Listen folks, I have no idea how many of you actually do this job vs. those who don't. If you can live on base and work for a stable company that treats you well AND can honestly see yourself happy there for you entire career, then by all means give it a shot.

The problem is that there are 2-3 pilots for every job available. Word spreads fast in this industry. Believe me, if there are good companies out there (and there are), the line outside the door will be incredibly long.

The precedent has been set for the "new" airline industry, post 9/11. It is a dog eat dog industry where your value is minor and you are played like a pawn.

The only thing that makes it worthwhile is the one in a multitude of legs where you see something cool or learn something new. Thats it. After a 1,000 hours of doing this type of rote flying, coupled with the forces you'll be dealing with regarding lack of pay, little to no chance for career development (at least for a while), having to re interview for your job every 6 months, endless nights in hotel rooms, your child hanging onto your leg as you drag your bags out of the house for a back to back 4 and 2 day trip. "See you next week, family". It gets so damn old. Eating from airport kiosks gets old too.

For those who worked a desk job and think this is better. I understand that. Things about it are better, I admit. But, in a year or two, my bet is that that desk job will start to look pretty inviting.

Just my $.02.

 

I'm in exactly the same situation... IT sucks so bad. I think we'd appreciate it soooo much more. I can't wait till people become real again, because there is certainly no shortage of fake backstabbers in the corporate office world...

 

As a desk job worker for more than 4 years now. I STRONGLY doubt it.

I hope I'm right, because if all goes well, I'll finally be leaving it behind me soon...

 

What about ATC versus the airline life? I'm getting furloughed soon and looking at going the ATC route and was wondering if there are any guys out there that did the same thing and how do you feel about your decision? Was it the right choice, do you like it?

 

I worked for Atlantic Coast Airlines/Indy Air and loved it. Great crews and good times. However back in the '99 and '00 there was a lot of movement and that made everyone happy. Since then, I have worked for 2 long haul freight carriers and that was not as much fun and I was a way from home a lot and wasn't happy. Yes I was flying the 747-400 my dream plane but hated life. Now I am at Cathay and am very happy there and I honestly must say I love my job, I am home all the time and get to fly a heavy. My best advise is finding happiness in your current situation is a lot easier than finding a better job. However if you cant afford to feed your family or even your self its very tough, I know I was a new hire turbo-prop FO twice. Being poor just ain't no fun.

 

I worked a desk for nearly that long too. If you are comparing job to job, then it beats it. No doubt. If you are comparing lifestyle to lifestyle, then I'd have to reiterate my point.

What is sad for everybody is that no matter how bad it gets out there in this profession, there will always be young bright eyed and bushy tailed folks salivating to sign up. I'd like to think that the state of the profession can only go so low before people start resigning looking for a better life, forcing the airlines to increase compensation, QOL, etc. But, I am afraid this will never work. At the regional level, even if FO salary hit $8/hour, my guess is that the lines would still be far out the door of the recruiting office. Hell, Gulfstream academy has proven that FOs will PAY for their jobs. Where does it end?

There are benefits to working in a field that is in demand. Piloting isn't and will never be. Doesn't mean you can score a good gig if the planets align and you know the right people.

 

I saw this article on cnn.com this morning and it made me think and realize that many people think their jobs suck.

Half of primary-care doctors in survey would leave medicine - CNN.com

Half of primary-care doctors in survey would leave medicine


(CNN) -- Nearly half the respondents in a survey of U.S. primary care physicians said that they would seriously consider getting out of the medical business within the next three years if they had an alternative.
Experts say if many physicians stop practicing, it could be devastating to the health care industry.





The survey, released this week by the Physicians' Foundation, which promotes better doctor-patient relationships, sought to find the reasons for an identified exodus among family doctors and internists, widely known as the backbone of the health industry.
A U.S. shortage of 35,000 to 40,000 primary care physicians by 2025 was predicted at last week's American Medical Association annual meeting.
In the survey, the foundation sent questionnaires to more than 270,000 primary care doctors and more than 50,000 specialists nationwide.
Of the 12,000 respondents, 49 percent said they'd consider leaving medicine. Many said they are overwhelmed with their practices, not because they have too many patients, but because there's too much red tape generated from insurance companies and government agencies.
And if that many physicians stopped practicing, that could be devastating to the health care industry. Dr. Gupta: Watch more on the looming doctor dearth »
"We couldn't survive that," says Dr. Walker Ray, vice president of the Physicians Foundation. "We are only producing in this country a thousand to two thousand primary doctors to replace them. Medical students are not choosing primary care."
Dr. Alan Pocinki has been practicing medicine for 17 years. He began his career around the same time insurance companies were turning to the PPO and HMO models. So he was a little shocked when he began spending more time on paperwork than patients and found he was running a small business, instead of a practice. He says it's frustrating.
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"I had no business training, as far as how to run a business, or how to evaluate different plans," Pocinki says. "It was a whole brave new world and I had to sort of learn on the fly."
To manage their daily work schedules, many survey respondents reported making changes. With lower reimbursement from insurance companies and the cost of malpractice insurance skyrocketing, these health professionals say it's not worth running a practice and are changing careers. Others say they're going into so-called boutique medicine, in which they charge patients a yearly fee up front and don't take insurance.
And some like Pocinki are limiting the type of insurance they'll take and the number of patients on Medicare and Medicaid. According to the foundation's report, over a third of those surveyed have closed their practices to Medicaid patients and 12 percent have closed their practices to Medicare patients That can leave a lot of patients looking for a doctor.
And as Ray mentioned, med school students are shying away from family medicine. In a survey published in the Journal of the American Medical Association in September, only 2 percent of current medical students plan to take up primary care. That's because these students are wary of the same complaints that are causing existing doctors to flee primary care: hectic clinics, burdensome paperwork and systems that do a poor job of managing patients with chronic illness.
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So what to do? Physicians don't have a lot of answers. But doctors say it's time to make some changes, not only in the health care field but also with the insurance industry. And they're looking to the new administration for guidance.



One of President-elect Barack Obama's health care promises is to provide a primary care physician for every American. But some health experts, including Pocinki, are skeptical.
"People who have insurance can't find a doctor, so suddenly we are going to give insurance to a whole bunch of people who haven't had it, without increasing the number of physicians?" he says. "It's going to be a problem."

 

Great article, and you are exactly right! If you look at any job, within any industry, there are always going to be people who hate the job, and people who love it. This is no different for pilots. You will talk to pilots who love the job, and those who hate it. It truly is subjective, and I don't think that you can make your opinions, based on someone else's opinion.

I talked to a regional CA not long ago, who loves his job, loves his pay, and his QOL. He talked about how much his family is jealous of him, etc. Point is, there are many complaints, as will be in any career, but in the end, not everybody will view things through the same pair of glasses. I know guys flying for regionals who are very happy with their pay. I also know guys working 10+ hours a day in non-aviation related careers, making less than a regional FOs, wishing they had done something else. It goes both ways.

I do think the biggest misconception that people have, is regarding pay. Many believe that careers outside of the aviation industry pay more. The truth is, they do not. I'd be willing to bet that the vast majority of people who may leave the airline industry, for jobs outside of aviation, will not make more than they would as an RJ captain, or major FO. They may have a better QOL, in their eyes, but not more money. The truth is, those six figure jobs outside of aviation, are hard to come by, and usually have a long line of other qualified applicants trying to get them. Also, in non-aviation jobs, typically, the more money you make, the more responsibility you have, and thus the more you work, at least that is how it has gone for friends, and family of mine.

 

When I used to be at Expressjet before the furlough, I was there on reserve for a year and a half with no crashpad, and I used to love everything about my job. It was the easiest job I could ever imagine. No I am back to flight instructing and I hate it. Have to work 8 to 10 hours a day actually work (Not sitting in a recliner watching discovery channel in EWR waiting for scheduling to call you kind of work) but actually work alot. Deal with people that can bearly speak english and never even driven a car in their life, and trying to explain to them what brakes are for. I could never understand those captains that always ***** about their job and being reasigned and stuff. I mean as an FO my responsibility was to occupy the right seat and talk to ATC and do a walkaround.
Apologize for the rant.....

 

Well as far as lifestyle goes... I work 5 days a week, and have 2 off... And I don't like it very much. The routine sucks, makes you lazy, and complacent... I can't say the other is better because I haven't tried it, but I do know that I was a much happier person (and more energetic) when I worked 2 jobs at varying hours while in jr college than I am now doing the M-F grind... I don't know, I think I should give it a try...