jetcareers - View Single Post - What would you do??

EFC · May 10th, 2002, 09:49

Hello All,

Thanks to all of you for your posts and encouragement ! It was just what I needed. Many of you touched on some very valid issues regarding changing careers. For me, the two big issues are financial and family.

Probably the hardest aspect of changing careers for me is the substantial decrease in pay when one first enters aviation. For example, I was talking to my wife about flying jobs and mentioned that the typical commuter FO makes about 16-20K for the first year.
For me, that would represent about a 50% reduction in pay - OUCH!!

She responded with..."you want to do what?!?...we do well to pay our bills right now!!"
I might as well said that I wanted to be a rodeo clown!! This is the kind of attitude that my wife takes toward me flying for a living. It has been a longstanding issue in our marriage. Eas, I agree that an aviation career is not worth destroying your marriage and family over. After all...There's probably only one guy poorer than a flight instructor...A divorced flight instructor paying alimony/child support!!

I'm interested in corporate/fractionals, the bigger name academys (Flightsafety,Pan AM,etc.) and working for the FAA. (I live in OKC and the FAA has a big presence here).

So for now, I am going to continue working on my Instrument,Comm. & CFI ratings while keeping my current job of course. Then when the time comes, I will explore my options further. Thanks again for all the encouraging words!

Fly safe,
Mark P. - "EFC"

May 10th, 2002, 09:49	#6
EFC Junior Member Join Date: May 2002 Posts: 36	Re: What would you do?? - looking for opinions. (long) Hello All, Thanks to all of you for your posts and encouragement ! It was just what I needed. Many of you touched on some very valid issues regarding changing careers. For me, the two big issues are financial and family. Probably the hardest aspect of changing careers for me is the substantial decrease in pay when one first enters aviation. For example, I was talking to my wife about flying jobs and mentioned that the typical commuter FO makes about 16-20K for the first year. For me, that would represent about a 50% reduction in pay - OUCH!! She responded with..."you want to do what?!?...we do well to pay our bills right now!!" I might as well said that I wanted to be a rodeo clown!! This is the kind of attitude that my wife takes toward me flying for a living. It has been a longstanding issue in our marriage. Eas, I agree that an aviation career is not worth destroying your marriage and family over. After all...There's probably only one guy poorer than a flight instructor...A divorced flight instructor paying alimony/child support!! I'm interested in corporate/fractionals, the bigger name academys (Flightsafety,Pan AM,etc.) and working for the FAA. (I live in OKC and the FAA has a big presence here). So for now, I am going to continue working on my Instrument,Comm. & CFI ratings while keeping my current job of course. Then when the time comes, I will explore my options further. Thanks again for all the encouraging words! Fly safe, Mark P. - "EFC"