Went to four year college and paid for it myself because they were saying at the time you should have the degree to fly. Spent more time than normal in college cause I had to pay myself. After college took four years to complete flight training because I had to pay myself. First "real"flying job paid so low I became homeless, but continued to fly with the company. Finally quit. I needed quick fix on finances and went into truck driving. I find myself now 37 and have realized I have spent the better part of my youth chasing a dream, but still find myself wanting to fly. Will flying take the rest of my life as I probably will never get out of the commuters and thus never have a house or a life. Is it really worth it to become a professional pilot? I think not. Youth beware--think long and hard before going into this profession.
2006-08-24 00:08:25 · 9 answers · asked by Anonymous in Cars & Transportation ➔ Aircraft
I agree with you.
I know guys , 30-40 years old, waiting for 10 years to get hours...they screwed their life, live with their parent and are short of money.most guy I know are in debt...
so no, its not worth ur life...better to have a normal job and make good money than trying to be a pilot and be turned down for discrimination or whatever...
i know cfi who quit, paid 800$ a month with kid and wife...ahah what a joke...
this industry is a joke!!!only for very rich kids...
2006-08-24 00:53:58 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
It sounds like becoming an AIRLINE pilot ruined your life, not being a professional pilot. There are a number of other flying gigs that yield substantially different lifestyles. I often wonder how new airline pilots survive. Ok, you make $18,000 a year, and you're supposed to pay for rent, food, transportation, a crash pad, AND pay back the $60-$80,000 in loans you have? Not possible.
Here's my advice. Look into other professional flying areas. Corporate can be very good, but there's other stuff too. Freight, traffic watch, forestry stuff, fish spotting, you name it. My advice is check out some of the pilot job websites and see what you can find. www.skyjobs.net is the best free one I've found, but there are several that will give you dozens of new listings for $8 a month or so.
You've probably got a fair amount of twin jet time in your logbook and that is like gold. I don't know how long you spent in the airlines, but even a couple of years would have given you a TON of time. If you had 2,000 hours in anything, you would be able to find a corporate job SOMEWHERE. And with your jet time, even if it's all SIC time, I bet you could get hired to fly in the right seat of a Citation (a few of which pay up to $40,000/ yr with benefits) in no time. Just so long as you're not tied to where you live, there are plenty of opportunities.
Good Luck!
2006-08-24 17:42:01 · answer #2 · answered by Chappie 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The industry had become a joke as far as pay is concerned some time ago. As far as having a desire to fly, do it as a hobby. Join a flying club, or better yet, join the Military reserves as a Reserve Officer pilot since you have a College degree. As long as you can pass a physical, you can still join the US Military Reserves with a age waiver!
You are only 37, still young enough to find a better paying career, and if you already have a degree, you got a head start.
Good luck, and remember you are not the first guy to find yourself in this position!
2006-08-24 06:11:30 · answer #3 · answered by Middy S 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Life is a gamble and you took yours. I too would have loved to have being a jet jockey, yet never had the money to even get a multi / IR rating.
On the reverse side of the coin, I was a fleet engineer (for our US cousins: chief engineer, running a fleet of semi's), spent another two years studying management at night school (worked out averaging around 25 - 30 hours a week including assignments etc.), won 2 Student of the Year awards for my work on motivational techniques, and thought I had it made.
I was on the up and up, watch out world, here I come!
WRONG, no one wanted to know, for I have made a living getting my hands dirty, and in this world, it is not how good you are, or what you know; it is WHO you know.
It must be hard to watch those jet jockeys swagger down the concourse with gold braid on their hats, and you knowing that you were 10 times the pilot they ever were, just as it is hard for me to have to work with a succession of incompetent nincompoops who call themselves "upper management".
That's life and at least you have the satisfaction of knowing that you achieved your dreams the hard way. Would you really get personal satisfaction from the fact that you only got the job because you played golf with the boss?
2006-08-24 07:00:45 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
My plan is better, finish my 4 years of college with my parents paying for it all, next year while I am a softmore I will finish up my private pilots liscense with my parents paying for that too. then I graduate and get a high paying job as an engineer and fly in my spare time.
2006-08-24 13:50:19 · answer #5 · answered by outbaksean 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
i work at a private FBO at houston's airport as a line tech. I always wanted to be a pilot but when pilots tell you to do something else such as an engineer that really means something. I've seen them go through alot of b. s . And just being away from your family or loved ones is not worth it. Unless your filthy rich and can afford your own plane then its no brainer to be a pilot.
2006-08-24 05:56:02 · answer #6 · answered by dog might have a bone 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Being a professional pilot IS my life.
2006-08-24 07:20:21 · answer #7 · answered by Bunaby A 1 · 2⤊ 0⤋
You sould join the air force.
2006-08-24 07:40:19 · answer #8 · answered by Dan 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
some time yes but sometime not
2006-08-24 00:13:13 · answer #9 · answered by P@kU_B8Si* 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋