Agreed. If you can get a window seat, why come to the FAA? Me, I have 30+ years 121 so I'm burned out on the schedule, TSA, etc. and don't care much about flying anymore.

But when I go to OKC and see 30-40 year olds who are giving up a fun life and millions in career earnings to sit in a cube I SMH.

As one of those 30-somethings, maybe I can help shed some light on my situation, which seems to be a trend among my young peers in the FAA.

I am very aware of the fact that I am giving up a hefty amount of money for a not-so-glamorous desk job. However, while money is important in life, it is not my top priority in this grand scheme of life. The sacrifice in money is allowing me to have time with my family, moments no amount of money will ever be able to recreate or replace. Money is nice, but I value this time just a much as a +1 at the top of my retirement fund. Also, I disagree on the airline life being all that fun. Different strokes, but some people like myself realise we love aviation but not the lifestyle of being a professional pilot. This job is a decent means of staying involved in aviation without the sacrifices required by the pilot profession.

Hope that keeps you from getting a crick in your neck with all the head shaking. [emoji3]

I'm in this 30-40 year old range. Fun for me isn't working every weekend and dreading work the night before. After several years the best schedule I could hold was Sunday starts. Coming home every night and spending time with family/friends on the weekends is priceless. Of course, everybody has different priorities.

^^^^ What He Said^^^^

Lest not forget 9-11, and when oil prices were thru the roof... There's a complete generation of new pilots that don't know what a furlough or lost pension is. I work to live, not live to work. Work is just an 8-hour a day, 40-hours a week inconvenience. Weekends and holidays Guaranteed to be spent with family. Oh yeah, one more thing- I forgot how much fun G/A flying is!

OK. I'm rather libertarian about most things so whether I understand or not is immaterial. Trading a flying job for an office job would not be my choice if I had to make it right now. You can do what you want. I was surprised and curious about the classes I see when I pass through OKC.

I have a family, too and my kids vacationed, traveled and schooled around the world and graduated college with no debt. I may not have seen them every day but when I did it was for big chunks of time rather than a couple of hours before bed.

I got into aviation to fly. Going through the hassle and cost of flight training to work in an office seems a waste.

With SAS, even the GA flying is all going to done by DPEs pretty soon.

To each his own... You have the typical "narrow" view of what goes on. There are lots of different and interesting positions within the agency that involve more than SAS, sitting in a cubicle 24/7 or certificate oversight. There are positions that include hands-on simulator time, instrument flight procedure validations, flight inspection, NextGen work etc... I think it takes a certain type of person that desires to learn and be more involved. I have learned more about aviation in the past 10years with the agency than I have ever learned in 20years of "flyng the line". Sitting in the pointy end of the jet, I knew very little about TERPS, Airport Design, Flight Procedure Design, Obstruction Evaluation, ERAM, ERIDS, etc.. It is quite interesting to me what all goes on behind the scenes to make one (1) standard Part 97 instrument procedure. It's great to have more career choices than just seat, equipment, Dom/Intl and base IMHO.

And now I feel like I know way too much!

I have another friend who just got checked out in the L-39 and was working with the Spaceship One not too long ago.

Some people think that the airlines are the only path to flying. It is very hard for some of them to imagine that not *everyone* wants to be an airline pilot. Steam gauges does seem to be on the same sheet of paper though as far as it goes with DPEs doing all of flying though. That is echoed by quite a number of current ASIs that I interact with on a regular basis.

^^^ This is why I chose the FAA ^^^

I worked in majors through the LBO's of the late 80's early 90's. Worked with many EAL victims picked up after the strike. Laid off briefly during SARS. Paycuts, 9/11, then the NWA AMFA strike led to my departure.

Now I have worked at an ARTCC, large & small ATCT as Technician & Manager, AVS/oversight of the NAS/Air Traffic & airports, and now VSRP.

There are so many options across various LOB's and locales. It is also a great place to work & like the airlines, the FAA is a small world.

You're right. I am guilty of having a narrow view. At least of what motivates pilots to get jobs with the FAA. Not with the opportunities to find your own niche within the Agency. Don't misunderstand and think I'm disgruntled.

I'm not a fan of some programs like SAS simply because it distances us from the line pilot as it relies on designees to do the direct oversight we used to do. Data doesn't tell a useful story without context. It's hard to develop the appropriate context when your majority contact with the line is watching APDs give LCAs line checks. Sure, I enroute line crews once in a while but now it's the exception.

This started out as my comment on what Deadbone said and another on how boring and miserable the CMO jobs supposedly are. I'm very interested in just the things you mentioned and is why I prefer being at a CMO. In fact, I just modified my training program to more clearly mirror my personal interests. I'm working on some RNP-ARs presently and I'm having a good time tweaking the numbers and then flying them in the sim until they work and meet the TERPs.

To the GA guys: A CMO is completely different than a CMU colocated with a FSDO. FYI

I have went back 4 to 6 pages of this thread trying to figure out about current rumors and hiring. I just applied for both GA and ACO Inspector and I am curious of what y'all have heard............THANKS IN ADVANCE!!!

cargo