Possibly leaving professional aviation...

You should read this: http://www.amazon.com/Quitter-Closing-Between-Your-Dream/dp/0982986270

You should look into Fedex's management program, it involves some travel but pays really well. They like people with aviation experience as you have knowledge that directly relates to their business. I knew an A&P that went through the program and now make really good money.

You could also work on the operations side of the airlines and make some pretty decent money while staying in an aviation related position.

Downloaded for the Kindle.

It's been a few weeks since your post on this topic, so I am a little late with this response.
since you grew up nearby, in Central Washington, this is relevant to this region. Each County and City are hiring through Civil Service Commissions; those Commissions are local volunteers who try to choose the best candidates from a pool of applicants and forward a recommendation to the police chief or sheriff. Right now the starting point to law enforcement is testing with a company called PublicSafetyTesting.com .....Go to the website, prepare as they suggest, take the CPAT physical and written exam; see what comes your way.....Good Luck

FlyChicaga left ExpressJet to go into law enforcement in Chicago, and based on his Facebook postings, it seems like he's very happy with it. Anyone interested in shifting to a law enforcement career might want to PM him to get his perspective.

I'm in the exact same boat as you....except i'm on the other side....I currently work in LE and hope to someday land a corporate flying job. I tell everyone asking about LE to find something else, but thats just me. I'm only 30 and have been in LE for 11 years. Wishing I would of done something diffrent after high school.... If you have any questions about LE send me a PM and i'd be happy to answer them..
Good Luck

What do you dislike about your job?

It seems being in for 11 years already puts you to some more senior benefits.

I do have senior benefits....number 2 vacation pick, day shift...HA! I find myself doing drive bys at the airport wishing I was on the other side of the fence. There are alot of politics in LE as with any job i suppose. The money is good too. After a while you start to wonder how long you can deal with the crap of society. Seeing the same people over and over and over. Arresting the same people week after week, but yet nothing gets done. You spend 20 minutes on a hot call thats exciting, take the bad guy to the pokey and he is out the next day. You stay late to make sure you did a good report and then the District Attorney decides to decline to prosecution.

I can understand what the airline guys go through to hate their job and want a change and thats why I decided thats not where I want to end up. I have a good friend that flys for a 73 for a major and has gone through alot to get where he is. I have always wanted to be involved in corporate flying and having a few friends in that field now make me want to be there even more. I just have a long ways to go before I can even think about it.

I may end up keeping the job I have and then someday go on and get my private, instrument and buy a plane just so the lady and I can fly around and call it good at that. We'll see....

I wish I could fly for fun again. It seems the more "professional" my flying has gotten, the less free time fun flying I want to do. Even though the job isn't really physically or mentally demanding it still makes me exhausted by the end of the day and not fulfilled in doing anything good.

If you work for the chicago police department for 5 years minimum, the Chicago PD will reimburse you to get your commercial rotorcraft license, and a job flying their helo's. That tad bit of info came from a Chicago helo pilot himself, btw.

Well its not LE, but have you given any thought to the manufacturing side of Aviation? Either OEM or Tier 1 / 2 suppliers?

I was dual major in college but dropped the Flight Program when I got a Co-op at McDonnell-Douglas (yes I'm old). Spent 16 years with them and Boeing before leaving for GE Aviation (the old Smith's) a couple years ago. I've spent all my time on the defense side of both companies because of my other background, but we're doing alot with PBN services and other applications related to the civil side, in addition to our FMS products. I know those groups have picked up a few with airline backgrounds. Pay is in the high fives, low six figure range.

Just a thought.....

Apply for us customs and border protection they pay well and good benefits retire after 20yrs. Pretty sure your experience is enough to get you in. You can work at an airport or if you want more action work at the southern border but its harder work. A lot of times officers at airports are offered temporary assignments on the border with hotel and per diem. While they do have cbp air and marine it would not be like transfering over. You would have to apply for it like its a whole new job, but your sick time and vacation will carry over. Pretty sure once working for cbp you wont have trouble getting into air and marine. Feel free to pm me if you have more questions


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Have a website with more info on these types of jobs? Thanks

This is good info. IF you decide to go into LE work, going to a large LE agency will give you more potential assignment diversity and promotional opportunities. In my 30+ year LE career (for a big agency) I worked a variety of assignments in patrol, investigations, undercover, etc, and eventually ended up in the Aviation Unit. The question is: Do you have geographic flexibility? Can you pick up and move somewhere? If so, check out large PD's, Sheriff's Departments, State LE agencies, and some of the Fed agencies, like CBP, DEA, FBI, etc, all of which have Aviation Units. But do some homework first: not everyone is suited to be a cop!

Have to hit the corporate sites, GE.com, Boeing.com, L3.com, Raytheon.com, etc....

Hey guys,

It's been a little while since I've been on here but am back and looking at options for getting out of flying. After more thought on it, LE seems like it has some of the same negatives as flying (working holidays, crazy hours, being in a dangerous environment though flying isn't nearly as dangerous).

I am going to start looking for jobs in Seattle, not really in any specific categories. If I could find something in aviation that would be great but that's not going to be a limiting factor.

Since my previous jobs consisted of Line Service -> Flight Instructing -> Airline pilot, how do I build my resume to look competitive in the jobs I'd want to apply to?

You should check with Galvin if they need any executive managers for the charter or any of their divisions.

Would I even qualify for that?

You've flown airplanes, have a business degree, and have been around FBO's and such. Never hurts to try it's not like a pilot job where you have to meet a hard set of hour requirements. Other than Galvin there is Clay Lacy which some people don't like but it is an opportunity as well in Seattle. Have you tried Boeing yet? http://www.boeing.com/careers/ If I could I would work there. I wouldn't mind making my dads coin haha.

I looked at Boeing briefly but again, it seems all the jobs are in specific fields with in depth requirements and previous experience which I don't have.

Do you know of anything at Paine Field?

How do I build my resume with my flying jobs?