Yes, they are.

I know there are 2 sides and that I am the three-sigma case. I have NEVER come across anyone in the business who has had as many friends or co-workers killed and that has always totally baffled me. Not included in that total are the three fatals I eyewitnessed and the friend killed in the USAir 1016 crash in CLT in 1994. I want to make it clear to aspiring money-spenders that fate is an active hunter in this profession. I have never heard of an accountant getting whacked in a tragic auditing accident.

Guys - I agree the 6 years to get 1,000 hours is pathetic. Like I said the guy almost seemed to have just quit. I believe it was the crushing burden of loans combined with his resistance to move to a better part of the country to get hours and progress...Of course, he let me know if he wanted to go AF / Navy his Aero Science degree and quality training would take him thru UPT without any problems. Everytime I asked him why he just doesn't go join the military - he didn't want to because of the type of flying they have to do and time away from family...

One thing about aviation - you need to have a game plan going in...I guess that holds true for anything you want in life...



To each his own...

-LAFF

Right Place
 

I have seen groups that do well in aviation. Usually they are all the sons and daughters of airline pilots. I had to start as an Alaskan bush pilot. Years later I went to my father and told him to get a flying job at a major airline so I could have an easier time. He wouldn't do it. By then he was in his late 50's.

Also I guess you would have to say what your definition of "making" it is. To me achieving the left seat at a regional doesnt count as making it to anywhere yet.

SKyHigh

Depends on where you are with that CFI. I spoke to a few people up here in NY about the CFI gig. They basically said the CFI will be good if you want another notch on your belt. Considering there's little to no flying going on during the winter months (something to do with the snow and icing conditions, etc.) and there isn't a huge interest in flight training because it's so god damn expensive to do so up here when renting a Cessna 172 is about $140/hour and then you add on top of that the cost of a CFI.

I started my training in February 2003. I had ONE log entry for that month due to weather. 600-700/year you find in AZ or FL or some other state with fair Wx year round. Not in NY.

how ever you also get very good experience flying in the NE rather than places like arizona, no? You always have to be on top of the weather around here. You can get some good real ifr experience and make your decision making abilities more finely tuned. especially when icing, fog, or thunderstorms are a real threat.

Oh absolutely! I was just pointing out that once the ice comes into play, you're not doing much flying. I live by the airports. I hear those Lycomings and Continentals all the time when the weather is nice. The second some clouds roll in (despite the fact it's still VFR) it's quiet as a library.

I did 650 hours of instruction in my last year as an instructor in Indiana. It all depends on the setup.

Once you get to the 121 world your odds get a lot better. Especially in turbojets...

Odds
 

The risk is still there once one reaches the 121 world but come from a different direction other than crashes. There is weight gain, boredom, loosing the will to live, heart disease, divorce, personal financial destruction, an idled love life and many other afflictions that plague the airline pilot.

SKyHigh