We all love aviation. Flying was all I ever thought about since I was 9 years old, I started flight training at 14. To me the question is if it truly will fit into your life. Will it provide an income that will meet the needs of a family? Does it offer enough stability to support a healthy lifestyle? Do you have faith in the future as a pilot.

As a single person most of those questions were irrelevant to me. Once I started having little responsibilities to think about my perspectives changed. It is no fun to have to leave sad little faces every four to five days. It hurts to no be able to properly provide for your family. It is a very powerless feeling to have to move at the companies whim and to be stuck in a motionless seniority system.

Flying is fun, however I believe that flying does not offer enough for me to place my families happiness and future into especially when there are so many better alternatives. As a father and husband I am on the sidelines unless a truly unique job offer comes along or when I can become financially independent and have mostly grown kids.

I just wanted to point out that trends in aviation hiring are a "cycle" wages however are on a "slide". Overall wages have only gone in one direction over the last thirty years. If someone has a solid alternative to flying then the hardships of this industry will insure that eventually they will take it.

Skyhigh

proskuneho & USMCFLYR:

At 34 yrs old, or there abouts for the both you...let me just say that if I were 34 and knew what I know now, things would be different.

I've made some bad career & personal decisions in my life and they have cost me dearly; granted, however that is not going to stop me from pursuing a career that I have a passion for. What I did was recognized where I made my mistakes and corrected them. The decisions that each of us makes takes us in different directions and magnitudes. The question is.....do we learn from them.

The both of you have a shot of at least 28-30 years of a career on the flight deck for either the airlines or corporate. I'd encourage you to give no place to doubt or skepticism. You'll do fine.

As far as those jobs that have the biggest perks, I'd say being a Director of Airports, Director of Airport Operations, or Director of Airport Maintenance I would think would have some of the biggest perks. This of course is at a medium-hub size airport or such as KPBI or one that is larger. Last I checked, the Dir of Arpts for DFW earned $250K; vehicle and home or housing allowance is provided. I could be wrong on the home part, but I'm almost sure that one is provided.

All these positions are usually county government positions. They are in Palm Beach County. In other areas of the country, the airport may be operated by a city or in one or two instances, the state.


atp


PS - Hey proskuneho....are you in SE Fla? If so, PM me. I'm in WPB.

I wonder though if your nephew could keep that up for 35 years USMC. That's some seriously difficult manual labor.

I don't think there is such a thing as a "sure" thing. Four or five years ago friends in homebuilding were making bank and now they're all looking for work too. Guys at Bear Stearns were probably thinking they were pretty secure too.

Oh believe me I'm trying to steer him away but he has that money in hand disease right now. It is hard to give the money up out of pocket and devote himself to school when he can't buy his CDs/DVDs on a daily basis. I keep telling his mom that he is a smart kid and will eventually return to school; I just won't be pushing him into aviation

USMCFLYR

Direct him toward tax free muni bonds that roll over into a tax free money market acct, i'm still making 8.5%. Later on he can buy his own plane, or get a hobby airline jizzob.

Either way-he'll be on top.

The problem is that aviation gets into your blood, and is like a drug......the lifestyle is unlike any other that you will experience with any career.....I mad a mid life career change at 30.....got my ATP, began by instucting....got a great job witha great company flying night freight.....and then went to US Airways Express (CC Air) flying the Dash8......got fuloughed after 9-11....so I went back to my old career.....(Mortician)...yes a funeral director......(the second best career)

9-11 was the best thing that ever happened to me......i had financial obligations and had to leave flying, and the furlough made the decision for me.....i could not afford to sit around, right seat at another commuter......only to be rewarded for right seat at a regional or major.....that would inturn fulough me again as many of my buddies have....of my class of 15......only one remains in professional aviation today....take my advice, take the memories, the great experience and get out running. ..........i met a retired airline pilot who was working at home depot....he said he had to, to make ends meet...... as his airline had pilfered the retirement fund (any guess who that was?).......that is sad, very sad....

Try it once for 8 to 10 hours, you'll quickly change your mind

"pursue my dream".


how big of a dream was it?