It sounds like you are looking for a career with varied work environments and challenges you on a daily basis. Airline flying ain't it. You can find that type of job in aviation, but you probably won't get rich doing it.

I overcome the boredom by thinking of how much they pay me for how little work I actually do.


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Start a company, it is no more risky and much more fulfilling than being a pilot slave.

As a captain I once flew with said: "We don't get paid for what we do, we get paid for what we KNOW HOW to do."

Bingo. I could have delivered both of my kids, right up to the point the first one was choking to death and needed an emergency caesarean delivery. Seven minutes from birthing room to split wide open dragging a kid out of the wife's belly. Second kid was just as easy, anyone could have done it, right up to the point that she wouldn't breath.

Me in charge? Dead kids. Doctor in charge? Crazy moments = two healthy kids.

Come over to one of the higher end Charter companies. We have wifi.

This. It's very, very hard to find the right balance between compensation, workload, and stimulus in a career.

I know plenty of miserable dudes in my age group who are overworked, over-stressed, don't have time to go to the gym, and make less than I do (they do get holidays off though).

Better to err high on pay, and low on workload and stimulus, which airline flying accomplishes.

Hey guys,

I am the OP. So, 6 months after starting this thread and I am still thinking about making the career change. I take that as a sign that I should just do it. Everywhere I read on this forum people are saying this is the best time to get into the aviation industry. I have come up with a very loose and simple plan and would like to ask for your evaluation of it before I get started.

I have two flight schools near me. I am planning on choosing one of them to do the IR and CPL ratings, and likely the CFI as well. Both are part 61 programs and I could do them in my spare time while holding down my full time job. Once I get the CFI I plan to get in touch with Piedmont since they seem to have the best deal going right now for low time Pilots. I could get hired with them with less than 500 hours as a CFI and become a cadet instructor. They give you $500 for every 100 hours you build until you are at 1500 hours. The total they will give you is $5000. At that point they hire you with no additional interview and put you through an ATP-CPL course at their expense. From there on out you are making $60k to start and are in a flow program to the majors.

What do you guys think? Seems like I could become a first officer for them in about 2 years if I get started within the next few weeks.

Do you receive an hourly salary on top of that? Or do they expect you to live on $5/hr until you hit 1500?

I'm going to email them soon to get more details, but I believe you work full time at one of their affiliate flight schools as a CFI making regular CFI wages with the $500 per 100 hours being just a bonus.

BTW, they are not "giving" you $500 for every 100 hrs flown. You are EARNING that money by working hard as a CFI. Please start early in your aviation career getting out of the mentality that your employer is giving you anything. You will be earning everything you get, and deservedly so!