Should I leave?
12-14-2020, 06:39 AM
#71
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Oct 2019
Posts: 1,281
Originally Posted by rswitz
That job sounds almost 100% better than being an airline pilot.
12-14-2020, 07:12 AM
#72
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Mar 2013
Posts: 410
Originally Posted by LoneStar32
No it doesn't. I absolutely hate it when those who have never had another career complain about how much it sucks being an Airline pilot.
12-14-2020, 07:17 AM
#73
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Mar 2013
Posts: 410
Originally Posted by wrxpilot
Have you ever worked an office job? I have, it totally sucked. But I’ll tell you what, changing careers isn’t that hard, so you should definitely do it if you’re miserable flying. Absolutely no reason to live your life working a career you dislike.
12-14-2020, 07:25 AM
#74
Prime Minister/Moderator
Joined APC: Jan 2006
Position: Engines Turn Or People Swim
Posts: 39,297
Originally Posted by rswitz
That job sounds almost 100% better than being an airline pilot.
There are so many things we take for granted in aviation, such as not continuously for years marinating in your own seething anger juices because of the stuff you have to deal with from the back-stabbing, brown nosing office politicians. Usually they end up hoist on their own petard as long as you take the high road, but you have to live with it in the meantime.
12-14-2020, 07:28 AM
#75
Prime Minister/Moderator
Joined APC: Jan 2006
Position: Engines Turn Or People Swim
Posts: 39,297
Originally Posted by Richmond454
An update since my last post. The VLOA was approved for one year starting on 1 November. I started the new Job already. The job is pretty much what I expected, grinding away at a keyboard inside a cubicle. It's not horrible but definitely not as fun flying around in a jet. Being on the job for the past month and a half I have the following pluses and minus:
Positive:
* Pay. I forgot what I feels like to make a decent living. Living off regional FO pay for the past 2 years and now going to this job is amazing. I'm able to save for retirement again. It's gonna be hard to go back to FO pay.
*. Not commuting to work. It's nice not having to check flight loads and wondering if the jumpseat is open.
*Not having to deal old crusty angry captains. We have a few at my base and it seems I was always rostered with them.
*Having weekends off and able to make plans a few weeks out instead of telling people I have to get back to them when my schedule comes out.
Negative
*I miss flying
*. Not as much to talk about with coworker. Everyone else is from the same IT mode and I can't talk aviation with them. I don't have as much in common with them.,
* I can see working in a cubicle banging away at a keyboard is gonna get old fast.
So overall I'm happy I took the VLOA as it changes my pace for a bit and able to make some decent money. I'll take this opportunity to build up a fund. However even just being on the job for a month and a half I know I'm gonna want to get back to flying. Hopefully with the vaccine being approved things will get somewhat back to normal sooner rather than later. Ideal situation is to have the opportunity to put in for upgrade shortly after I get back. I've put my application into a few ACMIs recently but I doubt I'll be competitive in this environment.
Thanks again for everyone's input.
Positive:
* Pay. I forgot what I feels like to make a decent living. Living off regional FO pay for the past 2 years and now going to this job is amazing. I'm able to save for retirement again. It's gonna be hard to go back to FO pay.
*. Not commuting to work. It's nice not having to check flight loads and wondering if the jumpseat is open.
*Not having to deal old crusty angry captains. We have a few at my base and it seems I was always rostered with them.
*Having weekends off and able to make plans a few weeks out instead of telling people I have to get back to them when my schedule comes out.
Negative
*I miss flying
*. Not as much to talk about with coworker. Everyone else is from the same IT mode and I can't talk aviation with them. I don't have as much in common with them.,
* I can see working in a cubicle banging away at a keyboard is gonna get old fast.
So overall I'm happy I took the VLOA as it changes my pace for a bit and able to make some decent money. I'll take this opportunity to build up a fund. However even just being on the job for a month and a half I know I'm gonna want to get back to flying. Hopefully with the vaccine being approved things will get somewhat back to normal sooner rather than later. Ideal situation is to have the opportunity to put in for upgrade shortly after I get back. I've put my application into a few ACMIs recently but I doubt I'll be competitive in this environment.
Thanks again for everyone's input.
12-14-2020, 07:30 AM
#76
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Oct 2019
Posts: 1,281
Originally Posted by rswitz
I have. Worked in IT for a few years prior. I do enjoy flying, but there's simply no denying the many aspects of that career that are far better. Granted, I had a really good gig so I can't speak for your office experience.
At least to me the positives far outweigh the negatives being an Airline pilot and it is not even close. Now I am not naïve enough to realize that there are people out there that prefer the high pressure environment of an up or out type of career. If that is another pilot then I just have to ask "why are you still here?"
12-14-2020, 08:30 AM
#77
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Mar 2020
Posts: 399
Agree. It depends on the person.
I think a big factor is how one views the purpose of a job/work. I have friends who simply view work as a means to an end. A job puts a roof over your head, food on the table, and gives you the fun coupons to buy and do what you want. Period. What you do doesn’t matter, as long as you make as much money as you can, so you can live as comfortably as possible. Working for the weekend, essentially. If that mind numbing office job makes more money than the RJ pilot, the decision has already been made.
I have other friends who make money for sport—many are finance/banking types. It’s less so about making money as a tool, or a means to an end, and more about treating their paycheck as the end itself—like a high score in a video game. There is no amount that is enough, and they’ll go to even more extremes to increase earnings. Most likely to brag about salary when no one has asked.
There are those who value quality of life—time with family, etc.
Some who want status/power.
There are those who are chasing a feeling of fulfillment, purpose, belonging, competence, salary be damned. I think this is more common in people who have found and lived their childhood dream career, but not always.
I think a huge factor is how your parents viewed work growing up. My dad absolutely loved his job, and couldn’t wait to get to work. He retired with extreme reluctance. He was big on loving what you do, because it would consume at least 1/3 of your life, and that rubbed off on me.
The guys who prioritize making money above all else have difficulty understanding the decision making of guys who will take less pay in search of a feeling—and vice versa.
I think a big factor is how one views the purpose of a job/work. I have friends who simply view work as a means to an end. A job puts a roof over your head, food on the table, and gives you the fun coupons to buy and do what you want. Period. What you do doesn’t matter, as long as you make as much money as you can, so you can live as comfortably as possible. Working for the weekend, essentially. If that mind numbing office job makes more money than the RJ pilot, the decision has already been made.
I have other friends who make money for sport—many are finance/banking types. It’s less so about making money as a tool, or a means to an end, and more about treating their paycheck as the end itself—like a high score in a video game. There is no amount that is enough, and they’ll go to even more extremes to increase earnings. Most likely to brag about salary when no one has asked.
There are those who value quality of life—time with family, etc.
Some who want status/power.
There are those who are chasing a feeling of fulfillment, purpose, belonging, competence, salary be damned. I think this is more common in people who have found and lived their childhood dream career, but not always.
I think a huge factor is how your parents viewed work growing up. My dad absolutely loved his job, and couldn’t wait to get to work. He retired with extreme reluctance. He was big on loving what you do, because it would consume at least 1/3 of your life, and that rubbed off on me.
The guys who prioritize making money above all else have difficulty understanding the decision making of guys who will take less pay in search of a feeling—and vice versa.
12-14-2020, 08:36 AM
#78
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Mar 2013
Posts: 410
Originally Posted by LoneStar32
Well, first of all I didn't consider my previous job a "gig". I considered it a career and treated it as such. i.e. continually working on self improvement, promotion, pay increases, stepping up the ladder, dedicating years of my life, etc. Were their aspects of that career that were better than being an airline pilot? Absolutely. The job security, being home every night, pay was more than what most regional pilots make, etc. But there were other aspects that absolutely sucked? For sure, like taking work home with you, the back stabbing politics of an up or out work environment, taking work home with you, answering emails 9am on a Sunday, taking work home with you, tossing in your bed for two hours trying to go to sleep but you can't because you are worried about a project/deadline, taking work home with you, etc.
At least to me the positives far outweigh the negatives being an Airline pilot and it is not even close. Now I am not naïve enough to realize that there are people out there that prefer the high pressure environment of an up or out type of career. If that is another pilot then I just have to ask "why are you still here?"
At least to me the positives far outweigh the negatives being an Airline pilot and it is not even close. Now I am not naïve enough to realize that there are people out there that prefer the high pressure environment of an up or out type of career. If that is another pilot then I just have to ask "why are you still here?"
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