Airline Pilot Central Forums - Feel so stupid sometimes

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Quote:

Originally Posted by Pontius Pilot (Post 439438)

You can't fault yourself for this...so don't be down on yourself. You did what you thought was best at the time and things changed. All we can do is make informed decisions based on the information we have at the time. You couldn't foresee this downturn.

Anyone with experience in this industry CAN forsee the downturn...it will always come around eventually, the boom times never last for too long.

Before you make a move (especially one that will involve giving up seniority), contemplate the consequences if the music stops at the worst moment. I actually gapped my employment between two airlines by a couple of weeks to preserve a pre-planned vacation, because my wife insisted. Naturally I didn't sleep so good until my class date...always a little worried about what I might see on CNN.

Quote:

Originally Posted by AirWillie (Post 439484)

Still same crappy pay but with the extra FA.

That's a fairly substantial increase in the "odds," wouldn't you say? :D

Quote:

Originally Posted by AirWillie (Post 439541)

That's why I really doubt people will be willing to fly for the majors now. It's just amazing how people I know, most are saying they'll fly corp/fractional/cargo before flying for the majors now. Some are even considering leaving the country all together. One guy is looking at an A330/340 operation in Asia where like everything is paid and CA oportunity in a few years. The current economy and the exciting candidates for the presidency don't help either.

At the end of the day, the majors still top out much higher than the fracs, even under concessionary contracts; the really top-end corporate gigs are almost impossible to obtain unless you know someone; UPS isn't hiring (and ANC is a ridiculous commute); and when FedEx starts hiring, it's Hong Kong or Paris as a junior FO (and junior CA). ACMI cargo/charter gigs result in 3-4 weeks on the road at a pop.

Flying in Asia or the Mid East may pay the bills...but at what cost? I don't think most folks want to raise their kids in Doha, Dubai, etc...half a world away from friends and family...regardless of compensation--which is solid but not outstanding. If you haven't spent time in Doha and/or Dubai, you may not fully grasp the culture shock involved with living there....or in the Far East, for that matter.

So for comparative QOL, I think the majors will always be a fairly popular option.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spaceman Spliff (Post 439767)

That's a fairly substantial increase in the "odds," wouldn't you say? :D

the odds that one of them will file sexual harrasment against ya is twice as high as well.

Quote:

Originally Posted by bryris (Post 439432)

So, I work for TSA. I can't complain too badly, I was hired out of a Cessna 172 with 750 hours into a jet and have had a pretty good run for the 14 months I've been here. However, with 10 birds going back to Eagle and the downsizing, etc, I am just waiting for my furlough notice. When I get it, I don't even know if I'll ever be called back because the 50 seaters are being phased out. I wouldn't be surprised of TSA as a brand gets phased out and any growth occurs on the GoJet side.

Meanwhile, a friend of mine works for Comair, and switched from the CRJ-200 to the -700/-900 and received an appropriate pay raise and it looks like he'll be escaping the furlough too. He was hired with Comair AFTER I was hired at TSA.

Why did I stay at TSA? I should have gotten a few hundred hours jet time and switched to a better company. My future would be looking a lot brighter right now.

Gotta stay positive....

Don't beat yourslef up, man. I am in the same boat at ExpressJet. When I was hired a little more than a year ago, we were forecast to hire 800 Pilots this year, and had something like $300 million in the bank.

I'm going to try and get my money back on this Crystal Ball....

Whats wrong with doha?! haha... Some could make it in Dubai, but after being stationed there for 2 years I couldn't EVER do it again... Think about your long term goals. For me my family and friends are very important to me, therefor I could never move to the other side of the world... Sure Dubai is nice..... TO VISIT, but I could never accept that lifestyle as my own....

And to the original nature of this thread, I feel your pain. I was the very first class that was cancelled (At TSA). I was called a week before the class started, and an hour before I was going to leave my current job... Talk about great timing for a bad thing.... I also passed up interviews other places to interview at ASA and Mesaba and am now jobless... but the silver lining is at least I didnt get furloughed!! haha

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stryker (Post 439784)

And to the original nature of this thread, I feel your pain. I was the very first class that was cancelled (At TSA). I was called a week before the class started, and an hour before I was going to leave my current job... Talk about great timing for a bad thing.... I also passed up interviews other places to interview at ASA and Mesaba and am now jobless... but the silver lining is at least I didnt get furloughed!! haha

Not trying to be a jerk, but maybe someone else might benefit from this. Even if you are hired and it's before a class date, don't pass on interviews. One of two things will happen: 1. You either get hired at the second company (which you can decline if you prefer Company A) or 2. You don't get hired by company B and you continue Company A. It's this very example why you go to all interviews.

Stryker sorry it happened to you the way it did at least you got the call before you quit your current job. Best of luck man!

Thanks... No I definitely learned a lesson here... Always take an interview if offered even if you have that original job.... I dont really mind continuing to instruct for a little while (gonna go back to school in the meantime), but I could be in a better place had I accepted that interview... Lesson Learned....