Career change to pilot
05-27-2008, 12:05 PM
#121
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Feb 2006
Position: 767A (Ret)
Posts: 6,248
Good old days?
05-27-2008, 12:19 PM
#122
Prime Minister/Moderator
Joined APC: Jan 2006
Position: Engines Turn Or People Swim
Posts: 40,108
Sorry to burst your bubble but no, I am not in flight training sales.
To go into a career and not shoot for a certain level of success is pointless. Are you saying that no one should start a flying career these days? That would be the real BS....especially from such an optimistic "realist"
.
To go into a career and not shoot for a certain level of success is pointless. Are you saying that no one should start a flying career these days? That would be the real BS....especially from such an optimistic "realist"
.Hard work, attitude, planning, and luck will guarantee success in aviation.
05-27-2008, 12:24 PM
#124
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Jul 2007
Position: 744 CA
Posts: 4,772
Luck....aka being in the right place at the right time.....is HUGE!!
05-27-2008, 12:39 PM
#125
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Sep 2007
Position: 747 FO
Posts: 937
Yes, a little luck can be involved but hard work, attitude and perseverance prevails. It is these elements that will get one through the bad luck times because success has more to do with how you get up when you're knocked down. If you get back up enough, you make your own "luck".
Last edited by Zapata; 05-27-2008 at 12:48 PM.
05-27-2008, 12:47 PM
#126
Prime Minister/Moderator
Joined APC: Jan 2006
Position: Engines Turn Or People Swim
Posts: 40,108
Sure, if one comes from the standpoint of nothing in life being guaranteed, then you're right. How about this? Hard work, perseverance and attitude will guarantee success in aviation as much as these qualities would in any other career path. In this context, it is absolutely true.
Yes, a little luck can be involved but hard work, attitude and perseverance prevails. It is these elements that will get one through the bad luck times because it has more to do with how you get up when you're knocked down.If you get back up enough, you make your own "luck".
Yes, a little luck can be involved but hard work, attitude and perseverance prevails. It is these elements that will get one through the bad luck times because it has more to do with how you get up when you're knocked down.If you get back up enough, you make your own "luck".
Medical Problems: You can minimize this risk if you eat right, exercise, and generally take care of yourself.
Your employer shuts down. No biggy at age 25, but at 55? Not a good time to start all over, and there's almost nothing you can do to prevent this from happening to you. A lot can change in 25 years...
In most other professions, you don't need a medical, and if lose your job you just go find a new one...probably making more money.
People need to know that there are more risks in aviation than in traditional career fields...but the potential rewards are better too. If you actually end up as a widebody CA at age 55, you probably make more money and have better QOL than most of your college buds. But there are no guarantees, and is it worth the risk to try? We each have to answer that one ourselves.
05-27-2008, 08:48 PM
#127
Self Employed.
Joined APC: May 2005
Position: Corporate Pilot
Posts: 7,119
Bitter about Aviation
Skyhigh in another thread:
"Last week 200 Billion was pumped into the credit pipeline. Six months from now banks could start to generate loans again and things could turn around. This is a great window of opportunity to jump into the market."
Skyhigh's aparently not bitter about everything, he just hates the profession because he feels cheated by it.
Not everyone will end up with a great career but some will. And "great" is in the eye of the beholder. If you want some sort of guarantee, get into real estate like Sky suggests. No guarantees in aviation.
And, yeah, I'd do it again if I had it to do over....
"Last week 200 Billion was pumped into the credit pipeline. Six months from now banks could start to generate loans again and things could turn around. This is a great window of opportunity to jump into the market."
Skyhigh's aparently not bitter about everything, he just hates the profession because he feels cheated by it.
Not everyone will end up with a great career but some will. And "great" is in the eye of the beholder. If you want some sort of guarantee, get into real estate like Sky suggests. No guarantees in aviation.
And, yeah, I'd do it again if I had it to do over....
Flying is unlike most other professions. It requires far more investment and risk to receive the promise of an inferior return when examined purely from a financial and QOL perspective.
If I had the opportunity to do it over my choices would be very different.
The odds of making it to UPS are 146 to one. So I agree that some will make it. However most will not. I am not looking for a guarantee just better odds.
SKyhigh
05-28-2008, 07:19 AM
#128
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Mar 2008
Position: dogstyle
Posts: 375
Sky why don't you take a trip to NYC or Los Angeles and get together with a group of struggling actors or musicians and give them your sob story including how "unique" aviation is to lots of hard work and struggle for inadequate rewards or miniscule odds of making it to the bigtime. I'm sure THEY could all use a reality check on the plight of the modern day pilot to bring their choices into perspective. Maybe make a stop in D.C. as well and continue your quest for sympathy with some political interns with aspirations of high office in our govt someday that odds are won't make it. After all these trips I suggest making sure your humble pie is wrapped up tight for the ride home so you can still have a few slices at home when you get back.
05-28-2008, 07:24 AM
#129
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Jun 2006
Posts: 103
Sky why don't you take a trip to NYC or Los Angeles and get together with a group of struggling actors or musicians and give them your sob story including how "unique" aviation is to lots of hard work and struggle for inadequate rewards or miniscule odds of making it to the bigtime. I'm sure THEY could all use a reality check on the plight of the modern day pilot to bring their choices into perspective. Maybe make a stop in D.C. as well and continue your quest for sympathy with some political interns with aspirations of high office in our govt someday that odds are won't make it. After all these trips I suggest making sure your humble pie is wrapped up tight for the ride home so you can still have a few slices at home when you get back.
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