It's for their own good so they can focus on a real job. Back when I was training it was thought that you'd spend a a few years at a regional and move on to the majors in a few years. I wouldn't have wasted all that time on flying if I knew what the future would hold. Now it looks like we'll be CRJ and ERJ captains for a very long time. Plus thousands on furlough at the majors, age 65 and the economy. I'm actually seriously looking at foreign companies, my dream is not exactly to fly CRJs from ORD to Tulsa for the rest of my life. You would be crazy to get into airline flying now. You know it's bad when you have to keep telling yourself I love my job I love my job I love my job.

 

Things will change, like its been said a hundred times, this industry is a cycle of good and bad, it will eventually turn for the better. Now weather pay and qol will change from company to company I dunno, but I believe hiring and recalls will resume, eventually. Give it time.

 

ya it is a cycle, but from what i've seen, the good times are only a year or two, with the bad times being maybe 5 years.

 

Flying is for most of us, I would argue, more about passion then getting rich. Sure, the dream of six figure salaries played a part, but what about the freedom and joy and wonder and excitement of flying? All those qualities about this profession that makes little kids awe every time they are around an airport or see an airplane. We do this job because we want to be aviators, because we love flying. We all think that we want to be airline pilots because, as outsiders, we think the airline pilots are the kings of the industry. Once we get into this profession part our individual responsibility and commitment to ourselves is to find where we fit into the flying community and how to fit this crazy passion into the rest our lives.

There are a lot more opportunities out there as a professional pilot then flying from 150 people back and forth from Souix Falls to Denver for thirty years. It is up to us as individuals to learn as much about this profession as possible and then guide the next generation of aviators to where they will find happiness between the earth and the stars. As professionals it is not our place to kill the dreams of the rookies, but to offer up our experiences when asked and allow those who come after us to choose their own path.

 

I actually agree whole heartedly, but many on here have this belief that the fact that (the passion we all have for this above the money) is bringing the industry down, that seems to be the opinion of most on here. I am simply imploring most of us to recognize that we made our decisions with freedom, the right and wrong decisions we all have made on our career path were made by us as individuals, so quit looking to blame you hardships on some one else. I agree we should impart our experiences (good and bad) to younger aviators, but not with a cancerous attitude. In the end, good bad or indifferant, we all chose to be here...period.

 

Before I get hammered, I am not advocating flying for free. I would love to join the airlines but I don't believe that I can support my family on 25K the first year and then maybe low 30s the next. I'm on here taking as much in as possible and I'm all for higher pay and better work rules. There is always going to be a lower bidder flying regionals, there will always be a pilot accepting lower pay to allow that regional to under bid the competition, but I know my financial limits and I've broadened my horizons in the job search.