Need some carreer advice; is piloting right for me?

[Rxq]

Hi, first post. I'm in my final year of high-school and I'm still not sure what path to take. My first choice lies in electronic/industrial design, although commercial piloting isn't too far from the top of the list. At the moment piloting appears to be an excellent choice. For me here are the pros and cons:

Commercial Piloting
Pros
-A brand new piloting school just opened right next to the airport. Apparently theres a big demand.
-I certainly have the grades for it, whereas electronic/industrial design, i just meet the minimum requirements.
-It will allow me to travel.
-Flying an aircraft does seem interesting.
-It will allow me to make time to learn a few more languages (it's a goal of mine to speak at least 5 languages) since i may need it in a foreign country.
-Gives me an excuse to invest in an expensive pilot watch

Cons
-I wont be around home a lot
-Pilot school will get very competitive, it's also expensive
-It's not exactly at the top of my favorite career lists, but it is one of the top.
-Danger factor

Another option is working in the control tower. I've been to the simulation room in the new flight school and it does seem pretty cool, but i imagine it's not as fun as flying an aircraft.

1. So jetcareers, is piloting right for me?
2. How about working in the control tower?
3. What can i expect the job to be like?
4. How do holidays and weekends work?
5. How is the pay?
6. In your experience was piloting school very hard and competitive?
7. I am -2 degrees shortsighted, will that be a problem when i do the medical?
8. Is it dangerous on the job?

Thanks!

[Seggy]

1. Only YOU can answer that question!

2. Great option!

3. Expect the unexpected

4. You will work weekend and holidays. You will get some off. It depends

5. It can be rough starting out. It does get better, hopefully within ten years, I will be making six figures, if not earlier.

6. Not at all.

7. No, just need to wear glasses or contacts.

8. Safer than driving.


Hope that helps!

[30West]

If its not at the very top of a short list which also includes being a pilot and being a pilot, I would stay far far away. This industry is far too life consuming and volitile for anyone that isnt 100,000,000% vested in it.

[SpiraMirabilis]

Originally Posted by Seggy

1. Only YOU can answer that question!

Hope that helps!

Thats the most important one right there.

[Seggy]

Originally Posted by 30West

If its not at the very top of a short list which also includes being a pilot and being a pilot, I would stay far far away. This industry is far too life consuming and volitile for anyone that isnt 100,000,000% vested in it.

[Cptnchia]

This job is dangerous? Damnit, why didn't anyone tell me!

[bartman]

Originally Posted by 30West

If its not at the very top of a short list which also includes being a pilot and being a pilot, I would stay far far away. This industry is far too life consuming and volitile for anyone that isnt 100,000,000% vested in it.

Read some of the threads in the Changing Careers forums, they will also be a big help. Becoming a pilot will be long hours, a lot of time spent away from home and cost you a lot to get all your certifications before you can start making it back. As you will find in a lot of other threads, it's probably advisable to get a degree so that a) you move yourself closer to the front of the hiring line and b) you have something to fall back on if (god forbid) you lose your medical one day. You might want to investigate taking a degree program in Aviation Management combined with flight training. Welcome to JC, a great place to learn about your potential new career.

[WAFlyBoy]

1. Hang out at your local airport, take a discovery flight and talk to some airline pilots. With those experiences, you should be able to answer this question better than strangers.

2. With diminishing pay and less favorable work rules on the horizon for air traffic controllers, I would avoid this profession personally.

3. Very low starting pay, being away from home quite a bit (living in base helps though), and working in a turbulent industry that has never made a profit. On the other hand, the actual flying and the people you work with can make the job a lot of fun.

4. Ever worked in a restaurant? Pretty much like that.

5. Very low to start. Although high W-2's ($200K+) are still out there, overall there is a downward pressure on pay.

6. All it takes is money and a desire to learn.

7. Is there an AME in the house?

8. Probably safer than a paper route.

A suggestion, Rxq: First, go to college and study something you're passionate about. (Other than aviation.) Enjoy the life experience, learn lots of different things, and get a 4-year degree. In the mean time, explore aviation in bits and pieces. ie, take a discovery flight now. Then, maybe one summer, work on a private pilot's license. When you graduate, once again weigh your interests against your opportunities.

[wildfreightess]

Originally Posted by WAFlyBoy

A suggestion, Rxq: First, go to college and study something you're passionate about. (Other than aviation.) Enjoy the life experience, learn lots of different things, and get a 4-year degree. In the mean time, explore aviation in bits and pieces. ie, take a discovery flight now. Then, maybe one summer, work on a private pilot's license. When you graduate, once again weigh your interests against your opportunities.

You took the words right from my fingertips. There are those who started out passionate about flight, then once they jumped in discovered it wasn't all they thought it would be. There are also those who weren't sure, but upon careful exploration discovered that there is nothing else they would rather do. Find out who you are. From your post, you have a good head on your shoulders. Don't be in a hurry.

[Number1atNumber2]

Originally Posted by Rxq

Hi, first post. I'm in my final year of high-school and I'm still not sure what path to take. My first choice lies in electronic/industrial design, although commercial piloting isn't too far from the top of the list. At the moment piloting appears to be an excellent choice. For me here are the pros and cons:

Commercial Piloting
Pros
-A brand new piloting school just opened right next to the airport. Apparently theres a big demand.
-I certainly have the grades for it, whereas electronic/industrial design, i just meet the minimum requirements.
-It will allow me to travel.
-Flying an aircraft does seem interesting.
-It will allow me to make time to learn a few more languages (it's a goal of mine to speak at least 5 languages) since i may need it in a foreign country.
-Gives me an excuse to invest in an expensive pilot watch

Cons
-I wont be around home a lot
-Pilot school will get very competitive, it's also expensive
-It's not exactly at the top of my favorite career lists, but it is one of the top.
-Danger factor

Another option is working in the control tower. I've been to the simulation room in the new flight school and it does seem pretty cool, but i imagine it's not as fun as flying an aircraft.

1. So jetcareers, is piloting right for me?
2. How about working in the control tower?
3. What can i expect the job to be like?
4. How do holidays and weekends work?
5. How is the pay?
6. In your experience was piloting school very hard and competitive?
7. I am -2 degrees shortsighted, will that be a problem when i do the medical?
8. Is it dangerous on the job?

Thanks!

Like others said: you have to decide for yourself if you like it.

Flight school itself is NOT competitive at all, but after your training is done can be EXTREMELY competitve, it all depends on what the idustry is doing at the time. A few years ago it was hard to find any job in aviation without a ton of experience. Lately its been easier to get on with any regional airline (for some all you have to do is have the training and want the job).

My flight training took a lot of work, but I didn't think it was overly difficult for the most part. You'll find things you'll struggle with, but if you work at it and have a good teacher you'll be fine.

Flight school won't be like what you're used to at high school. Your flight instructor will be more of a mentor/big brother type compaired to a school teacher.

Is it dangerous? Again, its up to you: if you think nothing will ever happen to you, or "no one's watching so I'll do this just once" it can be dangerous. But for the most part if you're a responsible type person its pretty safe.

Holidays and weekends? Wave bye bye to those.

Pay can be good, but not for A LONG time. You better do this because you love it, not to get money/chicks.

Buy the watch before you start flying: cause you wont have money after you begin.

Learning other languages? Not necessary, but definately not a bad thing either. You will _probably_ be a pilot for a very long time before you fly internationally. English is the standard language used by Air Traffic Control even on the other end of the world.

Depending on the company you work for, be prepared to be away from home a lot.

Best thing you can do is go up and take a flight lession, and listen to people who are in the field (like you're doing right now by checking out these forms) I wish JC was around before I started, it would have saved me many, many, headaches. But, I fly because I just have an unexplainable love for it.

If you like it, go for it!

[Rxq]

Thanks everyone.
Since piloting is still near the top of my list, I'm still going to give it some thought.
How is the industry in the next couple of years?
Can you guys tell me more what the first couple of years are like on the job, and what an average week is like?

Btw, I figured I have a better chance of surviving a car crash than a plane crash.

[PaulRix]

I can't speak for the rest of the guys and gals here but personally I knew that I wanted to be a pilot since I was 4 or 5 years old. It took me a long time to get there but I never lost the ambition to fly. You can't look at it as a job, more of a way of life. As for the big expensive watch, well I have still got a $30 Timex on my wrist. It does the job just fine .

[KC Jake]

Originally Posted by Rxq

Thanks everyone.
Since piloting is still near the top of my list, I'm still going to give it some thought.
How is the industry in the next couple of years?
Can you guys tell me more what the first couple of years are like on the job, and what an average week is like?

Btw, I figured I have a better chance of surviving a car crash than a plane crash.

I don't really think anyone can tell you what the industry will be like even next month. For some info about an average week, I would go to the main jet careers page and read some of the perspectives.

[WAFlyBoy]

Originally Posted by Rxq

How is the industry in the next couple of years?

Turbulent. Very turbulent. There's a lot of talk of legacy carriers merging. If that happens, it may very well have a trickle effect that will impact lots and lots of pilots. Some say that if mergers don't happen, there will be bankruptcies ala Braniff. (The kind where they don't come back at the hand of federal-backed loans.) Some say fuel prices will kill a regional or two before 08 is done. (Actually, I think that already happened.) Look around this site; you'll find lots of speculation and many different opinions. But one common resounding tone is this: there are very interesting times ahead.

Originally Posted by Rxq

and what an average week is like?

For me, it's something like this:
Day 1: Arrive to ORD (from SEA) at 6am. Take train to crash pad and take nap. Upon waking, wait for a phone call from crew scheduling for a flying assignment. This is called "sitting reserve."
Day 2: Sit reserve at crash pad. Play computer games. Walk to grocery store, mostly to kill the time. Buy whatever is on sale, which usually involves boxed pasta and canned fish.
Day 3: Call from crew scheduling at 6am. "You have a Green Bay turn at 8am." I thank them and hang up. Go to airport, fly to Green Bay and back, then sit airport reserve for 4 hours. Back to crash pad around 5pm. Total time spent traveling to airport and back: 2 hours. Total time spent flying: 55 minutes.
Day 4: Wake up at noon. Make pancakes. (Yes, sitting reserve at crashpad again.) Indulge in a book until somebody else comes to crash pad and starts watching Baywatch. Look at Jetcareers. Make dinner. Go to bed early praying I'll fall asleep soon so the time passes quickly.
Day 5: Wake up. Check reserve list. Lots of people on reserve, so I put in request for early release. Pack up 5 days of around-the-house clothes (1 Mariners World Series t-shirt and a pair of baggy sleeper bottoms) and head to airport to catch the 12:30 back to SEA. At noon, call crew scheduling to check on early release request. Denied, so I sit at airport "on reserve" until my 4pm release time. Try to catch 5:00 flight home but it's full. Sit at airport for the 7pm flight.

Next 3 days: OFF

Living the dream

[DE727UPS]

"If I could do it over again, I would chose an industry where I can be paid what a professional should be paid."

Sounds good. What industry is that?

To the OP. Get a job, save up some money, get your PPL, and make sure flying is where you want to put all your marbles. I'm dang happy about my choices when I was young, but everyone is different.

If nothing else, there are no guarantees in this biz. But I think that same can be said for life in general. Good luck to you.

[Nick]

Originally Posted by Rxq

Can you guys tell me more what the first couple of years are like on the job, and what an average week is like?

I temporarily commute coast-to-coast. Here was my last trip.

Go to Newark airport terminal A because the United flight always has more open seats than the Continental flight. Today Continental has 60 open in the back but United has 12 in first and 80 in coach. Both flights are like this every single time I commute, no joke.

United gate agent apologizes for first class being checked in full. She offers me a large choice of my own row in economy plus instead. I say thanks and head down the jetway. We takeoff, and about ten minutes later I am laying down with my eye cover on and earplugs in. I awaken and look out the window. It looks like Las Vegas and I'm all rested up.

Surf the internet for an hour or two in the crewroom and get something to eat. Put uniform on and go upstairs and fly a few legs and end with a 15 hour layover in San Jose.

Day two, leave there and fly back to the hub. Change planes and then fly up to Seattle. 19 hour layover. Happy hour at Ivar's is a bargain and the captain's a cool guy.

Next morning, day three, wake up, take a quick walk down to Pike Place Market area, get some breakfast, walk back to the hotel, leave for the airport, fly back to the hub. 45 minutes is enough time to get a yogurt and fruit from the terminal, then back down to the plane. Fly to San Francisco. 19 hour layover. Fisherman's Wharf 45 minutes after blocking in. Grab my camera and a waterbottle and walk around all afternoon, all over the city. Think of stuff to do on the next few layovers here. This time in Japantown I walked by a place with my last name (a rare last name) within the name. I took a picture of that.

Next morning, leave there early and fly back to the hub. Sit for three hours, but that includes getting ready to leave time for the next flight, so there's only two hours to kill. Crewroom, food etc. Fly a turn, then get on flight home. United apologizes for having nothing left in first class. Get my own row in economy plus instead. Wake up descending towards New Jersey. Cry a little.

[WAFlyBoy]

Originally Posted by Nick

Day two, leave there and fly back to the hub. Change planes and then fly up to Seattle. 19 hour layover. Happy hour at Ivar's is a bargain and the captain's a cool guy.

I know you wrote that just to make me jealous, Nick.

[WAFlyBoy]

Originally Posted by victorS

Is your question what industry I would choose? Or is your question what industry pays what a professional should be paid?

I believe, based on your post, the answer would be the same either way:

Originally Posted by victorS

If I could do it over again, I would chose an industry where I can be paid what a professional should be paid.