usmc-sgt

Thank you very much for your story Sky,
I one hundred percent understand your point and do not disagree with your decision to leave the profession, it was just what was right for you at the time. I also can see through some of your post as not just strict hateful negativity but more information for the vast majority of the misinformed. Aviation is a hard career, i have some family that is thriving in it and i have some family that is stuck in a rut in it just hoping that their company does not go under. From what i read i think that aviation should consider revising their pay scales. Not that pilots in the upperlevels are grossly underpaid by any means, but as you said. Say you are at ten year captain at a regional and are making say $60 (just throwing that number out..please do not jump on me for being incorrect) and than your company goes under. Now you are forced to work at another regional potentially and if you are lucky enough to get captain you are back at the 1 year payscale and your seniority is non exisitent. For what? Are you a worse pilot, do you not have ten years of experience? It seems as if aviation is one of the only industries like this. If you are a doctor and you practice at one clinic for ten years, you typically do not go back to your first year out of med school pay just because you transfer to a new place of employment, on the contrary you are paid accordingly with your experience and what you bring to the table as a doctor.

I have seen also in one of your post that 60k is a low wage. I just want to set the record straight that i feel that 60k is not an acceptable income for an experienced captain of a larger RJ or any other large turbine equipped aircraft. The reason i start there is just simply stating that if i could get my home state and was at least making 60k per year i would be reasonably happy. Although for that price i would expect that i would be an experienced larger turbine twin Captain or something along those lines, i wouldnt forsee getting that in smaller piston twins like the 421 and the single 208 (although there is a company out of Pease Tradeport in NH that pays 60k for PC-12 Captains) I just try to be realistic on what to expect. If i was the sole provider of my family 60k would certainly not make ends meet, not even close. We have good saving and investing habits now so hopefully those will carry over through the hard times.

I am sorry for what happened to you in aviation and i can only hope that it doesnt not happen to me and my wife, one thing that i hope this forum brings me is that if and when the "end" does come i can know enough to just get out and realize that avation as a career, not in general, is over for me.

I thank you for your honest oppinions though and replies, i certainly take it with a grain of salt, but i respect your oppinion simply because it is out of experience and not just heresay. I do love to hear the glamor stories and i like to think that can be me someday but i also know that there is always two sides to a story.

If it doesnt work out i am very fortunate to have family on a 5000' grass strip private aviation community in NH and a father with a Sportsman taildragger, so hopefully i will never have to hang up the leather hat and scarf (figure of speach)

I almost forgot....what kind of plane to you have Sky?

Taylor0289

It's probably biased to think why everyone wouldn't want to be an airline pilot, because all of us here love to fly!

Talking to my friends about it, most of the reasons they give for not wanting to be a pilot is that they think it's a very hard/technical job and they wouldn't have a clue what to do, or that it just never really 'clicked' as an interest. The kid who wants to grow up to be the next Wayne Gretzky probably wonders why everyone isn't a hockey player.

I bet if there was a TV show about pilots there would be a lot more young people wanting to be pilots, it's like when CSI came on, a larger number of people wanted to be criminologists and such. There's probably more who want to be doctors now because of the show 'House'.

(with the way the industry is now, it's a good thing there isn't a show about pilots for that reason!)

tomgoodman

Well said, Sarge. I think that applies to most of the posts on this forum. The mistake we all tend to make is to think that our personal experience reflects reality and that others' stories must be an aberration. An aviation career has always been something of a poker game, with occasional runs of luck, good and bad. It's easy to say "know when to hold 'em--know when to fold 'em", but very hard to do. If you love to fly, you're starting out with at least one good card.

SkyHigh

Shawn,


I have a Taylorcraft F19 "sportsman 100" with Edo 1400 floats, over sized tires and landis 2000 skis. I have it listed for $36,500. It has a fresh annual. I flew it all over Alaska on floats and wheels. In the late fall I would fly it down to the lower 48 and in the early spring would take it back north. I used it on days off while working as a part 135 air taxi bush pilot. It helped me to advance in my bush pilot career into more off airport work. It will be a great deal for someone.

SkyHigh

Aim high, the best targets are a long way off.

SkyHigh

Just last night I received a phone call from a long time aviation buddy. He (like many of my friends lately) announced that he is quitting his 20 year flying career to build decks. I could hardly disguise my disgust. BUILD DECKS !!!! What a looser.. I mean he will earn more money, be able to live where he wishes and be home every night but what is he thinking? These guys always like to call me first since I have successfully broken the gravitational pull of aviation. I don't mind counseling them on how I did it but it dose get depressing over time. Are there no real pilots left anymore? Those who are prepared to lay their lives upon the altar of aviation??

I have to go now and pick up garbage at the job site and haul it to the dump. The drywallers are done and on monday I have to start trim, paint, floors and cabinets.

SkyHigh

Eyes on the prize, tell yourself no lies.

DaveP2

Wow! I hope the loser comment was tongue-in-cheek, Sky.

As for my situation, I'm retiring after 24 years in the Air Force and I have apps in with UPS and FedEx (I've been a "trash hauler" all my life and don't have any desire to haul pax) but aviation is not the goal in my life, it's one tool to get there for me. Sounds like you're in construction by the tail end of you post; I wish I had those skills to fall back on myself, I'd have a lot more options than I do now.

At the end of the day, I want to be able to send my kids to college and not have to "eat dog food" when I'm retired; how I get there is secondary whether it be flying or construction or whatever. From the story you shared, it really sounds like you made the right choice.

For what it's worth..

Dave

SkyHigh

Thanks Dave,

Yea I was kidding about the "loser" reference. I am still constantly shocked by what some of my aviation peers end up doing. I have a bush pilot friend who now maintains a computer network at a so cal company, One pumps septic tanks another rebuilds old houses, this latest guy wants to build decks. He has an ATP, A&P and over 10,000 hours and today he is buying a headache rack for his 15 year old Nissan pickup so he can become a deck builder. I agree that it isn't important how we get there but I am sure that life is much easier in a big jet earning 85K with the future hopes of 200 plus. I am happy doing what I am but would have liked a chance to see what life is like at a good company. My oldest son is named "David".

SkyHigh

The grass is always greener on the other side since you are not there to eat it.

DaveP2

I agree with the "85K" comment; money can't buy happiness but it sure makes misery a lot easier to live with!

My cousin is a captain for UPS and raking in the dough at this point, although he is divorced as well and flying in his new wife from Peru or somewhere off his South American runs. I guess it cuts both ways.

Dave