Airhoss

Never has been, never will be. If you get into aviation with one singular all consuming legacy goal, chances are you're going to be disappointed.

USMCFLYR

And some never grasp that not everyone wants to be a legacy captain and that aviation, as an industry, can hold many different goals which are attainable.

USMCFLYR

Airhoss

Absolutely true.

Most of the guys who I knew in the early days who got into flying simply because they wanted the lifestyle and the money of a major airline captain are long gone.

Those were the guys who didn't know the difference between a C-172 and 747 when they started flying they just thought they were going to make a lot of money as a big jet pilot. On the other hand the guys who got into it because they loved airplanes and flying generally are still in the business in one capacity or another and are generally satisfied.

If you get into this thinking that you are going to scream up the ranks and land at a major, with a time frame in mind there is most likely a big dose of bitter disillusionment waiting for you somewhere along the path.

I am one of those who never pictured myself at a major and I refused to work for any regional, ever. I never had illusions of a preordained self imposed career path on a time line. I did what I wanted, enjoyed what I was doing at the time, progressed when I had a chance and didn't worry about things I couldn't change.

HotMamaPilot

Nice post hoss (little joe would be proud). On a side note, it sounds like Rnav is management.

Molon Labe

Yes Rnav sounds like management...

BackintheLPA

Besides, I don't think that the recent people going into aviation expect to be millionaires. Lets give credit to some of the younger folk. Thanks to the internet they may have a better and realistic view of what a life in aviation is like. Still many may just want to fly for a living and make a decent paycheck. Nothing wrong with that. The past is the past, the sooner people realize that they aren't going to be winning the lotto as a senior captain somewhere they won't be disappointed in their career choice. Realistic expectations...[/QUOTE]

Trying to rationalize what has been lost is exactly why pay and QOL continue to degrade. Management types are tripping all over themselves trying to find people with this passive mentality. I would argue that most young people that are now entering aviation are more naive than their predecessors. Return on investment to be a pilot is an absolute joke. Unless daddy is cover all cost, the only reasonable strategy is to apply to the Air Guard.

In regard to the much anticipated pilot shortage...even the most ardent optimist must look at the following:

-retirement attrition doesn't fully develop at most carriers until 2017.

-The world economy is on the verge of another financial collapse that will
rival 2008.(no international growth)

-Delta is reducing capacity. Other carriers will probably
follow.(no domestic growth)

-The mass exodus of highly qualified military pilots ready to leave at the
first opportunity.

-The majority of regional captains are becoming lifers, leaving fewer
upgrade opportunities in the short-term. (longer upgrades)

-Having to overcome nepotism, minority preference, and flow-throughs.

Rnav

Listen folks I'm not management. That was actually funny. I wish I was management, I'd be rich. But I'll play management for a second. From a management point of view there will be no pilot shortage. Thanks to our lobbyist and legislation all this talk about pilot shortage will never materialize. Now enjoy your new reality you gear-monkeys! JK.

Serious, my post was more directed to the incessant beat down of the industry. The industry is screwed up big time. But there are people that are happy flying for a living. We can't say EVERYONE hates/has a bad experience in aviation. I'm not going to knock my friends who enjoy their profession. Its about balance.

Molon Labe

Nice camoflage backpedal...You now sound more like a hired consultant to management on how to justify reduction in expectations.

Merlyn

Aviation isn't what it used to be. Nothing is. But it's not all bad either. I started my aviation career an embarrassingly long time ago flying scout helicopters in the air cavalry in the Army. Sleeping underneath the tailboom, painting my face green, eating MREs just part of the job. Through perseverance and dumb luck managed to go fixed wing and retired as a king air ip which gave me just enough qualifications to get hired at a small 121 vacation carrier. They reinvented themselves as an LCC and after 4 years I found myself captain on a brand new A321. Now at twelve years I live in my dream base, work 16 days a month mostly turns, 4 days between pairings, income well into 6 figures, occasionally take the wife on trips that have decent layovers, used part of this years vacation to take a 30 day motorcycle vacation to Sturgis. In short I couldn't be happier. So take what sky high says with a huge grain of salt. The guys and gals I fly with are enjoying our careers no matter what the past used to be like.

TonyWilliams

Sure... that's the norm to expect

Congrats, by the way.