Anything other than flight instructing?
11-14-2009, 07:32 PM
#12
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Feb 2008
Posts: 161
11-14-2009, 07:36 PM
#13
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Nov 2008
Posts: 314
I feel your pain; instructing became brutal after a year. I'd never do it again. Try flying jumpers, crop dusting, check flying, traffic, powerline....find a different avenue till the time comes where you can suffer the good life with the rest of us!
11-14-2009, 08:22 PM
#15
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Dec 2007
Position: A-320
Posts: 239
Ha! He works at "Fill in the Blank" Airlines, he summed up a regional FOs life pretty well, for any carrier. But since you're gonna live in base, just swap out the 1900 mile commute for 3 hours in bumper to bumper traffic, it works out to about the same.
11-14-2009, 08:44 PM
#16
Self Employed.
Joined APC: May 2005
Position: Corporate Pilot
Posts: 7,119
5000 Hour flight instructors
During the recession of the early 1990's it was common to see 3000 hour flight instructors and that recession was much less harsh than the current economic downturn.
My theory is that a pilots overall career satisfaction is in direct correlation with how much dirt they had to eat on the way up the ladder. I had a belly full by the time I reached the regionals and was not to willing to eat any more.
It is entirely possible that it could be many years more before hiring opens up at the instructor level. By then competitive minimums at the regionals could be 5000 hours and previous jet time. I had the lowest time in my regional new hire class with 3800 hours by the time I got hired.
Skyhigh
My theory is that a pilots overall career satisfaction is in direct correlation with how much dirt they had to eat on the way up the ladder. I had a belly full by the time I reached the regionals and was not to willing to eat any more.
It is entirely possible that it could be many years more before hiring opens up at the instructor level. By then competitive minimums at the regionals could be 5000 hours and previous jet time. I had the lowest time in my regional new hire class with 3800 hours by the time I got hired.
Skyhigh
11-14-2009, 10:14 PM
#20
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Apr 2007
Position: A320
Posts: 1,316
So here is the deal, I have almost 2000 hours and 1600-1700 duel given. I love to fly, but I am completely burned out on instructing. Watching students try to maintain heading and altitude while hanging the airplane on the prop during slow flight in 115 degree Arizona heat, trying to impress upon my 12th instrument student how to select and execute a proper hold entry, and dealing with the stress and annoyance of endless stagechecks and checkrides (particularly when students fail) is taking it's toll on me.
To make matters worse, I work at a sweat shop, 4 flights a day equates to 12 hours, or more at work, and now they are starting to demand instructors come in on their days off if quotas are not met regardless of whether it is thru any fault of our own. I make a lower middle class salary with benefits, although a large chunk of that goes to student loans, but I'm miserable.
Like I said, I love to fly, and it's hard to see myself doing anything else, but I am having serious thoughts of just leaving the industry. I'm only 24 and never thought I would be this burned out and miserable this early in my career.
No airline seems to be hiring, in fact I'm not sure I could even find another instructor job if I lost this one, but I really need to get out of instructing, and into some sort of transport operation, 121, 135, corporate or fractional, in this country or just about any other. Is there anything out there?
To make matters worse, I work at a sweat shop, 4 flights a day equates to 12 hours, or more at work, and now they are starting to demand instructors come in on their days off if quotas are not met regardless of whether it is thru any fault of our own. I make a lower middle class salary with benefits, although a large chunk of that goes to student loans, but I'm miserable.
Like I said, I love to fly, and it's hard to see myself doing anything else, but I am having serious thoughts of just leaving the industry. I'm only 24 and never thought I would be this burned out and miserable this early in my career.
No airline seems to be hiring, in fact I'm not sure I could even find another instructor job if I lost this one, but I really need to get out of instructing, and into some sort of transport operation, 121, 135, corporate or fractional, in this country or just about any other. Is there anything out there?
Don't worry, you would be totally burned out at a regional. Maybe not at the majors or at a really neat corporate set-up. Keep up the hard work.
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