gringo

I'm truly amazed at how many guys are bailing the 121 world, juuuuuust as its finally turning around. Yes, the last decade sucked. The next decade will look nothing like the "lost decade".

At all.

Like running a marathon, but quitting at 26.0 miles because 26.2 is just haaaaard.

You want to get into aviation? Awesome, go for it. You already know that the cubicle life isn't for you. That's all you need to know. I was furloughed for 4 years; the first year the corporate life was kinda a novelty, sure. Neat to be home each. And. Every. Night.

For about a year. Then? It suuuuuucked. So I totally get it.

Here's the thing; Time is not on your side anymore. If you're gonna do it, you need to go balls to the wall. Buying your own airplane is great and all, but what you really need is to get involved with a group that will get you to the next step, and quickly.

If I had to do it all over again, I'd choose the AllATP route (or something similar). A program that offers a fast track into the regionals, where you can build your time and get on with a Legacy, LCC or ULCC.

I've done the 5-6 legs a day. I've done the 2-4 week round the world tours. Both suck, no doubt.

Now? I live in base and fly as much or as little as I want. Last month I spent 6 nights in a hotel room. Every other night I was home with the wife and kids. The money could be better, sure, but when I go drinking with my lawyer friends it's them asking me how my last trip was, not me asking them how their last case was. Because not every lawyer makes it to the LA Law or Denny Craine level. (Just realized you're prolly too young to remember "LA Law") Most are like Saul, struggling to make ends meet. Possibly also while working under a Korean nail salon.

This job is just that, a job. But at the end of the day, it sure as sh!t beats working for a living.

You want to switch careers? There has never been a better time in your lifetime to do so. This is the tomorrow we've all been hearing about for the last 20+ years.

Go for it. It's gonna suck. It's gonna be great. Lots of times it'll just be meh. But for the most part, it'll lean more towards great.

bedrock

Thank You!

727gm

I did six and a half years in the cubicle and left engineering, and never look back....I left with Comm-multi-Inst-glider/CFI-AMG and 850 hours at 31.
Airline went under, so an FO again for 7 1/2 years, but still have 8 years left.... it has been worth it... besides the travel opportunities that are part of the job, the time off is by far the biggest and best benefit.
In normal work world, always having to be back at work Monday morning after only two short days off was the worst.

bedrock

What you may have realized is that the past 10+ yrs has taken its toll on people. The airline "career" really varies depending on when you get in, what airline you work for, your base and if you commute or not. Since about 2008 it has been a very steep downward spiral in working conditions at the regionals. In the pvt. sector, you can simply quit and find another job. In the airline world it is all about seniority and this is what you really don't understand until you live it. Working as a skilled professional in IT, you have been treated mostly as a professional. In the regional world, until very recently, the pilots have been treated with disdain, disrespect, disregard and outright hostility by management as well as support personnel such as gate agents. At a regional you were/are thought of as a dime a dozen subcontractor, easily replaceable. This is why the extreme bad taste many of us have. Even some mainline FA's act with disdain toward regional captains with thousands of hrs.

Obviously this situation has changed, pilots are needed now. However, I think you are going to have to realize that the path to the top is going to require a lot of flexibility. Without question, some regionals will not exist in a few years, you may very well face starting all over at the bottom--something most of would hate to do and this has been a tool that mgmt. has used to threaten in order to get pay/benefit cuts. You may find that you will go thru a regional or two, then up to a LCC, before getting the "dream" job. Also travel benefits have been severely watered down to almost to the point of making them useless for anyone but yourself--although ZED fares on foreign airlines still work well--for a price.

gringo

I get what you're saying, but I take it you've never actually been IN the cockpit of a 737-Anything.

Makes the Mercury Capsule seem like a living room. Two men in a phone booth in the middle of a hurricane, doing the work that three men used to do in a 727. The cockpit would find itself in violation of the Geneva Convention, if only the GC applied to transport category aircraft. Too bad...

Now a 757? Or an A320? Now we're talking. But the 737 should have been wiped out along with the rest of the dinosaurs...

opdeliber

Don't listen to all the negativity.

I came from a previous career in my mid-20s and haven't regretted it for a single day. I used to show up to work and think "great, only 9 hours until I go home." It was awful and my worst days as a pilot still beat those days.

The notion that isn't going to be easy is absolutely right. Getting the ratings is the easy part.. finding a way to get the 1500 required now is the hard part but also very easy to attain quickly if you're willing to be flexible how and where you get them.

The good news is that there isn't a regional airline not hiring. The minute you hit 1500 you'll be turning down airlines (far different from 121 jobs in the past). Conceivably; if you start soon and hit 1500 in say 3 years, fly a regional for 5 (which may be an excessively high estimate after 3 years of the shortage occurring).. You could still very well be hired by a major or legacy carrier by the time you're 38.

Feel free to message me for advice or questions. Ignore the bitter people on this website- attitude and timing is everything in this business. You're entering at the right time and have the right attitude. Go for it!

AvCrewBlue

This job/career pulls people. It can pull you apart, it can pull you together. Which one it does for you is based upon you and only you. If you are innately strong, you will grow stronger. If you are used to falling into a complaint filled marshland of quasi existence, then there you will remain. I hope, for you, if you tend toward to second, that you may find your way out, and strength in the process.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

teamflyer

I got a question for people coming into this game late. Would people entering the industry in their 30's ever make captain at a major airline? I saw an AA pilot retiring.... as a FO! I don't know, but to me, I felt bad for the guy. To retire as an FO, it doesn't seem right to me...


"Chicago O'Hare International Airport
31 March at 13:44 ·
Sometimes water salutes come with rainbows smile emoticon
Yesterday a retiring American Airlines First Officer co-piloted his last flight from Chicago to Rome and was sent off with a water salute as a thank you for all his years of service.
[Photo | @kribs1984]
Chicago O'Hare International Airport's photo."

gringo

They say there's no such thing as a dumb question, but you're seriously pushing it here.

Go spend maybe 5 minutes reading up on the Legacy threads. You'll get your answer there.

10 minutes if you're a slow reader.

As for the retiring FO, you have no idea what his story is. Maybe he was independently wealthy and didn't need the extra hassles of the left seat upon his shoulders. Maybe he was more than happy being a super senior FO and enjoyed the perks of seniority more than the perks of signing for the aircraft. Who knows. Not everyone wants or needs to be a Captain at a Legacy.

As to your first question, the only people getting hired today at a Legacy who most likely will not see the left seat within 5 years are those hired at age 60 or higher. Everyone else will have a shot within the next 5-10 years.

rickair7777

Coming back from Rome, he was a widebody FO. Pays almost as much as NB captain plus better QOL in most cases. Common enough career choice, and entirely reasonable financial choice...still getting paid more than 95% of working Americans.