SkyHigh

Man, you are my favorite. One of my best and most faithful friends here. What would I do without you?

Besides who says that my wisdom is exclusively limited to 18 year olds? Seems to me that this thread is a good discussion on the validity of continuing an aviation career. I enjoy this kind of debate.


SkyHigh

Cubdriver

Some people have been on here for years now making more or less the same points. It's kind of funny when you think about it.

DamonMeyer

IT appeals to people who like learning and becoming proficient in technical skills, and flying is like the 3-D embodiment of that. I have been in IT for a little over 15 years, and when I hit an even 20 years I plan to bail and move full time to flying professionally.

SmoothOnTop

MS Flight Simulator - there are actual professional pilot jobs out there..

Dungeons and Dragons - no jobs

Call of Duty - "push-ups and running" - not for me

I'm a former geek and proud of it..

Cubdriver

Damon- you may explain why they come to aviation but I still wonder why they get burned out so much in the first place. Maybe it has to do with pressure in the IT industry coupled with compatibility for flying, as you mention.

The single worst industry I ever worked in was a non-unionized fueling operation located at KATL. They treated their men like a total slaves that were expendable. Many of the workers were actual ex-cons. I only did that for a summer while in school.

The best industry for me at least has been engineering. One really couldn't have it much better and still call it work. But I have friend at Expressjet who gave up a similar job some years ago earning nearly 6 figures, because he wasn't being challenged and felt like a drone at his job. He gives good reports about life flying the line at Expressjet, recently made captain. He has been there for about 3 years, it is his first professional flying besides instructing.

Most of the perception about quality of life in an industry comes down to circumstances surrounding the particular individual. A lot of the arguing that goes on about it can be explained as variation in individual needs. I am not saying there aren't real issues and that no generalities apply, but that a final evaluation is influenced by personal and individual needs as much as anything else.

Sideshow Bob

It's about to get even better. I'm not sure, but I think he went into either real estate or building, which of course is going into the tank. Instead of weathering the ups and down of pretty much every industry (except personal injury law and crank manufacturing) he'll likely quit that too, and then haunt whatever real estate internet boards are out there bemoaning the collapse of that industry telling people to jump out of buildings or stick paper clips into 220V outlets.

The bright side is he'll be here 50% less telling us we should be miserable.

FlyJSH

Thanks to those who answered my original question. It is nice to see some folks are pleased.

There is no point in continuing this thread as the same handful of folks whose wisdom is infinite and always see gloom and doom have taken over. I am requesting this thread be closed.

Good luck all

de727ups

"I am requesting this thread be closed."

You can't just request a thread be closed at APC because you don't like the direction it took. Wouldn't be fair to the opiner or the opinee...

flyifrvfr

I feel that SkyHigh made a tough decision to leave aviation and persue other interests. He does have the right to post here and voice his opinion about the lack of satisfaction this industry has brought him. How many other industries are there that require you to obtain numerous expensive ratings and certificates only to reward you with an income that is just barely above poverty?

Some say you have to pay your dues! Absolutley true, but that means working nights, weekends, reserve and early showtimes. Paying your dues should not include doing your job for $25,000 less than what it actually should pay. Paying your dues should not include having to chose between having a reliable vehicle or an apartment. Because lord knows its very tough to do both on a first year FO pay let alone second year.

SkyHigh, you have my respect for having the courage to leave an industry you loved. You have my respect for seeing that love doesn't pay the bills, money does. I am just barely making it on the first year pay. I should be making at the least $40,000 for the first year, but the opinion here as that pilots aren't worth it. This is why the glory days of yore will never return.

flyifrvfr

I guess I don't understand what your personallity lacks that being at Mod at APC, and JC makes up for. I believe a failed career would be better defined by multiple PC checkride failures, being fired, or crashing an airplane. SkyHigh chose to leave the airlines because of poor QOL issues. He left aviation, aviation didn't leave him.