SkyHigh

Just keep in mind that senior airline guys know what it was like 15 years ago however they have little recent perspective to draw on. Some of the worst advice I have ever received came from sitting senior airline captains. The last time this guy had to look for a job was most likely in the 80's. To him flying might be great as he eyes retirement. He sounds well insulated from layoffs and is probably making a good wage. Better to ask the guys a few hundred seniority numbers below and the ones who are out there struggling. I am sure that they would have a different opinion.

SkyHigh

Brav989

So what happens when there are a lot of retirements? The furloughee's take the places and the guys who have tried to get a job at a major continue to try?

SkyHigh

The promise of a pilot shortage has been around for a long, long time now. People will retire and new pilots will be hired to replace them. I am sure that if you wanted a job at a major that you will have a better chance of getting there than my generation did. The big issue is what will the future be like for pilots? It might be easier to get a flying job at the majors in the future because no one will want them anymore.

SKyHigh

Brav989

I remember you saying you tried to get on with Alaska but couldn't for some reason(s). If you were given the call to start as an FO, would you take the position still?

SkyHigh

I don't know if I would stick it out for the long haul but if Alaska Airlines were to call I would be there in a heartbeat.

SKyHigh

CWU1919

vagabond and nightflier thanks for your kind and wise words those are the kind of posts i have been looking for. skyhigh and cynical you both have your valid points and arguments and there is some truth to them, but it's from a very one sided point of view. skyhigh you talked about how the program is going to throw your money away and the people at midstate aren't the greatest at getting you through the program quickly and have little experience in the airlines. all i can say is that some new people are heading up the program times are changing since you have been there, there are students who i've emailed who love the program and don't feel that they've been cheated by midstate. while i will certainly take your words into consideration and be careful with them, i don't feel that the experience of one individual is enough for me to get a degree in something else and essentially cancel out all of the reasons I am going to CWU in the first place. construction management and accounting is the same way I feel about a business degree, ok you make money, but its something I dont have the patience skill or zest to enter into. CWU appealed to me because it is cheaper than most schools taking into account tuition and non flying costs, only 4 year university in the pac nw with a flight program, have close contacts with horizon and the possibility of getting an interview with them, and a relaxed college atmosphere with the ideal amount of students where I can pursue what I want and meet people who are interested in what I am doing. cynical i laugh at your stereotype i know of no regional pilot making 20-30k a year flying right seat in a dash 8 or rj to brag to kiddies that he is an airline pilot you know nothing about me besides what I have said on this forum and i have more class and respect than to have an arrogance and ego like that. i do have higher ambitions than ending my life at a regional i really do and that doesnt just mean moving up to a majors im interested in other facets of aviation and life but to me for the time being i feel that from analyzing my current situation a regional is the most achievable means for me and so im going to shoot for it if I dont make it I'll have another backup and a high school diploma and college degree where I can hopefully find some other form of work im somewhat interested in and that has pay i can live ok on. once again everyone thanks for your posts.

freezingflyboy

CWU1919, you are young with very little experience and I can appreciate that, we were all there once. I followed a very similar path to yours (GO SIOUX ). I even went into IT for a while and after 2 years realized I hated it even though I had the potential to step up to $70k if I had stuck around just a little longer. However, what bothers me is that there are certain statements that you continue to make which show me that you need to pull the blinders off.

If anyone looks long enough they will find someone who will tell them what they want to hear. Personally, I have had a positive experience with aviation, as have many others. But I have a supportive group of family and friends and I work for one of the better regionals. Your experience will vary as it has for people like Skyhigh and Cynical. Whos to say you are gonna get lucky and be in the right place at the right time with the right airline and the right people? And whos to say that even when all those stars align, that they will stay that way for you? People like Skyhigh and Cynical don't have a one sided point of view, they have THEIR point of view which is from THEIR EXPERIENCE. So their experience wasn't the rosy picture you are expecting, aviation is a mistress that treats us all differently and she doesn't give a damn if she treats you well or if she smacks the snot out of you. And she has no qualms about turning on you in an instant.

There are students at any program who love everything about it and think its the greatest thing since sliced bread (usually the ones not paying for it). And I bet all the jaded Riddle kids on the forum would love to chime in about this. I have met a lot of people who went to Riddle (and other aviation programs) and now regret it. Aviation colleges will blow as much smoke up your a$$ as it takes to get your money. I bet there are a lot of aviation grads who still fart thick black clouds of it. I understand your feelings about getting a degree outside of aviation but how hard is it going to be for you to pay for a mortgage, kids, car payments, student loans, etc on the meager loss of license payments you may or may not get from your insurance (assuming you even get such coverage from your airline/company)? Remember, all it takes is a car accident or a head injury and then you are out on your ear (meaning loss of medical). I have heard some scary stories about how easy it is for that medical to slip from your fingers. And as great as it is to go to school with people who are into the same stuff as you, it does get boring. Propheads get pretty annoying to be around after a while when they just sit around jerking each other off about airplanes and flying. College should be about diversifying your experiences, not hanging out with a bunch of guys who all do the same things, wear the same clothes and tell the same stories. And as far as CWU having "close contacts" with Horizon, do you know of any people hired into Horizon from CWU? Do you know if they actually got help from CWU or did they just happen to go to CWU and then get an interview with Horizon? A lot of aviation programs have "close contacts" with airlines and will promise interviews but take that with a grain of salt. Besides, regional interviews are a dime a dozen. I was offered 4 when I started applying and i only had 7 apps out.

How many regional pilots do you know? I have known guys who were more in love with the uniform than anything else. Even going so far as to wear it to a Halloween party Some guys do it to tell girls they are "airline pilots". Some do it because they think its cool to fly a jet. Everyone has different motivations.

Thats good that you aren't arrogant or full of ego. I gurantee you the first time you come off as a cocky sh!t there will be a grey-haired captain ready to bust your chops. Believe me, its funny to watch. As far as having higher ambitions than the regionals, so do a lot of guys. I don't think anyone thinks about getting into the airline biz and says "mommy, one day i want to fly 50 people around the midwest in a shiny little jet!" Thats good that you have ambition and other interests besides aviation but then you keep limiting yourself to aviation by going to an aviation program to get an aviation degree. Why not explore and develop those other interests of yours? Know what my biggest regret about college was? That all I got was an aviation degree. Im just really happy that I didn't spend all of my time with aviation people doing aviation things or else I really would have missed out...

Hope my rambling helps just a little gleam of light emerge.

CWU1919

freezingflyboy i mean ur a cool guy u have experience and its nice to hear from someone who has firsthand experience. the point of the thread was for people to give me some positive outlooks on working for the regionals, its not like im naive to the negative aspects ive been reading about them and people have been telling me them for years. the whole point was for people to help shine some light on the good aspects the points u brang up are points ive heard in this forum ive heard countless times. while i take them into consideration and realize that something could go wrong that im young and inexperienced and could fail im willing to take a risk. im sorry that u know regional pilots who think that way it sounds like there in it for the wrong reasons. i dont think getting an aviation degree and minoring in something else is limiting me thats just my opinion. im going to take other classes in other things and try and do an assortment of different things in my life and not just limit myself to flying "an aerial shuttle". like i said ive read alot about the negatives and while i take them into account and realize what Im going into is certainly a risk and that i may be young and experienced im confident in my abilities. your argument about ur medical and car accidents and financial stuff screwing me over...ok man fine **** happens im not gonna sit here and dwell on what could happen i wanna go out and pursue my dream thanks for the advice man nothing anyone has told me has intimidated me enough to stop doing it sure i will take the negatives with a grain of salt but my drive at this point in the game is too high to just give it up because of what one or two people say.

Widgeon

As a fellow Wildcat grad I agree with Skyhigh and the others.

Continue to fly if thats what you love. We all are doing that. But have a plan if you lose yoru medical, or have some other unfortunate situation that causes you to no longer fly. I always wanted to fly, but took the advice of those around me at the time and got a degree in PR/Marketing. This helped me with a "real" job while instructing- and in 2001 when I was furloughed from a major (along with everyone else) it allowed me to get a well-paying job and kept my life together.

I am back in the cockpit now- and love it, but don't know what I would have done for those 3 years without a fallback plan. Aviation is fickle- she will be there on your best and happiest days, and she will break your heart! Its how you let it affect you that will determine your sanity.

freezingflyboy

CWU1919, no one is trying to talk you out of an aviation career or scare you away. All any of us have said is just have a back up plan and think about options. Youre right, sh!t happens and when you get out in to the real world you will realize just how much sh!t does happen. The people who make it through that sh!t are the ones who have a Plan B. Its true of flying and of life. Never get into an airplane unless you have a Plan B and never get into a career unless you have a Plan B. Just like Widgeon said, it will keep your life together. A lot of guys live beyond their means and all it takes is one hickup with no back up plan and they are sunk. This is true of any field, not just aviation. Example, as interest rates rise and construction slows down all these guys thinking they are living easy working construction are going to start to feel the pinch.