Does anybody like Being an Airline Pilot?
 

I am the first to admit, we as airline pilots complain a lot.................
The pay sucks, the Schedule could be terrible..................
You could get furloughed.............
You could lose your medical...........
You could blow an altitude and have the FEDS up your Ass......

But all in all, I will say I do enjoy being an Airline Pilot, I love the guys/gals I fly with and go through the trenches with everyday, I love the 121 aircraft I have flown, both the SAAB, and the Embraer, I love wearing my Uniform:p I love being able to travel all around the world whenever I want, and I love the freedom of trading around trips to make my QOL better. Lets stop complaining for while and focus on the good things, and do our job everyday to the best that we can and pray and hope, and do everything we can to turn the Industry around, because like me, and most of you, I LOVE THE AIRLINE INDUSTRY, no matter how ****ty it can/will be;)

Love
 

I can assure you that everyone of us felt the same at some point. Time and continued disappointment has a way of changing something you love dearly into something you despise. Ask any divorce lawyer.

SkyHigh

Well I love to fly the plane, but hate the schedule and pay! Gone for 4 home for 2, gone for 4 home for 2, gone for 5 home for 3. This is my life. Trying to fly to las with my wife on my two days off, no luck. Can’t afford the 150 in gas. So we sit at home because we are two broke to do anything on my days off.
I want out but have no time or money to move to another career. I feel better trying to let others know what the industry is all about today.

Yeah you should make the most of your situation, but I’m trapped. And before the flame fest starts, I pay 158 a month on my student loans our only car is paid off, and our house payment is 800 a month. So No I’m not overextended.

Each has there own situation, likes and dislikes. But I’m not going to sugarcoat anything. That’s the way I feel. Others may feel different.

Hey if ya dont mind, how long have you been doing this, what airline are you at, and how old are ya ?

what its really like
 

It's easy enough even if you collect the garbage to make it sound like you are a rock star, but it takes character to tell it like it is. All jobs have their days. Flying is exciting, but a balance is the most important thing. I like and dislike my office job all in the same week, it just has to do with the needs of the time. Part of us wants to be free and be another part wants appreciation. You can have many of the things you want in life but not all of them, best I can tell.

I agree some days I could give it up forever, other days I wouldn't trade what I do for the world........

Well with out disclosing too much information, I’m between 27-34 work for skywest, and have done 121 for a few years now. I bid 4 days because they pay the most block per duty period. Our PBS will schedule you 90+ hours credit each month, so higher block will net more days off. Unfortunately our trips are very inefficient these days, hence less days off. I would give my name etc, but I don’t trust our company because I support the ALPA drive and am very pro union.

I'm 22 and single.
I love the hell out of my job!

The key word here is single.

Think about when your an old man or women and you look back on your life. Do you wan't to look back and say, man I wish I went after my dream of being an airline pilot, or do you want to look back and say, well I didn't make the money I could have, but heck I did what I loved. Isnt that what lifes all about, the experiences? Do what you love, you'll find a way to live around the money, or lack there of. We started flying because we loved it, we continue to fly because we love it.