hmmm. how much is the fence job paying? if its on climbto350 i got dibs.

Hey ATP i realize that after i posted in this thread about 5 times i still havent answered much of what you where asking. Yes people make successful transitions into aviation all the time, at any age. If your flying part 91 you can fly as long as you have a medical. airlines stop at 60 as of now.

In my opinion part 91 flying has the most potential to suck hard or be the greatest job out there. get your CFI and network like a mad bas%ard. alot of aviation outside of the airlines is on call.

Airline schedules are usually no longer than 5 days of flying at a time. then you will have 2,3,4 days off. 135 varies.

135 freight is very often 24/7 on call (alot of night) with a pager and you have to show up like 15,20,30 minutes after it goes off. but freight pays good for the experience level you bring to the job. Some 135 freight places offer 2 weeks on 1 week off, some dont. It can feel like you are living in a cockpit 24/7 sometimes, and you sleep terrible all the time. You will start to feel like your pager is a bomb waiting to go off on your nightstand at 3am.

91 flying is usually passengers calling you a few days in advance to make plans, you are generally on the road with free time. It can be very enjoyable if your single, because rich people go to some cool places. downsides? no control over your life/schedule, you have to kiss butt constantly and you will become intimatly familiar with proper bag loading technique. If your and F/O your life will revolve around cleaning the airplane, getting coffee and ice, and putting news papers out for the passengers to scatter into a billion peices over a 30 minute flight. Downsides as a captain? someone (your F/O maybe) can always sneakily underbid your salary and put you on the street with zero notice. And when rich people have money problems, planes and pilots go with virtually no notice. sorry for the long winded thing if you have anymore questions feel free to ask

 

I tried. I made more money, but other than that it sucked. I actually had to work, for one, and had to learn to adjust to having bosses breathing down my neck all the time. On top of that, a 40 hour work week was rare. I just am not cut for the rat race/daily commute crap. I saw my family more at the regionals for crying out loud. The grass is not always greener. I went back to flying, and I'm glad I did.

 

In twenty years in aviation I know far more dead pilots than those who ever made it to the majors.

SKyHigh

 

It is almost inevitable that most will levitate to another career profession. Everyday I run across ex-pilots who live another life today. If you are human and enjoy earning a living and life with your family then get out now. It will be painful but not nearly as if you were to burn a lifetime in the saddle.

SkyHigh

 

all three of you are so negative.

 

haha yeah I know, join the darkside.

 

I never thought about it that way, but you might be right.

 

is there anybody on this board who is happy as a pilot , as it seems that the people who post most often are not current pilots who for one reason are another have " left the game " . The game being no different to any other theses days that doesnt offer job protection for life. I dont think the reasons people become pilots has changed any since the Wright Brothers , just some might get put off as there is no job for life with a rolex at the end and a gang of adoring blondes along the way..

 

You must be a new pilot, because those with some experience know what we gripe about. Perhaps you are considering a career as a professional pilot and are trying to calm yourself in the face of such unhappy customers. A good plan is to establish a healthy denial system. You could ask Flyerjosh about how to do that.

To summarize pilots these days are over worked under paid and are facing slimmer chances daily of making it to anyplace good. No blonde's, no Rolex. I don't think the Wright Brothers had them either.

SKyHigh

 

Im training to be a pilot. Im not in denial but suggesting that the three people who keep saying the same thing are not wrong , but maybe missing the point.. what attracts many people is not the moolah but the percieved joy of flying... get the 1000 hrs up and then it seems something changes..

The people who ultimtatley leave , well they have lived , they have enjoyed the view. ITs a bit like saying dont " go out " with the blonde babe because she is shallow to a teenager with pimples whos looking to pop his cherry.. not logical..

So beyond the three people who keep saying the same thing..does anybody else have anything good to say about making the career change ?