Thanks everyone for your comments and opinions. I just got back from a three day trip and actually got to fly with a 8+ year captain. Basically, his opinions reflects the majority of opinions on this thread. He also explained to me what he has to look forward to when he finally makes it to a major airlines who knows when; back at the bottom, struggling financially for the first 2 years if he can ever make it that far before being furloughed, living like a gypsy again in crashpads like he was in college 12 years ago....the list goes on. I am realizing how fortunate I am to have a good paying job just waiting for me while the rest of the country is at a all time high in unemployment.
I will have to take the job and fly for fun on my own chord. Not when someone else tells me to. It is a bitter sweet decision.
But rather than being bitter about the industry, I will take the good experiences and grow from it. Because I have first hand knowledge, I will always respect all of you when I see you in the terminals again and realize the difficulties you are all being challenged with daily. Once a pilot, always a pilot in heart.

Fly safe my friends!

 

Had three friends quit, 2 over a year ago, one about 6 months ago. I know them very well and not one has ever mentioned regrets about leaving. my bud who left 6 mo.'s ago is now in a completely unrelated field and says he'll never go back fwiw

 

Good luck, and...........

.................. let us all know what kind of "fun flying" you end up doing!

 

It was my lifelong dream to become an airline pilot. Even to this day, I pause every time a jet flies over and it still sends chills. After a brief time spent in the 121 world though, I was desperately looking for ways to re enter a more normal life. Turns out that I have a serious addiction to food and family. Yes, there is life after the airlines. A very good life in fact. One without crew schedulers, airport security clowns, and below poverty wages. I now fly my very own PA38 and love every minute of it. I have re discovered my love for aviation and the time spent with my kids is invaluable. You may miss the takeoff and approach segments of 121 flying, but the other 99.8% of your time spent with the airlines/airports/TSA body cavity searches/ect will be easily put behind you. The regionals will continue to staff their RJs with starry eyed kids who can afford to pay to fly, but they will have to start supplying animal cookies and juice boxes in the crew meals. In other words, run, run as fast as you can for that other job. You will not regret it.

 

..........

 

There is a similar thread in the 'leaving the career' section. I wanted out after about 8 total years in the 121 world. After being furloughed after 9/11, I found a normal job. Did that for a while and when things picked up, I was recalled, and went back into the fray. It didn't take long for me to regret going back. I realized I wanted out for good. Well, I got lucky and a position opened up at my old non flying job.

I was once again living life. Much better pay, living in my hometown again, home every night, holidays off and at home, better benefits (pension!), liberal time off (4 day work week and oodles of vacation, comp, and personal time), etc. So far the economy resulted in a whopping 1% paycut, but balanced by an additional 4 days off per yr. to compensate. Oh, and an office job it's not.

The only things I miss are seeing the different cities, some of the people, and hand flying the plane. Otherwise life is great, better then it has ever been for me. I just wish I could get back all the time and money I dumped into flying.

 

Is there a possibility of taking a leave of absence at your airline? If so, you might could take that option and then go back to your old job. If you miss the flying you can alway return to the airline. Good luck.

 

Not sure why this has to be a political argument. Doctor's taking bigger paycuts than pilots? hahaha... yeeeeeah right. Maybe they'll be up to their armpits in paperwork(like the good ol' stack of trees the gate agent would hand us), but they'll still be driving their mercedes and range rovers.

 

During my short time at the airlines i lived in base, commuted, made captain, bought a house, got married, got downgraded, sold a house, moved back to my hometown (which was my base), and became a super junior FO with the possibility of a domicile displacement, luckily i was far enough up the list to not have to worry about a furlough.

I left the airlines 4 months ago for "greener pastures". Went from a 3rd year FO pay rate of 33/hr (TSA) to 54k/yr salary (still not as much as i made as a TSA CA). The only downer is that i no longer fly airplanes, but truth be told, the only parts of flying airplanes that i miss are takeoffs and landings, the rest was essentially filler to get you to the destination, and even the most interesting FO's or CA's aren't that fun to talk to for hour after hour after hour. I do miss a couple of the overnights (but the company took the good ones away before i even left...aka, Savannah (on the golf course), Moline (downtown rock island), Philly (back when we were downtown), etc. My current job at the desk is not overly interesting, infact, it's boring as heck most of the time, but, I no longer feel the stresses of (will we go on strike, will the company sell us out to gojet, will I pass this next checkride, will the feds violate me over something i overlooked, will i make it to the majors, will i get furloughed once i get there, will i get displaced, will i upgrade again, etc....all in all, those were causing a lot of gray hairs, and i think "for me" i've made the better decision. Anyway, it's 5:30 in the morning, and i should get to work...

 

Some love this career, some hate. Depends on where the luck falls.

Me personally, the first chance I get at a normal job making a decent wage outside of this rat race, I'm gone. I LOVE flying. I can't even describe the feeling I get from flying. But I HATE this career. I'm sick of it, and I've only been in it a bit longer that you (the OP). I hate displacements, I hate commuting, I hate reserve and I especially hate 6 on 2 off reserve blocks where I have to commute.

Would upgrading make life a bit better? Yes, in a lot of ways, but am I willing to do this for another 6 years to get there? I think in another 6 months I'm gonna rip my head off.

I started this month off with 3 uncommutable trips. Two 4 days and one 3 day. I slept in my bed with my wife 3 times in 3 weeks. I love flying...but I hate flying for a living.