My house underlies the downwind leg for OAK's Rwy 30, and I can easily see both OAK and SFO from my windows. Traffic departing SFO 1R on the TRUKN pretty much always flies directly over my house. So it's astonishing just how quiet the skies have been these past few days.

It makes me realize how much we as pilots, and as humans, take for granted. Leave aside all of the arguments about pay, reflow, reserve, and (ugh) jumpseats, and the fact remains that our jobs allow us to see and experience things that no non-pilot could understand.

Like the setting sun turning the marine layer fiery orange as you skim its tops at 250 knots.

The mesmerizing sight of flying through rain or snow at night, where it feels like you're in a spaceship at warp speed, and the raindrops are the stars sailing by you.

Or those quiet moments at FL370, perhaps at night over the Intermountain West, with the Milky Way so crystal-clear you feel you've already achieved orbit.

It makes me realize just how much I will miss this if it is taken from me. In spite of all the ramp delays, the penalty boxes, the min-credit standups, the online bickering amongst pilot groups, the frozen preflights at oh-dark-thirty (can you tell I'm a standup guy?), the lousy hotel coffee, the endless van rides, the partying college kids in the hotel room next door at 0300, and so on...

...it's stlll worth it.

Just to see what we get to see, and to know that we belong to a very special group of people.

I'm not sure what the future holds. But whatever happens, nothing can take away the memories of the places I've been, the things I've seen, and the awesome people I've shared it all with.

See you all on the line.

"Turbosina"

 

Well said. I've been cherishing every flight and walk-around the past few days.

 

Friday was my last flight for the near future. I'm holding a reduced credit no-fly line until the end of April, but luckily am still employed for now. These past few days made me wonder if I should have stayed an engineer, where I'd be comfortably working from home now and not worrying if I'll still have a job next month. But on that last trip I took off into the weather, broke out on top in the teens and enjoyed the sunset above the overcast after watching the sheet of ice blow off from the unheated portion of the windshield. Nothing else will give you that kind of view. That's when i finally thought "HELL NO!", I'm never going back to sitting behind a desk. Best of luck to everyone, it's still worth it in the end

 

Thank you for this. I just hit 1500 hours and I’ve been wondering if I made the right choice leaving my old job for this career, but after reading this I know it’s worth it.

 

Those of us who have seen this movie a few times have learned to plan for the dips. My rainy-day fund was intended more for FAA medical hiccups than a zombie apocalypse, but it's nice to have none-the-less.

Ideally plan so that you can keep the primary house for a few years with spouse income, unemployment, odd jobs, uber, etc. Minimize debt (mortgage only) and be prepared to liquidate toys or vacation homes if needed before dipping into retirement savings, if you do that you're moving backwards. Try to hold the line, not retreat.

 

I too am a fresh ATP awaiting IOE at the regionals. I'm likely to hit the street soon, but I can tell you.....A LOT of my non-pilot friends are also staring down the exact same barrel. This goes far beyond the aviation world.

 

Save money for a rainy day. Not as much fun to not buy things, but in times like this, it's a life saver.

 

More like save for a rainy few months. It'll take off a ton of stress. Not that being laid off or furloughed is fun. However- make sure you have cash in the bank and not just in a house and 401K etc.

 

Ohhhh yessss! Thank GOD I have a liquid rainy day fund.

I'm not gonna make friends on APC by saying this, but as bad as our situation is, its sooo much worse for my non pilot friends who can be laid off out of seniority order, and without recall rights. I can't imagine EVER being in corporate America again and having to kiss butt and deal with backstabbing when cuts were coming. Not over my dead body will I ever work in an office job again

 

Spot on. Thought of this as I checked out the other day. Like the people working the grocery stores who are making way less than us and are exposed to god knows what from the hundreds of people who they're around daily. Just like in the pax carrying world. As for seniority like you alluded to in this case for the vast majority with a military affiliation USERRA in reality only protects you if you are in a seniority based occupation. Not too many left outside of the piloting world.