PearlPilot

I flew with a guy today who quit flying for a regional just because he could not afford to live with what he made. It was a great flight, one of my 50 hours of cross countries required for the IFR rating. I have close to about 30 now, and I am having a blast exploring new destinations. So how is everybody who is training doing I wonder? Sometimes I feel like I am just doing it because it's something I've always wanted to do, and cruising along today on the way back, I am thinking, this is the best place on Earth sitting in this plane, listening to the drone of the engine, atc, there is nowhere else I would want to be right now. I wish I could do this for a living...
I was given a first hand account of what flying for a regional is like, and it did not sound very good, needless to say. So I am thinking, I absolutely love flying, but I would never want to quit, that would be devastating...And he loves flying too, but circumstances are so that it is not a realistic venture for him anymore. Sure I am single right now and I could easily live with a salary like that, but, my question to all of you is that, is flying for a career a realistic goal? I have spend thousands on flying, and have loved every single minute of it, and I would hate for that to go for waste if it is not realistic anymore.
So it is time for me to set some realistic goals. Perhaps, flying in the U.S. is a bad idea, and aviation is obviously booming in the middle-east, India, etc. and I should look into opportunities over there if I want to fly for a living. I feel like this sounds like a more realistic goal than trying to find a gig in the U.S. Like most of you, flying for me is a passion, and I would really like to make it a career someday, but I want to be realistic about it too. Any thoughts, opinions, are welcome.

PhilipTexas

Well, I'm fairly new but I'm having more fun now than ever as an instructor. And I've got some good friends at SWA who would do what they do for minimum wage. There are many people in between who are not enjoying it so much though. I don't see any reason to not continue with an instrument though, even if you don't become a pro pilot you will still use it if you ever fly recreationaly.

2StgTurbine

Unless you have tons of time in make and model or are a citizen of the foreign carrier you wish to work for, they will not hire you. There are enough pilots on the streets that are desperate enough and have the time, but still cannot get hired.

There is no shortcut to a 121 job. There is no shortcut to any pilot job that pays enough to really live. You are lucky to get a job that pays for food or rent, not both. Right now, I have what is considered a great job in this market. My flight pay is pretty high and I get to fly some interesting aircraft, but if you consider all the work I do outside of the cockpit that I do not get paid for, the job does not look so good. I sit around the airport all day everyday waiting for anyone who walks in and wants to fly. I am at the airport organizing files and preparing for flights 84 hours a week, but on average I only get paid and fly for 10 hours a week. My income is dependent on weather, aircraft availability, and more importantly, a steady supply of customers. There is no type of flying that is worth the stress of not knowing if you will be able to pay your bills no matter how hard you work.

The best option is to enjoy training now and not plan on a career in aviation. Look into other careers. Nearly any other field will allow you to earn more money than a low time pilot job and you can still fly on the side as a part time instructor.

On a side note, a doctor told me as he got in the plane that he was jealous of my job. He said he would gladly trade places with me because he was sick of working 60 hours a week in a hospital. That made me feel pretty good until he told me he was buying his own aircraft and wanted to know if a Cessna 421 would be big enough for him and his wife!

frozenboxhauler

Pearl it's a very realistic goal depending on how bad you want it. I started, out of high school by getting a job as a line-boy at the local FBO and paid for my private license that way. The left eye wasn't 20/20, so the military route was out (back then). If I had a dime for everytime someone told me that "you'll never make it", I'd have a boat-load of dimes. I made it, you can too. Good luck to you.
fbh

rickair7777

While often grueling, CFI is probably the most enjoyable phase of an aviation career. Lot's of flexibility, you have something to do while flying aside from burning a hole in the sky, and you and all your buds can hit the local pub together when the day is done.

My ten years in commercial aviation says BS to this...SWA is a good company as far as airlines go, but the schedules are hard and nobody who has put in the requisite time and effort to get a job at SWA would do it for anywhere near minimum wage. Minimum wage for those guys is six figures.

Airline flying gets old after a few years, only bush flying, military tactical, or maybe law enforcement stays fun.

Unless it's going to break the bank, yeah get the IR. If you like aviation as much as you say you will probably keep flying GA...the IR can get you lower insurance premiums and will make you a better pilot.

It's hard to recommend this career at this point...there are too many things gone wrong and any possible future improvement is strictly speculation. There are no obvious industry conditions which would indicate improvement in the foreseeable future.

snippercr

And the most adventurous! I really have learned a lot from my student's and boy do they keep me on my toes. You get the slightest bit complacent and they will throw a fast ball.

Unfortunately, I have to (respectfully) throw the BS flag on that one. I know a person who just got hired at an airline with a fraction of what people are getting hired now because of some strong internal connections. For MOST people there are no shortcuts, but for some there are.

2StgTurbine

I know someone who won the lottery, but that doesn't mean I should expect to win the lottery. Everyone knows someone or knows someone who knows someone who got hired with extremely low hours or has lied about the hours they have. The reality is, that happens to a very small percentage of pilots.

I believe a big problem for pilots in training is believing they will be the lucky ones who get hired early on and then go through their career without an single furlough. If we keep repeating the stories we have heard of people who have gotten lucky, it will create unrealistic expectations. It is just like students at a business school. Everyone wants to be the head of a global company, but the reality is, most will be in middle to upper management their entire life. The difference is middle to upper management earns them more money and gives them more time off than most pilot jobs. Also, their careers can excel based on their performance, not the date they were hired or how many hours they logged behind their desk.

Don't plan on any shortcuts in aviation. It is a career of chance and luck and to invest thousands of dollars in this career hoping that you get some mystery job after you get your commercial that allows you to advance your career overnight is just as foolish as going to a casino and putting all your money on black.

rickair7777

This has always been the case, if dad or uncle is a management pilot or a well-known senior CA at a major your airline career prospects are vastly different from the everyone else. All you need to do is meet the mins, and not get any dui's (well maybe one would be OK).

Same at the regionals, except you that it will only save you a few months or maybe compared to someone who had to get to the competitive mins. Of course sometimes competitive times are COM AMEL w/ 250 hours...

mswmsw

We all know the feeling. But let me suggest this for a "realistic goal": Find something else you like to do, another profession you can see yourself in, that is actually something that you can make a decent paycheck at. Accountant, electrician, contractor, orthdontist, orthopedic surgeon, whatever. In these times, I think every aspiring professional pilot needs a "back-up plan/back-up profession". In fact, if it eventually turns out that your "back-up profession" becomes your primary profession (most likely becuase of the financial rewards) then you may very well be able to buy yourself a nice airplane to fly wherever and whenever you want. I am not saying to give up your desire/plan/dream to fly for a living........ just understand reality (years of crappy flying jobs, low pay, and time away from home before you possibly get that good flying job); and, most important, have a back-up plan to earn a decent wage and have a reasonably nice quality of life.

Bashibazouk

I hear that!

Consider, though, that perhaps you'd be satisfied with a middle ground. You might get a job as an accountant, lawyer, salesman, or whatever, and fly on the side. All it takes is money. And there are plenty of ways to fly on the side for less money, such as AngelFlight, glider towing (doesn't pay at my soaring club, but it's free flying time and a lot of fun) and flying yourself on business trips.