Want to be airline pilot - how do I know if I will enjoy?

Question

I've wanted to be an airline pilot for as long as I can remember. However I've been working in IT for the last 3 years and am only now ready to commit all the money to training and then hopefully get a job. I have a private pilots license so I know I enjoy flying. I think I will enjoy being an airline pilot, but how do I know? I've spoken to others about it and from what I've heard, I will love it... but I do not want to change career and spend all this money only to end up in a job which I do not like or is not what I thought it would be. Any advice?

Answer 1

You have a very legitimate question. I too, came from the IT field, and became an airline pilot. I can tell you what you do with your PPL is much different than what we do as an airline pilot in a lot of aspect.

Just because you love flying, doesn't mean the airline pilot career is for you. I gave up a high paying IT job, and became a regional airline pilot and I was on food stamp for the first few months on the job. It took me approximately 7 years to regain my salary in my previous job. But I don't regret my decision, as I love commanding a sophisticated airliner everyday, with a great group of colleague, taking care of my customers.

It is a leap of faith you will have to take, and there's no guarantee how it'll turn out. Ask yourself, will you be happy working in your current field, while flying part-time during the weekend? Will it satisfy your aviation ambition? If not, then you can start looking into further your training to get more experience to get you ready for the next step in commercial aviation.

Hope it helped.

Answer 2

If you've imagined yourself as being what you now have an opportunity to become then you are amongst those few blessed with the ability to dream and not succumb to the limitations that are socially put upon us that make our dreams seem unrealistic. The art of pretending is actually all about mentally rehearsing something and the more we rehearse the better able we become to carry out what our characters part may involve and the more likely we are to be able to achieve the status we have been mentally preparing for and if ever there was a case of an individual that's following some kind of logical progression down a route towards achieving whets been something that you've prepared for all your life then it doesn't really get more obvious than the path your on and the point your journey has arrived at. I think to help you with the choice ask yourself this question instead. Where in your life plan did you see yourself in the job your in? If you find as I think you will that the job you're in was not really a feature in your plan for life but to go down the pilot route is a path that has always been on the agenda then you've just become to attached to the security your current job has provided. Its safe or at least seems that way but is it going to replace what you have played out as you've imagined what things you might encounter being a pilot would be like because unless it's able to compare with what has driven you in your pursuit of becoming an airline pilot then its just a test of your faith so now you need to show yourself what things you've learnt so far from life and make that proverbial leap at least you already know how to fly so you're not likely to crash just think about those of us who are faced with the same leap who can't fly.

Answer 3

I just got over the same issue. I asked myself which road would I more likely regret. I had a great job with incredible pay but I didn't enjoy it. I figured 10 years from now I would probably regret not taking a chance on flying.

The professional pilots I spoke with either loved their jobs or compared it to a race car driver taking on a bus route.

At some point you have to just go for it. You can always go back to IT if it doesn't work out. There are programs that cater to working student if you are really worried about giving up the IT gig. The other thought is go get your instrument rating and see if you still have the desire to continue beyond that.

I've only logged about 200 hours so I have a ways to go. I can sympathize, it's a hard choice.

Good luck.

Answer 4

I work for flybe and I love every min of work and the money you got to do a least 2000 hours before applying for a airline pilot. trust me you will love it go for it.

just think you flying and you have 140 people onboard and you are all always in controll and when you land you go out side and look at your aircraft and say to your self i just been flying that and also how many passngers faces are happy to be away from the uk you did that

Answer 5

listen to your heart? you either like it or not. if you do like flying than i guess u should give it a shot. but being an airline pilot is not easy. the only people that could make it to the job is the only people that love flying.

Answer 6

There is a game for the computer called "Microsoft Flight Simulator X" and on it you can fly a virtual airline

Answer 7

well if you enjoy making $30,000- $45,000/year. then you might like it. i fly in Flight sim as an airline pilot and i love it i know it is not the same but i dont leave my computer on the long flights.

Answer 8

ive recently become a bus driver,didnt know whether or not id like it and also have to tackle the 'working in a mans world', l absolutely love it, sometimes you just have to take the chance, good luck.

Answer 9

Go for it, if that's what you want.
You wont know whether you'll enjoy it until you try it. If you're not happy in your current job you have nothing to lose.

Good luck

Answer 10

You could spend a couple of hundred pound on a simulator experience. It's realistic