life of a pilot

Well it may be a while before you get to fly the heavies. 😉 You would probally be away from your family if you are a long haul pilot. The long hauls generally are over seas. But you usually fly back the next day. You are not away that much. Besides, airline pilots are only aloud to fly 100 hours (it may be more) a month. 🙂

oh yes...i realize that there are consequences and sacrifices to be made, but I never knew there was a flying limit...thats comfoting...what im trying to ask is, are pilots always bored and sick of their jobs...do they see their kids etc...and if you don't find it personally, can you tell me if it pays well in general..i know that it differs from company to company...thx!

its a very competitive career. you have to endure a lot of relocations and underpay to start with, and of course the investment doesnt seem to be paying off at this stage. I know some aviation college graduates in FL are delivering pizza while hunting for jobs. some feel grateful to get a 20 grand copilot job in some small air cargo companies all over the country. with over 100 grand student loan, a 20 grand job is as financially stressful as you can imagine. you have to live like that probably for at least 10 years to get a decent major airlines copilot job. thats when you start your life......60+ grand to begin with......maybe another 10 years, you will move into the captain seat, you can resonably expect 200 grand a year......some senior captains make up to half a million a year, not sure about now...coz of the salary cut in these a few years

If you are a pilot you most likely won't have kids. The reason my dad stopped flying was because he ran into my mom.

Well there is one thing for sure, there is more backstabing in Airlines than in any other job or buisness in the world. Somehow people have analized the situation and realised that flying is the most stressfull job world.

It sucks because you have a medical every year if you are above 45 [it's not pleasant], If you are over weight you can be fired [about 10 kg's over weight],some airlines push you to fly over 90 hours a month in A319's, if you get diabetes you'll be fired, if you are feeling depressed you can be fired etc...

Airline flying is fun for about a year and then all you want to do is sleep due to long haul flying or too much over time.

Some pilots say that the only difference when you are going to fly and when you are on stand-by is: The one you will know at what time you'll be flying that day and the other [standby] you won't know what time you'lll be flying that day.

Anyway I think you get the point.

jvd, that pic looks interesting...... a baggage carrier got sucked in jet engine? do you have a bigger pic of that?

I'm not really interested in flying the heavies. Maybe a 737 on short routes. Basically I want to fly buisness jets and smaller aircraft. I hope to earn enough money to own a Mooney some day. 😀

A mooney is definatley a fine choice.

Here's my Avatar enlarged:

what is that, a L1011 Tristar?

The good thing about being an airline pilot is that if you are at the top of the line and you have been working for that airline for many years you can get up to $300,000 a year! I don't know about long haul, but I think that airlines pilots get 3-day weekends. I interviewed a pilot that flew for Horrizon, it was for a school project. She said that being a pilot never got boring and that she loved staying in hotels all the time.

Hi honey,Im home

I got fired today

tomthetank wrote:

Hi honey,Im home

I got fired today

"Well, What did you do this time dear?"

"Oh, you know the usual. Just sucked another luggage cart through the engine."

"Oh, well, dinners in 5 minutes."

"Ok"

😂

😂 nice SI

The shifts are tough, a long-hauler working the cargo routes for someone like Atlas Air may work a 15 hour flight ..... then sleep for a few hours, then be back up in the air again.

The money and reward is good but theres a big split there... US pilots are having a hard time and having to do more work for less pay .... with things like their pensions under threat.

Europe is thriving a bit more because the lo-cost ventures are going well and expanding,.... so they can't find the pilots quick enough.

Then there are those working for small airlines in Asia and Africa who will earn less as a F/O flying a cargo 727, than the girl on the checkout at your local store does.

As for the flying.... someone once told me this really simple sentance that sums it up :-

- The Flight Prep is interesting,
- The Take-off is Exhilarating,
- The Landing is Challenging,
- but the Cruise is soooooooo Boring.

.... however last words are that I think that if surveyed, 95% of Airliner pilots whether on the turbo-props or the heavies would say they have the best job in the world.

I really dont care about what people say about piloting being boring of long or whatever. I have a REALLY BIG passion of flight and I'll never let that go. If you've got it in your destiny or soul to become a pilot, then never give up no matter what anyone says. Some people laugh at me when I say Im'm going to become a pilot because I was scared of heights. And most of students in the Uk think they're too cool to study or revise their subjects, So instead they hang around in the streets and intimidate people like a bunch of saddos. I will never be like that, I am just too sensible and too eager to become a pilot 🙂

It sucks because you have a medical every year if you are above 45 [it's not pleasant], If you are over weight you can be fired [about 10 kg's over weight],some airlines push you to fly over 90 hours a month in A319's, if you get diabetes you'll be fired, if you are feeling depressed you can be fired etc...

I think that it is fair enough that you can lose your job for those reasons as you have so many hundreds of people in your hands so fitness and mental stability etc is vital in order to operate with the minimum of risk.

I have always wanted to be a pilot but wouldn't want to be apart from my family that much, especially with a child on the way.

Micah 😉

hmmmm, that quote somehow got the wrong way round, bt you get the gist!!

You really should do you research before you decide to become a pilot. Its a very competetitive career, and most pilots are disgruntled with their jobs. Have you ever flown an actual plane, or is your experience limited to FS? Its very different flying the real thing.

Check out these sites:
http://www.flightinfo.com
http://www.airlinepilotcentral.com

The days of spending two years in a regional airline, and then going up to the majors are probably over. Upgrade time to the left seat at a regional is about 7 years. You will spend half of your life living out of a suitcase. The only pilots making more than 150,000 are the gray haired captains at some of the legacies. You will be making about 18,000 your first year.

Even getting to a regional airline requires a lot of time and money. To even be considered, you need to have hundreds of hours. Dont waste your money at flightschools; they will just rip you off. Unless you plan on going the military way, you will be flight instructor for a few years building up time to just be considered by a regional airline.

If you love to fly though, there isnt a better career out there. You are basically being paid for a hobby, and not many people get to experience. Do you research and if flying is really something you want to pursue a career in, by all means you should work for it. Go to a normal college though and get a degree outside of flying; you need something to fall back if you get fired or furloughed.

All the time I hear people saying its realy realy hard to suckseed in becoming a cermercial pilot it realy puts me off becouse I dont have the money for all the training ect and with all this fitness stuff it makrs it even more scary My dad thinks I will suckseed but I have my doubts but I realy love everything about flying I have always loved it and always will.

I say go for it. I have talked to alot of airline pilots and they all said that the love there job. Did you know that the yongest Airline Pilot is 19 years old. It's true. He started at a young age and was prepared for all the tests along the way.

Look at this guy:
http://www.airliners.net/open.file?id=781803&size=L&width=1000&height= 677&sok=JURER%20%20%28nvepensg_trarevp%20%3D%20%27ZpQbaaryy%20Qbhtynf% 20ZQ-11%27%20BE%20nvepensg_trarevp%20%3D%20%27Obrvat%20ZQ-11%27%29%20N AQ%20%28ZNGPU%20%28nvepensg%2Cnveyvar%2Ccynpr%2Ccubgb_qngr%2Cpbhagel%2 Cerznex%2Ccubgbtencure%2Crznvy%2Clrne%2Cert%2Cnvepensg_trarevp%2Cpa%2C pbqr%29%20NTNVAFG%20%28%27%2B%22pbpxcvg%22%27%20VA%20OBBYRNA%20ZBQR%29 %29%20%20BEQRE%20OL%20cubgb_vq%20QRFP&photo_nr=8

Have you ever taken a flight lesson? They are really fun and it is different from FS.

In the US, you have to be 22 to fly for a type 121 carrier. Go for it if you really think its something you want to do with your life, but do your research first. Make sure you go to a normal college and get a degree in something besides aviation. You need something to fall back on if you get furloughed.

Anonymous wrote:

In the US, you have to be 22 to fly for a type 121 carrier. Go for it if you really think its something you want to do with your life, but do your research first. Make sure you go to a normal college and get a degree in something besides aviation. You need something to fall back on if you get furloughed.

Yes, I agree with you.

I started flying when I was 14, soloed on my 16th birthday and passed the private check ride a few weeks after my 17th birthday. Throughtout highschool and even college my goal in life was to become a professional pilot, until one day it all hit me.

I asked myself...what would I rather do, have people tell me where and when to fly, or fly as a hobby and go to places I want to go, when I want to go.

You have to ask yourself, how much fun would it be to drive a bus the rest of your life? Bet that gets boring after awhile.

I agree with you but flying a small GA aircratf is not as much fun as doing a perfect landing in a 747-400 😀

ranald wrote:

I agree with you but flying a small GA aircratf is not as much fun as doing a perfect landing in a 747-400 😀

Because you are a 744 pilot right?

OK ok I agree with all of what you said becoming a GA or cermercial are both a dream to me.

SI wrote

I say go for it. I have talked to alot of airline pilots and they all said that the love there job. Did you know that the yongest Airline Pilot is 19 years old. It's true. He started at a young age and was prepared for all the tests along the way.

If you are really keen on becoming a commercial pilot I'd recommend giving Air Mauritius a try. After all they made some a 34 year old [Gavin Nash] a captain on the 747, a 30 year old a captain on the A340 and my old friend Andrew Oakley [in his tewenties] is now on the A340.

Anyway I may have said one or two bad things about flying for an Airline but there are many good things as well.For example an Airline pilot has many perks [free tickets,cheap hotels all over the world, an allowance " it's money to buy food with at your destination" and you would often stay in some of the best 5 star hotels available] but all this differs as to which airline you fly for.

all i can say is i drive past maccarran (klas) every morining on the way to work and look to my right to see who's taking off on 25r and i always see a single engine fedex taking off for i suppose some small city up north..ely nevada perhaps. i watch him take off and slowly head north. i would much rather be doing that than sitting behind a computer all day....just my .02cents.