SkyHigh

Stay in, It is no fun to start over and most likely you will end up someplace you don't like for a long time. Your kids will be grown by the time you have the numbers to move back to your hometown. Lets not forget that you will still work long hours and be effectively gone over half the year.

SkyHigh

cutnrun

Mr Seinfeld - and with respect to your opinion too, I can only say again - ask a 48 year old DAL pilot what the future looked like for him when he was hired.
Do you think cargo pilots are immune to this world wide leveling of the playing field? It's sorta like cabotage without breaking the law. I hope you are right but I can remember an older Captain telling me in the mid-80's - "Son, that (orange) Delta paycheck will there on time every two weeks"

age 52 and early retired..... Sorry, but I would never recommend the aviation industry to anyone now as a career

Bengalsfan

Hey I'm an ex FAIP with a fighter follow on that never got to live the dream due to family issues, but I am in the reserves now flying hercs... all though not as fun, I am not at the mercy of active duty, and my $0.02 is the same as the previous post... join the reserves... last I was there, Buckley still has 16s, and if you are open there are hercs at Peterson in the Springs... also Fronteir is based out of Denver. I don't know how many hours you have, but that is something to think about also... I have just under 1500 and non of my buds at Southwest or Continental can help me until I get there... and then I only have the mins, so I am a little nervous about my lack of 300000000 hours sitting in the right seat of some commuter, but hopefully something will work out. Until then I can pay the bills through the reserves.


Good Luck

PTWOB

Everyone,

Thanks for all the replies. It's good to hear lots of opinions from both sides of the fence. I figure at the very least I'm going to stay in the Reserves or Guard 'til 20. Is there a maximum age limit at which a carrier will take you on? I'll be in my early thirties by the time my commitment is up. Just trying to gather some more facts....

Razor

PTWOB,

I was in the same boat as you a few years ago. I was looking to stay or go and then I got hired to fly the U-2. I decided to stay in the USAF to fly the Deuce and now I only have 2 years to go until I hit 20 years service and retire. I'm surprised at how fast the time has gone by and can't believe I'm going to be one of those retired old farts in the commissary in a couple of years. The decision to stay was definitely the right one for me.

Everyone's situation is different and you have to get all the info you can before you decide what's right for you. I know when you're sitting around the squadron on a weather day there's a lot of talk about getting out. Keep doing what you're doing and getting as many opinions as you can before you have to make your decision. The grass isn't always greener. We've got lots of guys that are happily back on active duty after having been furloughed from their airline job.

You've got a great job now but if you're tired of the Eagle then maybe you'd like to give the U-2 a try. We've got an a Eagle guy going through training now.

Cheers,
Razor