Radar , 05-20-2008 07:11 AM
Line Holder
In most cases where one has the dream to become an airline pilot there is a myriad of misconceptions and illusions about what the career really is. Sometimes it is very difficult to see past these to understand what it is that you are getting into.
Amazingly there is some remenant of respect that goes with being a pilot. Perhaps it has to do with how long and difficult the road is to get to the flight deck of a 121 carrier. If you are getting into the job for respect ask yourself why you need that respect; ask yourself why you feel you have failed somewhere along the way and need to prove you are not a failure. Don't get into a pilot career because you need to prove to yourself you can take up your dreams and complete them. If this is the case this career may be not the wisest of choices. Find something else that challenges you and is more financially rewarding with less financial risk. This may seem harsh, but a little truth telling sometimes goes a long way.
Which brings me to my next point... Getting into flying is very, very expensive. Sit down and make up a real budget of what this is going to cost you. Preferably not with a sales person at the local FBO as their interest is too often not the same as yours. Educate yourself on the cost and then see if you can even get close to recouping that cost with the career over the time that you could be in the career. You may be much better off getting a private license, learning to fly a tailwheel, and buying a share in a Super Decathlon or a seaplane. This plan is a lot more fun and plenty difficult.
If you like travel, that is if you like going places and seeing what there is in these places... you might consider using some of the money you saved not getting into a pilot career to buy some airline tickets to the places you WANT to see. I go places all the time and see little to nothing of them. I am a person that makes the extra effort to get out and about too. However, the overnights are too short or you are usually too isolated - no car in a hotel near the airport - to get to see or know much about exotic places like Omaha, Muskegon, or Marquette. Someday there is the promise of sushi in Narita and cedar plank grilled salmon in Anchorage, but these fabled evenings are a long way off even after a ten year career.
Understand that the industry is clearly not in the growth mode it has been over the last few years. You may instruct for a very long time. Maybe you will like it and find a way to make instruction offset the cost of training. However, there is traditionally not much money in instructing. This has been changing some lately as there has been some talk of CFI jobs with pay in the range of regional Captain salaries. But if things continue in the direction they have been as of late you will come to know the situation of a flight instructor well. You should like teaching; it is a dissapointment to fly with instructors that don't like teaching.
I am the last person to tear down someone's dream, but know exactly what you are getting into. It might not be what you think. It is unfortunately very difficult to see and know what the job is before you are there. It is very difficult to get there, it is hard on your family, the travel wears you down, and the money is very bad. Again, the money is very bad for a very long time. But, if you really want to do it and have torn down the misconceptions and illusions do it and do it well.