Who else is tired???????????????
04-12-2008, 12:10 PM
#121
Self Employed.
Joined APC: May 2005
Position: Corporate Pilot
Posts: 7,119
Pilot realizations
In order...
The lifestyle imbalances are the first thing to hit pilot radar that something isn't right in the happy town of an airline career. You will watch as your friends and college buddies begin to rapidly leave you behind in regards of enjoying toys, buying homes and having a real life.
The next realization to hit is: It is little benefit to having a string weekdays off when everyone else is working. Your friends will be on the boat and having a good time on Saturday while you are sitting in a terminal someplace.
The third thing a pilot discovers is that even as a regional captain they really do not make as much as the investment and sacrifices would demand. Other simple pedestrian sounding professions offer a better overall life and compensation. These jobs include; plumber, cop, UPS delivery man and many others.
A fourth one is when they realize that even with a well hung resume most will not make it to a major. The fact is that there isn't room for everyone. Things like industry cycles, airline shutdowns, mergers, upgrade times and many other factors that determine career success are totally out of your control. The odds are something will come along and knock you down and there will be nothing you can do about it.
And the last realization that pilots make. The majors are not all that great anymore anyway. Why make all the sacrifices, take all the risk and huge investment in time and money, move away from where all your friends and family are, and face a crumbling future to hopefully make a bit more than a plumber anyway?
SkyHigh
The lifestyle imbalances are the first thing to hit pilot radar that something isn't right in the happy town of an airline career. You will watch as your friends and college buddies begin to rapidly leave you behind in regards of enjoying toys, buying homes and having a real life.
The next realization to hit is: It is little benefit to having a string weekdays off when everyone else is working. Your friends will be on the boat and having a good time on Saturday while you are sitting in a terminal someplace.
The third thing a pilot discovers is that even as a regional captain they really do not make as much as the investment and sacrifices would demand. Other simple pedestrian sounding professions offer a better overall life and compensation. These jobs include; plumber, cop, UPS delivery man and many others.
A fourth one is when they realize that even with a well hung resume most will not make it to a major. The fact is that there isn't room for everyone. Things like industry cycles, airline shutdowns, mergers, upgrade times and many other factors that determine career success are totally out of your control. The odds are something will come along and knock you down and there will be nothing you can do about it.
And the last realization that pilots make. The majors are not all that great anymore anyway. Why make all the sacrifices, take all the risk and huge investment in time and money, move away from where all your friends and family are, and face a crumbling future to hopefully make a bit more than a plumber anyway?
SkyHigh
04-12-2008, 12:13 PM
#122
Line Holder
Joined APC: Jul 2007
Posts: 50
for some reason.. everytime i come scout this forum.. i leave all depressed. this sh*t is gay
04-12-2008, 01:34 PM
#123
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Dec 2007
Posts: 359
Its cool for a few months. Then you get fed up, when you realize how screwed up corporate america is.
You'll make more as a CFI AND be home EVERY night!
04-12-2008, 01:36 PM
#124
New Hire
Joined APC: Apr 2008
Posts: 2
Guys,
As my user name would imply, I have already made the jump. Let me just say that medicine (in my case nursing) offers tremendous job satisfaction, stable employment, and a new grad Associate Degree nurse makes Regional captain pay. Plus, if you tell your wife you are "going to have a few drinks with some people from work" what that really means is "Honey, I am going to go drinking with 20 hot chicks half my age."
As my user name would imply, I have already made the jump. Let me just say that medicine (in my case nursing) offers tremendous job satisfaction, stable employment, and a new grad Associate Degree nurse makes Regional captain pay. Plus, if you tell your wife you are "going to have a few drinks with some people from work" what that really means is "Honey, I am going to go drinking with 20 hot chicks half my age."
04-12-2008, 01:53 PM
#125
Day puke
Joined APC: Feb 2006
Position: Out.
Posts: 3,865
In order...
The lifestyle imbalances are the first thing to hit pilot radar that something isn't right in the happy town of an airline career. You will watch as your friends and college buddies begin to rapidly leave you behind in regards of enjoying toys, buying homes and having a real life.
The next realization to hit is: It is little benefit to having a string weekdays off when everyone else is working. Your friends will be on the boat and having a good time on Saturday while you are sitting in a terminal someplace.
The third thing a pilot discovers is that even as a regional captain they really do not make as much as the investment and sacrifices would demand. Other simple pedestrian sounding professions offer a better overall life and compensation. These jobs include; plumber, cop, UPS delivery man and many others.
A fourth one is when they realize that even with a well hung resume most will not make it to a major. The fact is that there isn't room for everyone. Things like industry cycles, airline shutdowns, mergers, upgrade times and many other factors that determine career success are totally out of your control. The odds are something will come along and knock you down and there will be nothing you can do about it.
And the last realization that pilots make. The majors are not all that great anymore anyway. Why make all the sacrifices, take all the risk and huge investment in time and money, move away from where all your friends and family are, and face a crumbling future to hopefully make a bit more than a plumber anyway?
SkyHigh
The lifestyle imbalances are the first thing to hit pilot radar that something isn't right in the happy town of an airline career. You will watch as your friends and college buddies begin to rapidly leave you behind in regards of enjoying toys, buying homes and having a real life.
The next realization to hit is: It is little benefit to having a string weekdays off when everyone else is working. Your friends will be on the boat and having a good time on Saturday while you are sitting in a terminal someplace.
The third thing a pilot discovers is that even as a regional captain they really do not make as much as the investment and sacrifices would demand. Other simple pedestrian sounding professions offer a better overall life and compensation. These jobs include; plumber, cop, UPS delivery man and many others.
A fourth one is when they realize that even with a well hung resume most will not make it to a major. The fact is that there isn't room for everyone. Things like industry cycles, airline shutdowns, mergers, upgrade times and many other factors that determine career success are totally out of your control. The odds are something will come along and knock you down and there will be nothing you can do about it.
And the last realization that pilots make. The majors are not all that great anymore anyway. Why make all the sacrifices, take all the risk and huge investment in time and money, move away from where all your friends and family are, and face a crumbling future to hopefully make a bit more than a plumber anyway?
SkyHigh
Lets look at those realizations one at a time....
The lifestyle imbalances .... college buddies begin to rapidly leave you behind in regards of enjoying toys, buying homes and having a real life
Keeping up with the Joneses. It must be sad to value one's life by one's toys. If I understood Saab's posts so far, $40,000 isn't enough to live on (at least not a "real" life) even when he doesn't pay rent... jeez. And many of the Joneses are the ones who were "victims of predatory lenders". Yeah, they bought too much house for too much money, but it isn't THEIR fault. Don't worry, the government will bail you out.
The next realization to hit is: ....Your friends will be on the boat and having a good time on Saturday while you are sitting in a terminal someplace.
Yeah, and I bet cops and firefighters just love working weekends and every holiday. Maybe you never noticed, PEOPLE FLY ON WEEKENDS! Some one must fly them.... oh, maybe everybody else would work and let you have weekends off. (By the way, boxes don't fly on weekends, but you wouldn't get to fly a shinny new jet for a long time)
The third thing ... as a regional captain they really do not make as much as the investment and sacrifices would demand. Other ... professions offer a better... life and compensation. ... plumber, cop, UPS delivery man and many others.
If you didn't know what the cost/return was for pilots, you didn't do your homework. Maybe you just heard about pilots making six figures and only working 10 days a month... or maybe you just ignored the publicly posted pay scales (thank you APC!) and had stars in your eyes. By the way, many plumbers and cops work weekends (see #2 above). Dealing with ****** filled pipes or criminals doesn't sound like a better QOL to me: if it does to you, go for it.
And the last realization ... The majors are not all that great anymore anyway. Why make all the sacrifices, ... to hopefully make a bit more than a plumber anyway?
You are right. The majors aren't what they were.... and neither is about any other traditionally good industry. Somewhere between the babyboomers and generation y, the hope that "my kids will have it better than I did" began to fade. Oh, and in the good ol' days, pilots worked weekends.
Last edited by FlyJSH; 04-12-2008 at 02:01 PM.
04-12-2008, 01:57 PM
#126
Day puke
Joined APC: Feb 2006
Position: Out.
Posts: 3,865
Live the dream!
Do y'all remember where that line came from?http://youtube.com/watch?v=tCF9G6ORYyc&feature=related
And we all know what heppend to DMC.
04-12-2008, 02:37 PM
#127
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Dec 2007
Posts: 359
Live the dream! Do y'all remember where that line came from?
http://youtube.com/watch?v=tCF9G6ORYyc&feature=related
And we all know what heppend to DMC.
Do y'all remember where that line came from?http://youtube.com/watch?v=tCF9G6ORYyc&feature=related
And we all know what heppend to DMC.
04-12-2008, 02:51 PM
#128
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Apr 2007
Position: Stretched Barbie Jet
Posts: 239
04-12-2008, 03:00 PM
#129
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Jul 2007
Position: 744 CA
Posts: 4,772
The good old days only existed for the very very senior...hell I know several retired TWA guys who sat "side saddle".... for you young guys that means "on the panel".... oh...sorry... FLIGHT engineer for more than 15 years before upgrading to the right seat and who barely upgraded to left before retirement..... and it wasnt just TWA.
This business is tough. Its more of a lifestyle than a career. If you dont like the lifestyle.... the job will never make you happy. People were furloughed in this business in every decade imaginable... even in the "good old days".....
NO.. its not the business of 10 years ago.. or 30 years ago.... its a rapidly changing monster that probably cant be tamed... and NO I dont think mergers and culling will make it better..... That sort of thing has been going on for decades as well... and every time the industry contracts a bit... a bunch of new airlines open up shop. Pick well .... life is grand... if your pick sucks... lifes a biatch. But really...isnt it that way in life... for everyone......
I dont have the answers.... hell If I had picked the right "door" 16 years ago Id be on easy street... but I didnt ... but I sure as hell cant change that decision... so now I play the hand dealt me and work for change.
This business is tough. Its more of a lifestyle than a career. If you dont like the lifestyle.... the job will never make you happy. People were furloughed in this business in every decade imaginable... even in the "good old days".....
NO.. its not the business of 10 years ago.. or 30 years ago.... its a rapidly changing monster that probably cant be tamed... and NO I dont think mergers and culling will make it better..... That sort of thing has been going on for decades as well... and every time the industry contracts a bit... a bunch of new airlines open up shop. Pick well .... life is grand... if your pick sucks... lifes a biatch. But really...isnt it that way in life... for everyone......
I dont have the answers.... hell If I had picked the right "door" 16 years ago Id be on easy street... but I didnt ... but I sure as hell cant change that decision... so now I play the hand dealt me and work for change.
04-12-2008, 03:14 PM
#130
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Jan 2007
Position: Pilot sleeping.
Posts: 615
In order...
The lifestyle imbalances are the first thing to hit pilot radar that something isn't right in the happy town of an airline career. You will watch as your friends and college buddies begin to rapidly leave you behind in regards of enjoying toys, buying homes and having a real life.
The next realization to hit is: It is little benefit to having a string weekdays off when everyone else is working. Your friends will be on the boat and having a good time on Saturday while you are sitting in a terminal someplace.
The third thing a pilot discovers is that even as a regional captain they really do not make as much as the investment and sacrifices would demand. Other simple pedestrian sounding professions offer a better overall life and compensation. These jobs include; plumber, cop, UPS delivery man and many others.
A fourth one is when they realize that even with a well hung resume most will not make it to a major. The fact is that there isn't room for everyone. Things like industry cycles, airline shutdowns, mergers, upgrade times and many other factors that determine career success are totally out of your control. The odds are something will come along and knock you down and there will be nothing you can do about it.
And the last realization that pilots make. The majors are not all that great anymore anyway. Why make all the sacrifices, take all the risk and huge investment in time and money, move away from where all your friends and family are, and face a crumbling future to hopefully make a bit more than a plumber anyway?
SkyHigh
The lifestyle imbalances are the first thing to hit pilot radar that something isn't right in the happy town of an airline career. You will watch as your friends and college buddies begin to rapidly leave you behind in regards of enjoying toys, buying homes and having a real life.
The next realization to hit is: It is little benefit to having a string weekdays off when everyone else is working. Your friends will be on the boat and having a good time on Saturday while you are sitting in a terminal someplace.
The third thing a pilot discovers is that even as a regional captain they really do not make as much as the investment and sacrifices would demand. Other simple pedestrian sounding professions offer a better overall life and compensation. These jobs include; plumber, cop, UPS delivery man and many others.
A fourth one is when they realize that even with a well hung resume most will not make it to a major. The fact is that there isn't room for everyone. Things like industry cycles, airline shutdowns, mergers, upgrade times and many other factors that determine career success are totally out of your control. The odds are something will come along and knock you down and there will be nothing you can do about it.
And the last realization that pilots make. The majors are not all that great anymore anyway. Why make all the sacrifices, take all the risk and huge investment in time and money, move away from where all your friends and family are, and face a crumbling future to hopefully make a bit more than a plumber anyway?
SkyHigh
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