What are you gonna do when your airline Tango Uniforms?

[mikecweb]

As always great post Zap. Thanks for your contributions to this forum.

[ZapBrannigan]

Always a pleasure to use a few minutes of Benjamin's naptime to share my opinions on a Delta pilot's message board rather than doing what I SHOULD be and making a dent in my honey-do list.

[777forever]

Very good post Zap I see exactly what you're talking about. Looks like your options go down significantly when you have a family to take care off. But I think you've found a pretty stable company to finish your career.

[Doug Taylor]

Me? I'd put Jackie Treehorn out of business.

[Gonzo]

Originally Posted by mikecweb

As always great post Zap. Thanks for your contributions to this forum.

Zap thank you.

[ZapBrannigan]

Come on Doug. Even YOU need a plan -- just in case producing adult films doesn't pan out.

[Doug Taylor]

Well, everyone's got a plan but I needn't publicize everything! I already live in an aquarium, of sorts, for everyone to have a gander at. Man's gotta keep some stuff to himself every once in a while.

[deek]

And here I am, a student pilot with 20TT and working on my PPL with a boat load of student loan debt and aspirations of being an airline pilot. yikes. But I think all this shuffling is a good thing for people like me. Maybe this will get the airlines back on track to doing what they can actually do to maintain a business, and this economic crisis won't last forever, otherwise there won't be many jobs in america for anyone (which isn't too far off today anyway). I have a good desk job now, but it's in Houston, which is in Texas, which is way to scary to spend any significant amount of time in. But I hope everyone here falls on their feet. Aviation is still a very honorable profession, which requires skills that takes a professional to learn, and dealing with the public, and emergencies, all of which are skills in demand at most jobs.

Short answer: Firefighter.

[SpiraMirabilis]

Originally Posted by Doug Taylor

Me? I'd put Jackie Treehorn out of business.

Mr. Treehorn draws a lot of water in this town, Taylor. You don't draw %$%&^. We got a nice quiet beach community here, and I aim to keep it nice and quiet. So let me make something plain. I don't like you sucking around bothering our citizens, Taylor. I don't like your jerk-off name, I don't like your jerk-off face, I don't like your jerk- off behavior, and I don't like you, jerk-off --do I make myself clear?

[surreal1221]

Originally Posted by JDMcFly

Asia.

Yup.

[E_Dawg]

What's in Asia? Besides Cathay.

[Velocipede]

Emirates.

[surreal1221]

Lots of companies, that are hard up for American pilots - for some reason.

[KLB]

That was a very well written perspective Zap!

I've been holding out on getting into any serious relationship (unless I'm absolutely sure that I find that woman who is the ONE!) until I get more stabilized in the industry. I'm finding out more and more that having a 100% stabilized and secure career is a figment of my imagination. My gig is pretty stable right now, but thats not to say that when I get to work Monday morning, there won't be a memo on the wall from management saying that a base is closing or we're losing this run and etc... I was thinking of putting a few more years in at this gig and moving on to the "nest egg". Then I watched four places that a lot of pilots considered to be their "nest eggs" fall off of that proverbial wall and go splat.

[tonyw]

Originally Posted by Sprint100

it just doesn't seem realistic to portray piloting as the only good job in life and a picture of working in a cubicle as the worst job in life.

Yes, I love flying. There's nothing like it.

But let's not act as if it's the only job that's fulfilling out there.

People need to find something else they enjoy.

Because you are just one medical away from never flying for pay again.

And if aviation is truly the only thing you enjoy, I feel sorry for you if that happens because you're going to be miserable.

[trafficinsight]

I'm an A&P, I enjoy that, if I couldn't find anything doing that I could go work at a car dealership and make the proverbial fat cash. I don't enjoy working on cars though.

I will be eternally grateful for my adviser at SJSU who sat down with me and said "You will need a backup plan in this business, so you should consider the maintenance program." At the time I was going for a flight operations degree.

I do look forward to the day where I don't have to get dirty for a living... but I can think of worse things.

[ASpilot2be]

While I am only a private pilot, I would go from the air to the sea.

I would follow in my dads footsteps and become an engineer. Nothing like tinkering with engines two storys tall

[N826AW]

Like Tony said, you always have to have a backup plan. Even if it's waiting tables to pay the mortgage. I don't care what you do or where you work. You never know when management will change and the new guys come in and blow everyone out.

[coa787]

Excuse me for interrupting, but what exactly do the letters "TU" stand for?

[Doug Taylor]

Is basically a euphemism for lying flat on your back, floating in the water dead.

Even though I believe, corpses float face down.

I haven't drown many people so I rarely stopped to check .

[coa787]

Thanks, Doug.

[Doug Taylor]

Not a problem.

[Realms09]

Originally Posted by ASpilot2be

While I am only a private pilot, I would go from the air to the sea.

I am surprised that more pilots are not attracted to this sort of back-up plan (coast guard, navy, merchant marine, sailboat racing, etc.). Astronauts, aviators, and sailors are all essentially made from the same stuff. They seek to explore and to command a vessel and crew. It's just the medium that changes.

[Matt13C]

Is there any kind of statistic showing how many times the average pilot gets furloughed? What about years seniority and likelihood to be furloughed.

I have been reading a lot of doom and gloom on this site lately. Is it that only those who look for, and like to point out the negatives are dominating the conversations or do 90% of pilots face multiple furloughs through out their careers.

I am toward the end of my PPL and plan to continue on to make this a career. Hopefully when I am ready to apply the whole situation will have worked itself out and I will be able to get in with a good regional.

[Doug Taylor]

I've never been furloughed and I only sat reserve probably two or three weeks my entire career.

Is that good?

There's been kind of a quadruple-whammy in the airline business this week with Champion, Aloha, ATA and Skybus so everyone's a little on edge.

Long term, the industry will be fine. In the short term, it's going to "interesting" to say the least. I think the name of the game is international exposure and being part of a network that has it.

Grandma might not have the discretionary income to fly from Kalamazoo to Orlando to see the grandparents, but ER's have been packed to the brim with Europeans taking advantage of the exchange rate.