2StgTurbine

Fast forward ten years into your possible pilot career. You invested $30-$40,000 for your training and spent 2 years building time making less than $20,000 a year. You then get a chance to fly right seat in a jet making $25,000 your first year and $38,000 six years later. You are trying to upgrade to captain so you can start building the PIC turbine time you need to get the job you used to justify the cost for training.

The next ten years of your life could be working horrible hours for low pay just so you can get the chance to build the time that major airlines want so you can apply to them and have a chance at getting that dream job. If you did become a pilot, ten years from now, you could easily be asking yourself what if you never got yourself into the aviation field.

Aviation is a lot like sports. Everyone dreams of being a highly paid airline captain flying around the world. The problem is there are only a few of those jobs available. Like professional athletes, most pilots will never get there. Many who do make it to the majors may never make captain. The only difference between a pilot career and a baseball career is that a baseball player can make the move from the minors to the majors based on talent. As a pilot, you career is dictated by how much flight time you have and the order in which you were hired.

Take a look at the career path and ask yourself if you would be OK with never being a major airline captain. Then ask yourself if you would be OK never making it to a major airline. Then ask yourself if you would be OK not even making it to any airline. If you can answer yes to all of those, then you should try it. If your heart is set on a well paid job with a normal schedule, then you will be setting yourself up for disappointment

Dan64456

Part of the lure for me is the schedule... I pretty much hate mornings and/or having to get up early on a 5 day a week basis... Yet I've been doing it for a long time. Through school I used to work evenings, nights, and some weekend days, and have off some random week days. But I loved the irregularity of it. I never stopped and thought "Damn, it's Sunday night again, I gotta be in bed early because now I have work every morning for the rest of the week." And even Sunday during the day time that thought is in my head.
Now it seems like I live and die by the clock and on that schedule instead of taking life for whats going on here and now. Those late night diner trips with an old friend on a Thursday night are one of the things I miss the most about working my old restaurant or Auto Mechanic job (That's about all I miss tho). Some people always say they WISH they worked 8-5 and had weekends off. I used to say that until I started doing it. It makes everything feel like a deadline, or a rat race routine. Even when you go out on a Saturday night, you still feel afraid to go too far from home and feel compelled to be in bed by midnight. As far as the major airline gig... Where I come from, 6 figures is rich. If I made a reasonable paycheck, say 50 or more, I'd be totally happy flying for a living as long as I had enough time off. So I'd guess a regional airline captain would be a goal that I'd be pretty happy with. They make more than I do now, and from the sound of it have more time off too. (I know a few that live in my area and commute...)

2StgTurbine

I felt the same way with a regular 9-5 weekday schedule. It felt like a never ending routine. So now I have an exciting pilot schedule of 8-8 everyday. The job itself is fun, but the pay and the lack of free time for fun activities such as getting food, doing laundry, and even shaving is a burden.

The good news is it does not feel like a rate race. The bad news is that it feels like a sprint to an out of sight finish line.

Dan64456

I hear of schedules like 4 on, 3 off, or 2 on, 2 off, etc etc..sometimes they can arrange it to get a week off in a row... what airline do you work for? Or are you a CFI?

2StgTurbine

That is a possible airline schedule. If you are a CFI, charter, freight, ferry, jump, ect your schedule can be anything. Another thing to consider is most pilot jobs only pay for your flight time, not all the hours you are getting the plane ready, planning the flight, or commuting. There can be lots of unforeseen consequences of this.

I just finished a ferry flight that took me 6 hours and I only got paid for 2.2 of those hours. I took a 3.5 hour Cessna 172 ride to go pick up the plane. Since the other pilot was the one who flew, he got paid. I then pick up a plane that flys faster so I got back quicker and therefore paid less. I would make more money flying the Cessna around dropping off pilots, but I would not build any multi time.

My goal is to fly for the USAF, but my medical paper work has been held up for 12 months and will continue to be held up. In the meantime I am building time for a better paying job. It is a long grind building time to go to the airlines and the airlines themselves are a long grind.

If you start your training now it will probably take two years at least with a full time job. Some may tell you it can take less, but realistically it could take two years. After those two years and thousands of dollars, you meet the qualifications to get a job that pays less than the re-fueler on the airport. After two more years of building time, then you might get a job as a regional pilot. Your first year will suck. After that, you may actually get to relax and eat something other than Ramen Noodles. So again, is 5 years of hard work and low pay with no guarantees worth the risk?

I am sorry if I seem to be a downer, but I have seen too many people invest a lot of money and time only to be disappointed when their dream job does not appear after all the hard work. We just lost a pilot who was in his mid thirties and just realized that even if he gets hired by an airline now, he would not be able to spend another 5 years at the bottom of the ladder.

ryan1234

This is the first time I've heard of someone getting an hourly rate for a ferry flight. Most people do it by the day or by the job... it works a lot better.

2StgTurbine

When I do contract ferry flights I get paid by the day. Since this is an in house job, I get paid like I get paid for the rest of the flying I do.

Airhoss

Dan,

You make me proud to be an American I salute you sir!!

I hear so much now days about being sensitive to others feelings and being aware of your carbon footprint so that Al Gore doesn't get his feelings hurt and the plight of the spoon billed twadler or whatever the sensitive little worry of the dejour is and embracing diversity, blah blah blah.

And here is a kid thinking about nothing but hot rods, chicks and airplanes like a good red blooded American, fire breathing, freedom loving, young man should! Right on dude!

KEEP THE FAITH you are our future and you make me PROUD!

PS

Why settle for one when you can have it all.

Buy the Car, fly the plane, and if you want to be a pro pilot go for it too.

Have you ever considered the military?

Ewfflyer

2Stg, you should be getting paid for your flight out IMO, that is your time, whether it's in-house or not.

swaayze

Hey, I get it. I'm a car guy too. Well, I was, but I really cannot afford anything fun right now. My hail damaged '95 Maxima has to get me back and forth for a while to come.

If you wanna stay single with a roommate, then 50k will allow you to tinker a little with your toys. If you want a wife and kids with a somewhat middle class lifestyle then 50k is a bare minimum in most locales and you won't be much of a car guy unless you're in big time debt.

And as for being 45 with a couple of camaros and a cessna, etc. BS. Yes, it's possible, but far from probable. I'll be 43 in a couple of months, have been an airline pilot for 18 years, and I make about $40k as a FO at Eagle, due to a couple of furloughs and some decisions that played out poorly (though admittedly my motivation now is far more "family" than "career", and I'm no longer willing to move and/or commute for this business so my options are extremely self-limited. It's extremely tough to "have it all" at an acceptable level in this industry nowadays IMO). The route to a major airline is tough and severely traffic jammed. If you're a good networker and don't mind being on-call pretty much 24/7 then corporate can provide a nice, though often unstable, route to flying professionally.

If you really want to fly, go for it. Just be smart with your money so that you can afford to persevere in the business. It's too big of a time and money investment to do it half-assed. Good luck to you, and enjoy the Camaro (though I think you should wait for the drop-top)...I'm jealous.