How long till this feeling dies???
 

Ok guys, got hired at ASA last year and Ive been having a blast since. Just got junior manned to the 700 and thats been going well also, but I have a question.

The end of last week found me in Miami Beach with some buddies of mine who are still in college, and we had an amazing time. However thinking of working was in the back of my mind the entire time, when i was coherent enough to think:D.

I dunno its weird, I actually look forward to going in to work, out over the numerous jobs i've ever had, never have I felt like that. How long till feeling like this goes away? Some sidenotes: I live in domicile 5 mins away from airport, unmarried, no kids, and I turn 24 in 4 months.

You never want that feeling to end. I, on the other hand, dread going back to work every weekend and the feeling gets exponentially worse for long holiday weekends and vacations. I spend most of my time thinking how great it would be to have a real flying job, not a sit behind a desk four days out of the week and log 2.5-4.0 the other day.

Enjoy your youth and seach out some more adventures.

When you get in a relationship, and have to commute, I'd say.

Stay single and go out and have fun all the time. Even better when you have great crews!

Seems like I dread going to work when i have to commute, always thinking "I Hope i don't get on this flight." But when I'm away for a while, I miss it

I am 25 married with a kid just upgraded on the 175 and commute 1500 miles for now and I hate leaving my family but when I get to work I still love what I do looking foward to move to base

When the company takes your days off away, then continues to junior man you to work on your remaining few days off, takes away your vacation, and doesn't give you your schedule until 5 days out or less of the new bid period. When you realize you'll be home just long enough to go to the bathroom, pay your bills, and wash your shirts. When maintenance tells you "Effed if I know" when you call to tell them about big ticket maintenance items and are looking for guidance on what to do next. When you bust a walnut to get to work on time, then they cancel turns so your new report isn't until 6 hours later and they deny you per diem. When you realize your company is worse than Mesa.

Then, that feeling dies.

Not that I'm bitter or anything.

Wait......isn't that Mesa to a T?

Im not Ms. Cleo or anything but I doubt ASA will get that bad in the near future.:confused:

Not as long as you guys are owned by SKW Inc. and there's 35 years of proof.

Sounds like you are in love. Usually most people fall in love with other people.

I have one of the most coveted airline jobs in the world and I hate it. I can't stand the thought of having to go to work. Your "Love" of flying will quickly die and it will soon just become a "Job".

Hmmmmmmmm....I hope it last a lifetime you are still relatively young.

As for me I would rather be in negril with a redstripe or st martin sippin on barcardi, I love flying, however I fly to live not Live to Fly

I love flying. Sure there are times when you want a 4 day trip to be over and sleep in your own bed. But who doesn't get tired of their job every now and then? Its everything you make it. Keep a positive attitude and it will always be fun.
My grandpa started working for capital airlines in 1954. He stayed there and was eventually merged with United. He still tells me everytime I see him, (because he has alzheimers and can't remember) that he "never had a job because he was paid to fly airplanes."

Been flying almost 20 years and still act like a kid in a candy store at times ,but then again It,s me I guess.
one of the few with this type of thinking or are there more of us like this ?

I think we're all like that sometimes. I definitely want to be like that. If my company appropriately compensated me for my labor, skills, knowledge, and experience, both monetarily AND MOST IMPORTANTLY with the personal time to make up for the time I'm away from everything else in my life, I'd be a happier and more productive employee. As Blkflyer said, fly to live. That's the best arrangement. Once we lose that, and all we are doing is flying and not living, and it's been forced upon you, well then screw.

You don't know how much you really like or want flying until you can't do it anymore. Then you understand just how precious it can be, or, decide that you can live without and never look back.

This is EXACTLY what I was thinking needed to be said! Spot on Jedi!

I remember
 

I remember loving flying in my early 20's. I couldn't wait to get back to work after some time off and would eagerly take on additional work whenever I could just so I could be in the sky.

By 30 it was all gone. By then my focus changed to building a life and family. Airplanes had became torture tubes that tore me away from home.

I think it is easy to retain that joy of aviation if you have little else in your life to take your attention. Aviation demands a lot of your time and chooses where, how and how well you live.

Perhaps if I was able to secure a better flying job by my 30's I would have had a better time with my chosen profession, but poor and away from home stinks.

SkyHigh

Never Look Back
 

I am in the middle. I miss flying, but remember all to well red-eyes, troublesome captains and crew scheduling. It took nearly five years to not flinch whenever my cell phone rings.

I wish I could go back but now it is way too difficult and demands too much of ones life.

SkyHigh

Yeah but that's the starving ethiopian argument (which always pops up). This is to say, compared to a starving ethiopian, we're all priviledged enough to fly an airplane, therefore it is unreasonable to be unhappy about such condition...well, no. Set the benchmark on a relevant datum instead. People strive to fulfill their passion in life, but one shouldn't be EXPECTED to STARVE in order to fulfill one's passion in life. That's where the problem lies. If the job compensated properly for the amount of time spent away from home, and was a more stable platform to provide for the things any job is supposed to provide for (regardless whether said profession is one's passion or not) then it would be a dream, otherwise it's just another crappy job.

The "I'd do this for free" mantra is illogical in its core argument. It doesn't matter if you get enjoyment out of something, if you cannot satisfy one's basic needs, satisfying your self-fulfillment is irrelevant. In other words, you cannot meet your self-fulfilment (higher order) without meeting your basic needs first (lower order). Furthermore, suggesting you CAN do it in reverse is fundamentally disingenuous....parents/trust fund doesn't count as it is an artificial subsidy. Which is why an unmarried 24 y/o male living 5 minutes from base is the only scenario that can actually fulfill his basic needs on a regional gig pay/schedule and therefore has the luxury to wonder if he is being self-fulfilled by a flying gig. Everybody else cannot even visit the question with a straight face, unless you don't need the money. So spare the "do it for the love of it" feel good until you make mortgage on the 2nd.

Great Statement! and for those of you who think flying as part of a flight crew can get old.....just think about the little people (like me) who you look to and say there is a mech. problem or a three hour UPDATE for out edct time and thats when I turn around and have to say....for those of you on flt 1234 to xyz Im sorry to say that there is a problem.....and 50-100 pax come running up to the gate to say what f#%$ and your a a#$hole its your fault, this airline sucks, what are you going to do about it...thats when I say I will book you for tomorrow and they say FFFFFFFFFF U I have my wedding tomorrow GET ME THERE TONIGHT! Thats why Im trying my hardest to get into the right seat asap! I hate my job! Anyone who thinks being a pilot sucks, come with work with me for a day and see how you like it! By the way we not only work the gate, but the ticket counter, baggage, ramp, and ops.... gotta love cost saving...one person can do it all. Come join the fun!

It already was. Has it gotten better?

EXACTLY.
I think this is the smartest post I've read on apc!

Ya, we are out there. I love flying... now, I'll be the first to grumble about having to sit a 6 hour ready reserve, but when I have 4 or 5 days off in a row, by the second, I find myself missing the air so much that I'll usually pick up open time if it is available. I cant imagine doing anything else. I guess you can put me in the category of those that live to fly.

You need a hobby or a girlfriend.:D

Haha... I have both believe it or not... but the girlfriend is away at college... :(

"Do what you love, do something else for money" A rich guy told me that once. I am following his advice now and have never been happier or better off financially.

I laugh sometimes when I open my closet and see my old 4stripe jacket in there-it cost me millions.

What a dumba$$ I was.

...because you have to sit next to people like this guy the rest of your career.

calling dr phil!
 

My sentiments exactly and there are those who once they finish their trip willhave nothing to do with anything avi related till they go back to their JOB the next week and by the way I started my career when flying was glamourous and in some ways it still is one just has to get by the so called bs .


I want to die in my sleep like my grandfather,not screaming like the pax on his plane .

How long 'til this feeling dies..
 

Well, the warnings on the bottle say:

....any longer than 4 hours, you should see a Doctor.

Yes
 

Right on the mark. If you are not earning a living wage while doing it then it is a working hobby, and everyone loves a hobby. ;)

You can not tell if you really love the job until you are forced to live off what it produces.

SkyHigh

Leave Ethiopia out of it. You can be fulfilled without meeting basic needs, although technically, it is your definition of basic needs is different than most people.

A wise man once told me two things: "Do what you love and the money will follow" and "create multiple streams of income."

Those statements have allowed me to be one of the most expensive instructor on the field, on an hourly basis. It has prompted me to have multiple streams of income, so I can easily take or leave potential clients. It allows survival while I gain the jet hours needed to move on to the next instructing level, or decide if that is really what I want to do. And, it allows survival and gives me something to do while I sit on the ground waiting to heal enough to get back to flying and instructing.

I used to work in a large corporation doing boring IT work. It paid great, I had time off up the wahzoo and the benefits were top notch. Every Friday I would run for the door and every Sunday evening I would get that sick feeling in my stomach that I had to go back to work the following day. I started flying for fun/adventure/challenge/whatever, moved on to flight instructing part time. I realized there that flying was my passion and took a huge paycut to become an instructor. My overall life happiness increased dramatically and I was lucky enough to time it perfectly to get into this latest boom of hiring for the regionals.

So, here I am sitting right seat for a regional 5 years after I started this 'hobby' and I am reminded of what an old co-worker told me. He said that, in his view, retirement wasn't just playing golf. It was finally having the financial security to get the job you have wanted your whole life but couldn't due to money or time or some other reason. So, when I left my corporate job, he told me "congratulations on your retirement!". That has stuck with me. Do I love every aspect of this job: no way. However, it is still the greatest job for me and I feel lucky that I found my passion and turned it into a career.

Not over yet
 

Your story isn't over yet. In fact you have just begun. In time you will most likely find yourself back at your IT job.

I don't know if you are married or not but most people work jobs that are less than satisfying because they have something they value more at home.

SkyHigh

Who do you work for and what station are you at? I guess you get just as much fun as I do. Not to mention fighting with crew scheduling/dispatch/maint control, dealing with maintenance personnel, working with mainline to try and squeeze 15 aircrafts into 9 gates, and aircraft/crew swaps. Also dealing with my bitter agents, p/oed pax, some crew members that just think we throw bags, scan boarding cards and eat lunch, and being everywhere at once. Oh did I mention there were no hotels in the area and pax aren't gonna fly out for another 3 days. I can't remember the amount of personal law suits and @$$ beatings I have coming for me. All for about 12 bucks an hour. Anyone wanna switch pm me asap. I don't mind being that "low time" pilot who knows nothing because in a few months, I'll no longer be that guy. Everyone must start somewhere. I'll even throw in a vest with a different color from the reg agents so that you are id as the leader.

Carib, I hope the ride doesn't end for you buddy. Fly it till the wings fall off because You'll never miss the water until the well runs dry.

As soon as you start taking these posts too seriously!!!!!

I think Hindsight was referring to Maslow's hierarchy of needs, which I'm sure you learned about during your initial CFI training (that's where I learned it). It's UNIVERSAL - the basic needs referring to stuff like food, shelter and sex. I disagree with your saying you can be fulfilled without meeting basic needs... how can you enjoy your flying if you're starving or homeless or haven't gotten laid in 5 years? And that's his point, if you can't even afford the basic stuff on regional wage, how can you say you are truly fulfilled because the basic stuff like food and shelter must come before anything else. Of course, he is saying a 23 year old with no family usually CAN support himself on 15k/year and that is why you will find only people like that wondering such questions.

As far as you being able to charge more for your CFI services.. well that is different because CFIs can be independent contractors.. airline pilots are not.
In any case, you state the importance of creating multiple streams of income (which I agree with.) Isn't that in line with what Hindsight is saying? After all, why would you need to create additional sources of income (i.e., additional WORK) if your airline job was truly fulfilling? Even if you don't NEED to create more income, but WANT to (for security or nicer things or whatever), that itself is saying you still aren't fulfilled on some level.

I have no experience in the airline industry, but I have had a twenty six year career in another side of aviation. I retired in December of 2004, after a couple of years of "burnout". I was sick and tired of flying, dealing with customers, dealing with employees, and all that goes with running a business. I walked away from it and sold my business, never intending to fly for hire again. In reality, all I needed was a couple of years away from it. Now, I find myself current again, have bought a small twin to get my multi time built up, and am totally fired up to get back in the game. My plan is to get on with a pt 91 operation locally, and if that doesnt work out, I am seriously considering a regional. Call me crazy, I thought that the "feeling" had left me for good, but all I needed was to catch my breath and now I am just as pumped about flying as I was when I was sixteen years old and just getting started. I will be forty nine next week.

Sorry man, can't bring me down. Not married, no kids and not going to have kids so that relieves all that pressure to earn for more than me. As I said, I am lucky in that I won't need to work at a job just to provide for my family, that is pretty much taken care of. Yes, I am the minority.

Seems to be slightly contradictory in that basic needs are just that and not subject to subjective definition. Wants, however, are the one that quickly get costly.