Would you recommend this profession to others?
 

For those of you flying for a regional, I was just curious where everyone stood.

Sure, as long as they are well-educated about it and have thick skin. And I don't mean that in a sarcastic way, I just think people need to be educated about what goes on besides the flying and how the lifestyle is.

Some interesting results. Not what I was expecting at all.

absolutely not, I love flying and one day it will truly suck when I can't. But aviation has the worst life style. First is AIDS (aviation induced divorce syndrome) which has led to a high divorce rate in the industry. As a pilot you are gone from home way to much and not compensated for that. Home away from the kids and wife sucks.

The airlines are not what it used to be and any job that pays 20k a year to start after paying 60K+ for the ratings and 100K+ for a Embry Ripoff degree is a joke. I'm a second year FO at a regional and I would take a pay cut if I went to Continental right now.

No my advice for someone thinking about aviation would be go to med school or what ever and get a career where you can have a life and make enough money to fly for fun.

let me take this and make it read the way i saw it several years ago..

would you recommend someone to go into the medical field??

absolutely not, I love being a doctor and one day it will truly suck when I can't. But being a doctor has the worst life style. First is RIDS (Residency induced divorce syndrome) which has led to a high divorce rate in the industry. As a doctor you are gone from home way to much and not compensated for that. Home away from the kids and wife sucks.

The medical field is not what it used to be and any job that pays 60k a year to start after paying 300,000 for a degree is a joke. I'm a second year resident at a regional hospital and I would take a pay cut if I went to start my own practice now.
No my advice for someone thinking about being a doctor would be go to flight school or what ever and get a career where you can have a life and make enough money for fun.

yeah that is pretty much word for word what i have been told before.

if you have read any of my previous post you would know i came from the medical field. the stories are the same, just 2 different professions.

i have 18 days off this month
doctors are lucky if they get weekends off

i go to work, do my job, and go home.
doctors go to work, do their job, and then follow up with patients for as long as necesarry, while taking on more patients and being on call.

i get to sleep in a hotel
they get to sleep in the hospital

Not everyone in any profession can be lumped into one ball. Some doctors haven't had to see a patient for several years and make REALLY good money. Some pilots fly 15 days a month and make over 250 grand. Not all doctors are rich, not all pilots are rich, not all lawyers are rich. it is all dependent on what you want to do.

when i was working at the hospital i would hear a plane fly over head and wish i was doing that instead. i knew i would always wonder "what if" everytime one flew by. I don't ever regret making the change. and i know it was good for me because everytime i drive by a hospital i don't wish i was in there working. every worth while career requires sacrifice and patience to reach the desired level. no matter what you choose, you need to do what makes you happy.

and if you don't believe me on some of this stuff just google "should i be a doctor", you will laugh at what some doctors say about their own profession (you will laugh because you could put pilot in their like i did and it is the same stuff!!) :)