Radials Rule

I don't know how you attained such scientifically based results but, it has been 18 years for me and I'm one that says "go for it".

However, I have noticed that guys that aren't even in the profession still posting as if they are in, tend to paint an overly negative picture to aspiring pilots. There's nothing wrong with showing the cons as long as listing those cons isn't based on a bitter attitude.

FliFast

Just curious, but why is that.

FF

Stryker

Its kind of like a fraternity... it will definitely help you, but if you are a total D-bag, it will carry zero weight...

hindsight2020

Circular reasoning anybody? I can make the same argument of those who prefer the overtly optimistic view of this profession, particularly when they sit in a favorable position career-wise. It's no different. Optimism for the sake of itself has no value, it's just an opiate. People who are not affected by a certain reality are less likely to dwell on it, and are more likely to dismiss those who are. It's human nature.

The bolded above subtly puts the chicken before the egg and implies that outcomes are a result of attitude, which means that happy thoughts and pleasant demeanors (as perceived by others, those who are ultimately bothered by the sound of statements that challenge or deviate from their personal experience) result in good career outcomes and conversely bitter attitudes are the culprit for unfavorable career outcomes. Thence, speaking emphatically about negatives is inevitably and ultimately sourced on the possession of the "wrong attitude". Man you can't turn a Raptor inside that reasoning circle, it's sealed tight. And we wonder why people constantly vote against their economic interest. The attitude crowd. Clicking your heels to emotional destitution. Stop interchanging attitude for sense of purpose, the latter creates outcomes, the former just regulates your emotional reaction to outcomes, but doesn't impact said outcomes fundamentally.

I personally love this thread and I think it's spot on. I'm sick and tired of people quantifying people's vocational legitimacy for this profession based on how much you're willing to turn a blind eye to reality and "fly for the love of it". It's pure non-sense. Add to that the "attitude determines your altitude" crowd running in circles with the above statement. Forget all that, I personally subscribe to the "value of foresight", which trumps atittude. Stop trying to dilute and minimize the unpleasant circumstances highlighted about this profession because you're [rhetorically] a senior UPS CA and said circusmtances read chinese to you. It is external to your experience, but by that reason alone it does not make it untrue or exaggerated-by-default.

Look, sometimes it takes people outside the industry smoke room to acutally see clearly. I can tell you I could be standing in line today with the rest of the regional folks, waiting for my ticket to the big show while asserting to myself that as long as I keep a "positive" attitude I need not concern myself with the self-damaging financial and personal choices carried by essentially walking through your 20s and 30s with your eyes closed, hoping to fall outside the realm of reality and come out ahead, all the while attempting to keep you personal relationships and emotional values together (you know, real life...outside the airport) with a sewing kit, ramen noodles and the promise of a positive attitude, essentially asking God to win me the lottery without actually ever buying a ticket. Or I can stop being an educated fool, put the kool-aid down, stop appeasing others' sensitivities to "attitude" and follow the advice of the gallatically obvious and use whatever foresight I have to my personal and economic betterment. If that adds up to walking away from this profession, then so be it, that individual has as much right to point out the difficulties of this profession as the "not bitter" hypothetical senior CA. Stop adjudicating moral qualifiers on those who point out the retardation of certain labor realities in this career for the median individual.

To the OP, I did a gut check and decided it was not in my best financial and professional interest to pursue airline work for exaclty the reasons cited before in the thread: poor compensation and way-below-average job stability and continuity, lack of substantive retirement benefits, lack of lateral career options (career insurance), opportunity cost of time away from home vis a vis said compensation, and overall price inelastic labor force ("your peers will do it for free") . As such I've had to adjust my career decisions accordingly. Opposite what some of the industry elitists on here may suggest, I have as much or more passion for flying and dedication to it as any proverbial senior CA. But there's more to life than flying, some of us have to pay rent today, not in 10 years.

ExperimentalAB

Wow hindsight...you are very much my hero right now. Thanks for what is undoubtably the best post I have ever read...

Learflyer

no doubt. Flight Options was my last job flying. I'm excited about pursuing new passions now.

Nightsky

Sorry to hear what's happening to you all at Flt Ops. What a disaster. I wish you the best of luck. Any idea what you might do now? Just curious, and honestly I'm looking for ideas.

And Hindsight, thanks for taking the time to type that post out. I wish I had your insight before I gave over a decade of my life to chasing the dream. If I knew then what I know now, no way in hell would I have walked down this path.

de727ups

Hey, no ill will towards those who chose not to enter, or choose walk away.

I can only speak from my own experience. I perservered through many challenges early in my career and ended up where I did. Besides that, I have six or seven friends who I've mentored in the career. Everywhere from Mesa Capt, to Jet Blue, to AWE, to Delta, to UPS. None of them regret being in the career, in spite of them all being faced with significant challenges. Even my Aloha buddy got a new job within a month, family guy, never spoke ill of the career.

The job isn't for everyone. But to knock the career as being unworthy for all fails to take into consideration that all don't view things the same way. What's unworthy to you might not be a bad gig to the next guy.

SkyHigh

Mr. Hindsight,

That was totally awesome !!! I think that your post completely summarized everything that I have been trying to say for several years now.

Skyhigh

MD11

Mr Hindsight,
A well written response, but my simple impression is that you are someone with a really big ego compensating for your disappointment.

There seems to be too much handwringing over this subject,,, fly if you want to! In 100 years none of this will matter anyway.

I have worked for six 121 carriers, two went out of business, one was in bankruptcy and only one really shined for my family. By the way, through all of the turbulence, I am still married to my highschool sweetheart and all of my kids are happy and healthy. For me, hindsight says I would do it again.

Fly if you want to!