Is now the right time for me...
 

I am a 20 year old college sophomore majoring in something totally unrelated to aviation. As most everyone on here, I have been captivated by aviation ever since I was a little boy. I thought about going to ERAU for college, but decided not to because of the state of the airline industry in the Fall of 2004. I went to another 4 year university, and I decided to take all the required classes for admission to medical school. I have kept my GPA high through all those classes, but since that time, I have had many doctors advise me to not go into medicine because of all the stuff that doctors have to now put up with. I know of one guy who was heart surgeon and now drives an 18-wheeler for a living.

I am now again thinking about a career in aviation. I am going to, without a doubt, finish my degree, but I realize that I need to start flight training now if I want an airline career even as an option when I graduate. Is now the time for someone in my age group to pursue a career in aviation? Would you advise someone in my position to start preparing for an aviation career? I posted this in the regional forum because I know that the Regionals either make or break a career in aviation for many people, and I would like to hear thoughts from Regional pilots as that is where an aviation career could me made or broke for me.

I am a realist in that I know it will take many years to get to a major airline, and I know that the road to that "dream" job is a long and hard one, but what "dream" job is not that way? I plan on going to talk with an XJT FO who is the son of one of my dad's work partners in the near future for starters. Please post the good, the bad, and the ugly as I am trying to find the career that fits me the best and trying to make the best decision based on all the information that I can gather. Thanks in advance for your responses.

First, it's great that you are 20 and thinking of a career.

Secondly, I have to agree with your doctor friends (I have several) and I believe that they are correct in steering you away from medicine. (However, as the baby boomers age, and the supply of doctors keeps dwindling . . it could be an okay career/profession)

Third. An airline pilot is not a career move. It is a job. And I can absoultely say that the better move would be to launch a CAREER (sales, engineering, management, marketing, etc. . . .) somewhere else (you have plenty of time) and take up flying on the side as a hobby, so one day, when you want to turn your hobby into your dream job, you can do it.

I have a friend whose 22 year old daughter is making $88,000 a year right out of college as a project manager for a software education company. Why bother with the airlines?

Because flying is a job that is fun to go to everyday

Money is important. However, equally important is how happy you are earning that money. Do what makes you happy to pay the bills.

With all do respect to Ellen, if you really love to fly go for it. I took a very significant pay cut to change careers, go to flight school, build my hours and get a job with a regional. Am I glad that I did it? It's hard to say now that I am making about 20K a year as a first year FO... (Hopefully things are getting better at my company and the industry in general but that's for another thread.) However, if aviation is your passion and you can not see yourself satisfied as a GA pilot, I say go for it. Work hard, make good decisions, pay your dues at the regionals and work towards the majors, fractionals, expat jobs or whatever else you aim to achieve. Keep in mind that there will be plenty of negative people - some of whom have very valid points. The only argument I would pose against those who try to discourage you from pursuing your dream would be that it is better to have tried and eventually decided that it was not for you than to be 60 and say to yourself, damn I wish I had given it a try. In any case, I'm happy with my choice. Ultimately, it is your choice and your choice only. Don't let anybody push you either way. I wish you all the best.

Go fly, enjoy what you love. Have business on the side. Don't be dissuaded by the negative folks on here. It is a great job, so what they aren't going to pay you anything at first. You're about to get out of college anyway, you're used to living cheap. First year will be more than you made in college. There's a lot to be said for loving what you do. It is a career, not just some job. My roommate at college is graduating in may and has a prestigeous job at an accounting firm. Hes shown me some of the stuff hes going to be doing, it makes me want to go to sleep. Don't do something for the money, it will make you go crazy if you're not doing something you truely love. If you didn't chose aviation, every time a plane flies over you'll be mad at yourself because you are not in it.

You can chase that mighty dollar around for the rest of your life.

If you have the chance to do something you love for a career then go for it. I spent 7 years doing IT for a big corporation and hated it. I loved making 60k/year for sitting on my ass most of the time and avoiding my boss but thinking about being there until I was 65 made me want to kill myself. Then, at 29 I started flying. I am 33 now and just took a job at a regional airline. I have been a flight instructor for almost two years (6 months part time while I was still at my old job) and have loved most of that. Yes, it does get to be a job every once and awhile--everything does--however, I wouldn't trade it for anything (except a job at a regional apparently :D ).

Finish your degree and start flying if you have the time/money to do so. Get a job that allows you to build some hours and still put food on the table so you can get your ratings. Then go out and get a job instructing--you will learn more there than you think. After a year or so of doing that or flying frieght or skydivers or whatever you will have enough hours to apply at the regionals. I am certainly no expert on regionals but they are hiring like crazy now so if you act quickly enough you can get in on this hiring boom.

Good luck!

Boom
 

If you hurry you can still catch the tail end of the hiring boom and be in great position to be crushed in the bust.

We have all heard the old saying "love your job and you will never work a day in your life". While it is true I don't think is is meant to be taken literally. I love playing XBox 360 but don't think anyone will pay huge bucks for me to do it. What is meant by that saying is that we all should find something that is satisfying, rewarding and fits our lifestyle. Work is still work and needs to meet some tall requirements. We shouldn't use that logic to give license to do whatever irresponsible thing we want to in life.

We all love flying but it is important that your career choice love you back. Aviation is on the downhill glide and will never be able to offer much of a return for most.

Most of you regional guys will wake up one day and realise that you are on the fast track to nowhere and that you just wasted your education, a small fortune and most of your 20's on a dead end. The rest will get furloughed or squeezed out of the industry by crushing low wages. Someday all of us will need to make a real living at real jobs.

SkyHigh

My G/F makes well over that, and she wakes up every day miserable that she has to go to work..............More money is great, but lets face it, it doesn't matter how much money you have, if your all about the money, no amount will ever be good enough


PS. The negativity around here in regards to an airline career, is sickening.........to each his own................