We should all be so lucky to work for Prop-shops!!

If only I were good at something, anything, else...!

Six months ago a prop guy would have taken that statement as sarcasm. Funny how things change so quickly.

You're never safe.

You know it :eek:

I wasn't good at -
 

my present PROFESSION until I went back to college after 9/11/01. Now, I'm sitting on an ATP/MEL with 11,000 plus hours and a type rating-and a VERY lucrative medical career which is recession and furlough proof. You guys that already have degrees, believe it or not, those degrees are VALUABLE. You can go on from there to an advanced degree like I did, and have life on your terms.

I was STUPID. I thought hard work and spotless credentials would get me to the major airline job that I had dreamed of, instead, the reality was that if I had HAPPENED to meet the right S.O.B., and brown-nosed him enough so that he /she would lie and say that I was the greatest pilot, and that they had known me my whole life-then I'd have made it there, credentials and hard work be damned.

Now, the fruits of my hard work are paying me BANK!, and I work as much or as little as I want, no a$$ kissing, no recommendation, no nothing-except my PROFESSIONAL LISCENSE.

As for flying, I fly a Pitts S2c FOR FUN now. Yes, I said it-FUN.

Dont think you are trapped-cause you're not, unless you want to be.


It's hard to beat an EDUCATED person.

What is it that you studied/do? I'd be interested to hear it. PM if you want.

...
 

I went to med school.

Career Change?
 

You know I write similar things here all the time and get beaten up for it.

SkyHigh

LOL...I'm a junior in college, a biology major, have the flying bug bad, and am trying to decide between an airline career and going to med school. I have the grades, the volunteer stuff, the shadowing, etc... I have talked to like 5 doctors who basically said you are crazy for wanting to be a doctor. They had very good reasons behind their comments, and during several shadowing experiences I have gotten to see first hand what they are talking about. Then there is APC where people (like SkyHigh) who say you are crazy for wanting an airline career. As much as SkyHigh gets bashed on here, he actually makes some very good points that are extremely thought provoking for a person in a situation like mine. I have absolutely no clue which side of the fence I will land on. Isn't APC wonderful?

Well,
 

Just take the advice for what's it is worth to you. No one is trying to crush your dreams here, this site is supposed to be about pilots helping pilots. My experience is what it is, so is Skyhigh's. Truth be told, if 9/11 hadn't happened, I might be still spinning along, trapped in the go-no-where, LOW pay, miserable life at AE, waiting for the NO THRU agreement, and being sh!t on by my Simmons/Flagship/E.T. Mafia/Mainline AA pilot brothers on a daily basis. (the sheep in east texas are STILL scared).

I don't hate my life anymore. I enjoy helping people who are hurt and need help-sure there is b.s. to put up with here too, sometimes people die, drug seekers, and the like. But the BIG difference is that I get PAID like a professional should get paid. All that hard work and sacrifice that I put into my flying-in the ultimate end meant nothing. It was a big point of pride, in that I worked my way up through the ranks with ZERO help from anyone. But, pride goeth before a fall.

Lots of people on here don't want to hear what veterans like me, Skyhigh, and others here have to say on this scam industry. But, I wish I had had someone give me as good advice back in the day. Don't be a sucker! Get your head out of the sand and look around. $100.00 plus oil, age 65, and the like are all subtle clues about where the airlines are headed. You would never launch on a 200, 1/2 destination without an alternate would you? Then you sure as he!! better not "launch" your aviation career without an alternate plan either.

Just my $.02

btw Today I took a 2 hour lunch and flew the Pitts-what a BLAST! Have fun fellows!