i know this post didn't hinder my dream of becoming an airline pilot....and i make 75k a year bartending....

 

That is very noble of you................

 

I have read all 8 pages of this post so far. Still wouldn’t change my choices. I still need to read the article in Flying, and I will. Skyhigh you remind me of my roommates parents back in college. . .or my parents for that matter. They really didn’t see a future in aviation and when I would call my parents from college they would always ask, “are you sure you know what you’re doing”. My roommate received similar phone calls. I was 19-21, so of course I new what I was doing. You are doing the same thing they were doing years before; giving free advice.

I graduated. Uh-oh . . . well, I couldn’t find a job out of college. Was their wisdom right? Did I screw up already? Man, I sure got over second guessing myself a long time ago. I agree the industry is in bad shape. Maybe this next generation will fix it. Maybe we (all generations) won’t tolerate big (money) management. I am going to give my peers the benefit of the doubt, both older and younger. As far as I can remember they were personally attacked on 9/11. I don’t think an industry has ever had their livelihood attacked like that (not great at history though). We are still standing. We may no longer be icons, but I know we are Patriots. Probably much safer to work for a big corporation and let them chip away at my salary there. No thanks, did that for 6 years. I even had a window seat. The scenery never changed except for the seasons. I like my office in the sky and I like the people I work with and around.

The college loans are paid off. That fact makes throwing the coals to the turbine and letting the stallions roll just that much more pleasant. I love screaming through the tops as the clouds wisp by. I saw a cherry red sunset tonight climbing out of KBOS. My FO’s comment, “makes it all worth it”. I couldn’t agree more. I heed your advice. I hear your wisdom and see where it comes from. I respect you because you probably know these terms; muktuk, triplepack (triple-mailer) and kuskokwim. I am willing to listen to you or anyone’s advice on this forum for that matter. After a couple years out of college I was given this free advice. “Do what you love and it won’t feel so much like a job.” My father’s quote after 12 years at a technology corporation. He already survived one lay-off. I heeded his words. He quit shortly afterwards.

I was also told, “If you love your job you won’t leave it.” I think my grandfather was right. I am staying. Skyhigh people have said you should focus on the younger guys in flight training and that probably is good advice. Unfortunately, in my case, if my parents couldn’t convince me not to love flying I doubt you would of. To some flying is a job and to others it is a passion. I like to live a passionate life.

Regardless, I salute your efforts it keeps my flightdeck filled with the passionate ones!!!

 

Any 19 year old's here at the regional forums?

Skyhigh, you're in the wrong place. Your message is worthy of consideration but your target audience isn't here.

Tell us again what you're trying to accomplish?

 

Ha ha. Ain't that the truth? If anything, the aviation schools will tell you a load of b.s. to get you to sign up for their worthless degree.

I went to an aviation college but I went for nursing. One day I got frustrated with the nursing program and went over to the aviation people to talk to them about changing my major. The head honcho over there suggested I "definitely change my major to aviation if I want to become an airline pilot". He went on to say that "a nursing degree may actually hurt you in trying to get an airline job". That sentence right there sealed my fate. I stayed with the nursing. I mean, I can be an airhead sometimes but I am not completely stupid. What a load of crap!!!! If anything, I think the nursing degree helped me stand out when talking to airline recruiters later on. It also gave me something to fall back on.

 

I tell ya what. I heard so much negativity from family about becoming an airline pilot when I was growing up, it truly made me sick. People love to be negative. The only person that NEVER, I mean NEVER said ANYTHING negative was my mom. I love her so much! She's worked so hard her whole life. She used to take me to the laundromat with her on days off school where she worked and say "become something. Don't work hard like me". Well, mom.....THANKS!!!! Thanks to her, I don't come home with a burned hand from the big pants iron. Thanks to her, I have great health insurance. Thanks to her, instead of working like a dog 40 hours a week, I fly around and get paid. I am so grateful to her for believing in me and not spewing negativity like people like to do. If I listened to all the naysayers, I'd be working God knows where M-F 9-5 probably making 40K and where would all the naysayers be? Paying my bills for me? Probably not! You only have one life to live....you might as well live it doing something you love. Life's to short to do something you hate 40 hours a week. Having a back up is always a bonus though.

SkyHigh, I respect your opinion, but you remind me off all the negative people from my childhood. Educating people on here is one thing, but it's the way you go about it that is a huge turnoff.

 

It is easy on a forum like this to dredge up a bucket full of Disney movie worthy stories about percerverance and dream chasing success. I can testify however that the average experience falls far short of getting a job at UPS in your 20's. Drop outs and dead endears have little reason to venture onto this forum. Most are eager to put the painful experience behind them.

As I have mentioned before a few will reach their goals and will perhaps be happy for a time and their story will spread. Each story of seemingly easy success will launch a thousand ill fated careers.

No one likes to tell the ones about the 40 year old furloughed pilot who now works as a used car salesman. I am also sure that the ex-TWA guy who does the laundry at my parents retirement community isn't mentioned either.

All I am saying is that life isn't a movie. The good guy doesnt always win. Effort and earnestness has an effect however the biggest factor in reaching your goals in aviation is LUCK.

I do not have any issue with true believers. Many here are braced for the hardships and are ready to lay their entire lives upon the alter of aviation. Many however do not fully understand what they are getting into. The risk and investment required is not worthy of the possible rewards pilots today can expect.



SKyhigh

 

Last week one of my threads was pulled because I mentioned that the post office was advertising jobs at 56K per year. You could easily spend the rest of your flying career trying to get back to that 75K.

Pilots don't realize what the rest of the world is making.


Skyhigh

 

I hope that you will have my back the next time I am in a debate about the foolishness of an aviation degree.

Skyhigh

 

It seems to me that many here are interested in this topic.

SkyHigh