Best place to live as a pilot?
05-17-2007 | 05:04 PM
#31
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Sorry guys, didn't mean to be confusing. I was lumping all flying, 121, 135 and instructing into one general collection of general pilot jobs. I figured that where corporate or commercial flying was going strong in an area, that there would also be larger flight schools where it's not hard to get a job as a walk-in (very hard here as there is little flying). I currently do corporate/charter flying and currently commute to one of the larger cities in our state where my plane is based. I also do some flight instructing and would see that as a retirement/furlough option, but have many years of passenger carrying to do before then (Part 121 or Part 135).
My wife has been looking at Florida (Miami, Tampa), Texas (Houston, Austin) and even Georgia (Atlanta) options. Her job allows her to live anywhere and allows for a lot of options. My concern is that we not end up somewhere where airplane jobs are scarce as they are here.
Good comments, guys, and much appreciated! Keep 'em coming
My wife has been looking at Florida (Miami, Tampa), Texas (Houston, Austin) and even Georgia (Atlanta) options. Her job allows her to live anywhere and allows for a lot of options. My concern is that we not end up somewhere where airplane jobs are scarce as they are here.
Good comments, guys, and much appreciated! Keep 'em coming
As far as Florida goes I would pick Tampa over Miami. Miami is crazy expensive and so is all of South Florida. Tampa has a fair amount of corporate and 135 carriers.
05-17-2007 | 06:45 PM
#32
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From: Spartan
05-17-2007 | 06:58 PM
#33
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From: 737
I'm gonna back up Texas here.
Houston is very cheap like others have said, but it's very spread out. I lived in the Clear Lake area during middle school and all of high school, and it was nice. Tons of stuff around. Hobby is a 25 minute drive. I wouldn't live in the areas right next to Hobby though. And of course north of Houston is nice too. Well pretty much anything outside the Beltway is a good place to live with family. But again...spread out.
DFW area has LOTs of flying. Addison, Arlington, etc. DFW right in the center. My family has been right around the DFW Airport for a long time and its for sure a booming area urban sprawl. But all nice towns and neighborhoods are around there. Of course Southwest at Love is there, and the AMR empire. I'm was sad to see DAL and ASA close and dehub the place. Compared to Houston, I think DFW area is easier to get around. The light rail system is about to double in size in the next 5 years or so.
Austin, very nice city, lots of hills, very clean, tons of stuff to do. But the bulk of aviation is probably limited compared to Houston or Dallas/Ft Worth. However, its suppose to be the next silicon valley in the coming years.
Houston is very cheap like others have said, but it's very spread out. I lived in the Clear Lake area during middle school and all of high school, and it was nice. Tons of stuff around. Hobby is a 25 minute drive. I wouldn't live in the areas right next to Hobby though. And of course north of Houston is nice too. Well pretty much anything outside the Beltway is a good place to live with family. But again...spread out.
DFW area has LOTs of flying. Addison, Arlington, etc. DFW right in the center. My family has been right around the DFW Airport for a long time and its for sure a booming area urban sprawl. But all nice towns and neighborhoods are around there. Of course Southwest at Love is there, and the AMR empire. I'm was sad to see DAL and ASA close and dehub the place. Compared to Houston, I think DFW area is easier to get around. The light rail system is about to double in size in the next 5 years or so.
Austin, very nice city, lots of hills, very clean, tons of stuff to do. But the bulk of aviation is probably limited compared to Houston or Dallas/Ft Worth. However, its suppose to be the next silicon valley in the coming years.
05-17-2007 | 11:58 PM
#35
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From: King Air 200, PA-31P-350 Mojave, Bellanca 17-30A Super Viking
as far as having fun and being able to live a good lifestyle in texas, the DFW area is hard to beat!!! booming aviation industry there!!!! dallas is expensive like houston but there are other suburbs and cheaper places there such as fort worth, arlington, plano......im from fort worth so im a little partial.....but being from there i can take bragging rights to having the largest airline in the world based out of my hometown.....eagle is my first choice naturally!!
05-18-2007 | 01:02 AM
#36
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From: Nordskog Industries Field Technician
Denver. More sunny days a year than LA, good schools, great skiing for cheap an hour and a half away, commutable to anywhere.
I grew up in Tejas (hook 'em) and Alaska, I am based in ANC but can't seem to leave CO.
You can't beat not commuting though, especially with a family.
I grew up in Tejas (hook 'em) and Alaska, I am based in ANC but can't seem to leave CO.
You can't beat not commuting though, especially with a family.
05-18-2007 | 06:06 AM
#37
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From: E170 CA
Everything you need to know right here:
http://www.bestplaces.net/col/
Cost of living is the key...can't live in a nice area if you can't afford it. I'd love to stay down here in FL, but sadly no one is based here.
-Sargeanb
http://www.bestplaces.net/col/
Cost of living is the key...can't live in a nice area if you can't afford it. I'd love to stay down here in FL, but sadly no one is based here.
-Sargeanb
05-18-2007 | 08:22 AM
#38
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05-18-2007 | 09:37 AM
#39
SDQ Base Chief
Joined: Mar 2006
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From: 320 CA
Keep in mind if you live in FL then it might not be easy to commute to a base for a 121 gig. Load factors in/out of the FL area are crazy. If you can find a carrier that has a base there then it would be a lot easier.
05-19-2007 | 05:00 AM
#40
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From: G2 gear slammer
Take into mind I live in the central florida region here.
The "burbs of Tampa are a really great, modest, and commuter friendly place to live and raise a family. Brandon, Bradenton, Town and Country, etc etc etc. You have LAL, BOW, AVO, and many many more places to instruct. No matter where you live, 90 minutes at the most from the beach. 1 Hour from the Bahamas.
But the real winner is the cost of living. Especially in the burbs.
The "burbs of Tampa are a really great, modest, and commuter friendly place to live and raise a family. Brandon, Bradenton, Town and Country, etc etc etc. You have LAL, BOW, AVO, and many many more places to instruct. No matter where you live, 90 minutes at the most from the beach. 1 Hour from the Bahamas.
But the real winner is the cost of living. Especially in the burbs.
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