jetcareers - View Single Post - Is there a light at the end of the tunnel?

B767Driver · July 5th, 2006, 20:18

This situation is why airlines can get away with pay for training and/or hire for low wages. There is no easy way into the professional piloting industry...and thousands of folks have travelled down the road you are travelling now. Been there...done that myself. Unfortunately the industry places little to no value on a pilot without any type of experience, ie less than 1500 hours total time...there is really no place to go except to flight instruct, tow banners, etc. Enter now...the pay for the job programs. They scam on the low timers...well enough said about that.

Here's what I did...and the perspective I took when I was in your shoes.

1. I realized that making it into a cockpit as a professional pilot was a) very difficult, b) took a long time build the experience necessary to become competitive and c) understood that the opportunity might never present itself. With that in mind, I set out to do everything I could to build experience to qualify for a professional flying career and concurrent with that...prepared myself for a career outside of aviation.

2) I set a time limit on making it as a professional pilot. I was a CFI at 19 years of age...so I got an early start. If I wasn't in a decent position at the age of 30...I would bail and become upwardly mobile in another career. I would constantly evaluate my progress and revise my goals accordingly.

As you can see....I didn't give it 3, 5 or ten years....but 11 years to build experience and acheive my goals. It's a long process...don't get discouraged if you're not a 767 captain in a decade. If that's your expectations...you need to change them.

3) Along the way...my career progressed...from CFI to charter pilot...to freight dog...to commuter dog...to crummy major to a great major that went crummy. I loved every minute of it...and still do. So I'm glad I stuck with it.

It has been so true...for me...that the 'journey is the destination'. It's a fickle profession, career and industry. I always stand ready to make my living in another line of work...but so far...I enjoy the challenge of this one. If this career fails...I look forward to the challenge of a new one.

There are a lot of sacrifices...financial, personal and otherwise. I learned to fly in a university setting with 40 other classmates. I only know of about 8 still flying professionally...so better than 75% of them decided that the career was not for them and bailed. Many needed quicker gratification from their careers than aviation was able to provide. It's a good decade before the good jobs really begin to present themselves in a typical career progression. But then...you'll only be 30ish with 30 years to go.

Good luck...but most of all make peace with your situation. When you're mind is at ease...you'll know you've made the right decision.

Also, remember, pain is temporary.

I'm sure you'll get some good feedback from the great professionals on this website.

July 5th, 2006, 20:18	#8
B767Driver Old Skool Join Date: Sep 2003 Posts: 1,859	Re: Is there a light at the end of the tunnel? This situation is why airlines can get away with pay for training and/or hire for low wages. There is no easy way into the professional piloting industry...and thousands of folks have travelled down the road you are travelling now. Been there...done that myself. Unfortunately the industry places little to no value on a pilot without any type of experience, ie less than 1500 hours total time...there is really no place to go except to flight instruct, tow banners, etc. Enter now...the pay for the job programs. They scam on the low timers...well enough said about that. Here's what I did...and the perspective I took when I was in your shoes. 1. I realized that making it into a cockpit as a professional pilot was a) very difficult, b) took a long time build the experience necessary to become competitive and c) understood that the opportunity might never present itself. With that in mind, I set out to do everything I could to build experience to qualify for a professional flying career and concurrent with that...prepared myself for a career outside of aviation. 2) I set a time limit on making it as a professional pilot. I was a CFI at 19 years of age...so I got an early start. If I wasn't in a decent position at the age of 30...I would bail and become upwardly mobile in another career. I would constantly evaluate my progress and revise my goals accordingly. As you can see....I didn't give it 3, 5 or ten years....but 11 years to build experience and acheive my goals. It's a long process...don't get discouraged if you're not a 767 captain in a decade. If that's your expectations...you need to change them. 3) Along the way...my career progressed...from CFI to charter pilot...to freight dog...to commuter dog...to crummy major to a great major that went crummy. I loved every minute of it...and still do. So I'm glad I stuck with it. It has been so true...for me...that the 'journey is the destination'. It's a fickle profession, career and industry. I always stand ready to make my living in another line of work...but so far...I enjoy the challenge of this one. If this career fails...I look forward to the challenge of a new one. There are a lot of sacrifices...financial, personal and otherwise. I learned to fly in a university setting with 40 other classmates. I only know of about 8 still flying professionally...so better than 75% of them decided that the career was not for them and bailed. Many needed quicker gratification from their careers than aviation was able to provide. It's a good decade before the good jobs really begin to present themselves in a typical career progression. But then...you'll only be 30ish with 30 years to go. Good luck...but most of all make peace with your situation. When you're mind is at ease...you'll know you've made the right decision. Also, remember, pain is temporary. I'm sure you'll get some good feedback from the great professionals on this website.