! I'll agree with those above: it sure beats sitting at a desk every day. It's one of the few industries where pay and time off increases without having to bring the briefcase home on the weekends, take on additional responsibilities, or stay late at the office (unless you're based in ORD/EWR/etc).

SkyHigh

There are not thousands of great pilot jobs available every year. At best there are 1000 to 2000 vacancies average per year. Currently we are still in deficit from the furloughs of a few years ago. We could be a few years away from breaking even on recalls.

Every year the military creates 11,000 pilots a year and the civilian world produces something like 30,000. If you consider that there are three people who washed out of training for each one who completes it then you are looking at some long odds for success.

The better legacy carriers seem to be shrinking while the lessor LCC jobs are expending. It is getting difficult to determine what a "good" job is anymore.


SkyHigh

shackone

Except the Navy didn't cut your pay nearly in half nor did it ****can your military retirement.

I suppose it all boils down to what we as individuals really like in aviation. For me, there was absolutely no way that pushing an airliner around the sky was ever going to match flying fighters...nor was the job satisfaction ever going to come close.

Others may differ.

shackone

When I retired and was hired by TWA, I didn't realize how significant this would be.

Nothing against TWA...it was a great place to work...but the typical day on the job left a lot to be desired in the way of job satisfaction. I think it all came down to a missing sense of accomplishment. Each leg is the same, very little opportunity for individualism or self-expression. Very little sense of challenge or competition.

For some military pilots, that sense of challenge or competition or self-expression/individualism is key to our personalities. We tend to be very Type A personalities...and we like being out front, not in the pack.

The closest I ever got to that feeling while at TWA was when I was a check airman with student Captains...there, I enjoyed a sense of accomplishment as I saw the guys achieve their goal to be a TWA Captain. I'll always remember the day I made Captain with great pride and pleasure...checking out as a TWA Captain equaled the high points of my time in fighters.

Leaving the military life behind was not difficult, and fitting in at TWA was not either...for one thing, as a FE and FO, most of the Captains I flew with were ex-military guys from the Vietnam time frame. We had a lot in common.

But 'the thrill of the hunt' just wasn't there.