[QUOTE=de727ups;58246

To discourage young wannabes from this site due to it's negativity is shortsighted, in my view. I think this site is has people at all ends of the spectrum. From SWA Capt, or me, who have been wildly successful, to Skyhigh, who didn't quite make it. It's all good info for those seeking this career.[/QUOTE]

This site has just over 5200 members and maybe 10% of which post regularly, if at all, and an even smaller percentage that are airline-types. Hardly a good cross section of the airline industry!

Skyhigh thinks that finding success in an airline career is different than other type jobs. Go build houses, but be prepared for the same cyclical ups and downs. Go to med school at 22 years old and finally "make it" when you turn 40. Go to law school and make 40-50k/year. He keeps pointing to "starting" pay. Starting pay at any job isn't that great.

Ya know Skyhigh, sometimes real life IS like the movies! One will never know though until they take chances. And yes, sometimes taking those chances involve consequences! Some of them good, some of them bad. My youngest son is driving to LA tomorrow to do some recording in Snoop's studio. You don't think that me, as a mother, is not the least bit worried? He's 18, just graduated from high school in June, got his own apartment, works 2 jobs, and started college 2 weeks ago...But apparently some people heard his stuff and now he's going to LA. Should I deny him this opportunity because as a mother, I still want to protect him? No, I will sit up here in Northern California worrying about him all week, but allow him to spread his wings and allow him the chances that a young man must take if he wishes. His older brother was a music major in college and has been playing in that world now for a couple of years. I have allowed him to do the same. It is hard for me as the mom, because even though they're young men, my maternal instinct still wants to protect them from all harm,evil, bad people, rip off artists, etc. And yes, I have worked in that world, as you did the airline industry, and in spite of knowing the downside of the industry, I refuse to rob them of a shot at their dreams.

There is no security these days in any occupation, and if my sons came to me and said that they wanted to be airline pilots, I would give them my blessing and wish them well, in spite of what I've read on these forums.

You have abundantly made it clear here, of the downside of the pilot world. But it's time to let it go, move on, enjoy your family and new life, and let other people try to succeed, or fail, at their dreams. You can be at peace now, and rest assure that you "told them so".

Guess Im crazy to think someone owes me something more than 15-17 dollars an hour to fly a 20,000,000$ dollar aircraft with 50-70 pax into aspen, what was I thinking?
Yes I do think someone owes me something!

With all due respect, give me a break.

I'm glad there's people like you sticking up for the youth out there like us. I've been dying to get my feet wet in this business. When I first came across this forum and all the negativity that came from the likes of the SkyHigh's I admit I was a little upset. But I had the pleasure of meeting SkyHigh for lunch taking some summer aviation classes at a university. He's a cool guy and after all the jokes he cracked and stories he told, it only made me more compelled to join the ranks. There are people I realize that will try and steer you away from this business. That's understandable after what some of these people have been through.
It puts a lump in my throat whenever I read or learn on tv about all the horror story airplane accidents. I realize anytime I step in the cockpit there is the possibility of disaster. I realize that financial security and stability is never guaranteed in this business either. But I can't help but daydream what new discoveries and fulfilling experiences I have ahead of me in flying. I feel that there still can be a good living made out of it, regardless of what people say airline pilots make better money than most jobs out there. But most imperative of all I feel like I can find a form of satisfaction and happiness crusing above the rest of the world everyday that is like no other experience on Earth. I hope if the time does come, that I'll be able to appreciate and truly savor every moment of it I can...

Well, I guess that many people in many occupations feel the same way as you do bla bla bla....like the money spent on my son's music education, thousands of dollars in tuition, music lessons, thousands on instruments,thousands of hours spent practicing, rehearsing, recording, doing sound checks, road trips, hotels, gas...all the while having to rely on a producer to give you your fair cut.

Ok, let's change gears, how about the Silicon Valley grunts who work 16 hour days crunching code at a start up? I've done that! How about working for no salary and just being paid in stock options? Google, Cisco, Apple, EBay? Did anyone know if those would fly? And how many years did some people put in for little or no pay in the most expensive housing market before they became (or did not become) wealthy? And yes, we're talking about folks who graduated from UC Berkeley and Stanford, and were/or are working for nothing. It's funny how so many accuse people in the Bay Area of being whining, liberal, socialists, yet so many here with the brain power, suffer and struggle, and take the biggest risks that fuel the American economy that financially benefits the rest of the US.

Yeah, we pay high California taxes, Federal taxes, fuel the US economy, live in the most expensive housing market...when are we going to get compensated for our contributions to the US economy?

"Flying for a regional for two years doesn't entitle you to a career at a major anymore than a two year lounge singer is entitled to a recording contract."

Are you kidding me? Are you really serious?

Are you really comparing me flying a 70 seat RJ to a lounge singer, and you flying a 737 to having a recording contract?
So you have the recording contract, and I am a lounge singer. I get it.

That 737 must take a highly talented genius to operate it.

Like it or not I am doing the exact same job as you.

Sorry to bruse your ego's but if I am still flying for an airline when I am 45, I will regard myself a falure.

Skychick, We here at the regionals do the exact same job as calcap, and swacap. Same ammount of responsibility only if we make a mistake 50-80 people die, not 130-250. So I can work as hard as possible at this job, but that just nets me a few hundred more a month, I am still stuck with time blocking my progression(Hours logged). Any other business you work for or start, what you put in is what you get out.

That is the exact reason why I just started my own LLc.

My whole point on this thread is to educate the new guys in aviation. To get to a major plan on spending 5-10 years at a regional. Once you get on(with a regional), your only way to progress is time, (Hours logged). If it is your dream to fly a 767 then you should go for it, just know how the industry works.

Skychick hope I see your son on MTV soon! What does he go by?

Problem is your quest can be applied to any career and you happen to have singled out one that you failed at. This has taken a all consuming, what you think to be a life changing struggle on your part and in reality it doesn't amount to a pimple on a elaphants ass.

Lots of spoiled, instant gradification brats on this site.
Many friends of mine had careers cut short by the draft. They didn't have the opportunity to complete there dreams. Be thankful you have choices. Stop whinning and do your job
Post before this was direct at Skyhigh. This one is for all who think life owes them something.

Life
 

As I have mentioned before. My aim is not to dissuade the true believers. If someone wishes to throw their life expectations away then they can have at it. Many are emotionally taken by youthful enthusiasms while others have a more reasonable and realistic goals. I am sure that accountants don't have these kinds of discussions. Plumbers don't have to rely upon could's, maybe's and should's. As for myself I wanted a career and not a fairytale.

My dream was to be well compensated for doing something that I loved. In trade my frinds and I were well abused. I can understand why many of you gainfully employed pilots don't understand. For you the fairytale had a happy ending. You only know the life of a pilot as good. It would be like asking a multi-million dollar lottery winner what they think about the lotto.

SkyHigh

So, what are you saying? We shouldn't promote aviation to youths? We shoudnt promote gtting an education and doing something other than hanging out on the streets? Avaition is one of the few exciting activities one can get invovlved with as a teenager. Its not neccessarily about geting a job and making big bucks. The kids I mentor, I dont know how many wil actually pursue a career in avaition, but at lest I have opened a door they may not have known about and leave it up to them to decide if its something they want to do for a living or just for fun or heck they ,ay just solo one time and never fly again, thats ok. Its about exposing youths to things they may have never been exposed to.

My dad was inthe USAF, I had F-4's in my backyard growing up. Thats how I got exposed. Now Ijust want to pass that feeling on to others that dont have the opportunity to be exposed to that. If it werent for groups like the Civil AIr Patrol, I would have never known my options. When I become a CFI, I will make it my business to expose flying to youths.