The life of an airline pilot! Is it worth it?
Guest
I made this thread to get the “real deal” on the life of an airline pilot. I want honest answers.
I know for a fact becoming an airline pilot can have many, many benefits. Let’s see, well you get a high salary, you could find yourself spending the night in Paris, you can go places and see places that people have to pay for and sometimes don’t have enough time to see. I know the benefits but I also know some downfalls.
First off I know it’s very expensive to become a pilot….anywhere! Lots of other things like actually getting the job, seeing your family rarely, etc.
Here are some questions I have…
- Is it really a dangerous career?
I know the statistics but what if something goes wrong? What are the chances of an engine failing, because on an airplane if something goes wrong that takes time to fix, you may not have all that time. It’s also hard convincing my parents that I want to become a pilot when it’s usually rated one of the top 10 dangerous careers almost everywhere? How can I convince them it isn’t (if possible)?
- What are the chances of being hired by an airplane and getting that paycheck to live on?
One thing I read almost everywhere is the “getting in” part. What if you don’t get in? Then what? Airlines can’t hire millions of people and I’m guessing tons and tons of qualified people are applying every year, which makes it that much more difficult. I don’t want to be a 38 year old just getting into a company like Delta and wait 12 more years on top of that become a captain at 50. Then I have only a couple years before retirement. Do you really have to have grey hairs before you get to become a captian? If ever?
- The schedule?
It’s always nice to explore the world but without your family it can take a toll. How long do you spend living in the air? How often do you get to see your family.
- Relocation relocation relocation?
Say I live in Toronto and my dream job lives in Orlando, do I have to move. Do airlines really have people relocate everywhere or else they don’t get the job?
These are questions I’m itching to have answered and I want the real deal as I want to make my decision soon. I love flying but I also love a lot of other things, like seeing my family often and not having to live in an unknown city just to put food on the table. Thanks once again……..
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Guest
Check out these sites:
http://www.airlinepilotcentral.com
http://www.flightinfo.com
Dont become a pilot because you want to make a lot of money, or because you want to travel to exotic destinations. Chances are, you wont have the chance to experience either of those. Sure there are some pilots making over 200k a year flying to destinations all over the world, but they are gray haired captains who have been flying since the 60's and 70's. A first year first-officer at a regional airline will make less than 20,000 a year. For your first few years in a regional airline, you will be making less than a taxi driver. To even be hired by a regional, you need hundreds of hours which costs thousands and thousands of dollars. If youre lucky, you will move up to a major in a few years. Right now though, pilots are spending 8-10 years making at a regional making less than 40k.
Right now, the only airlines in the US hiring have over 15,000 (probably more)applicants on hand. All of them are fully qualified for the job. Its a competitive industry. In times like this, a job just to feed yourself and your family can be hard to find. You can go from piloting a 747 to Tokyo one day to selling Vacuum cleaners on the side of some street another. There is no such thing as a stable job in this industry, and you most likely will be furloughed multiple times throughout your career.
If you love to fly though (the real thing, not FS) there isnt a better job out there. Right now, I fly for a certain regional airline making less than 30k a year, but Im glad I picked flying as a career. It can be tough at times, but it has been worth it.
Guest
EDIT: Email this guy and ask him your questions:
aviateur@askthepilot.com
He is a pilot, and columnist. If you have any other questions you can also email me at mstevens901@cox.net
my uncle is a pilot for alaska airlines. when he started to learn to fly he did it through the airforce, and he got something for free but i forgot what it was( i think it was for getting in the airforce). but now hes got an acre lot and a big house in seatle on pugget sound, and also he got a bmw inported form germany. and the best part is that he likes his job.
I think flying for pleasure is much better than flying as a career.......
But the condition is: you need to be successful in some other field in order to make enough to afford a plane..... either flying for fun or flying as a career is difficult..... 😂
nottobe wrote:
I think flying for pleasure is much better than flying as a career.......
But the condition is: you need to be successful in some other field in order to make enough to afford a plane..... either flying for fun or flying as a career is difficult..... 😂
I want to do both. Fly like a 737 to Alaska and back. Hopefully I can make enough money to by a Mooney some day.
mypilot wrote:
nottobe wrote:
I think flying for pleasure is much better than flying as a career.......
But the condition is: you need to be successful in some other field in order to make enough to afford a plane..... either flying for fun or flying as a career is difficult..... 😂I want to do both. Fly like a 737 to Alaska and back. Hopefully I can make enough money to by a Mooney some day.
go to Hollywood and try out your luck, maybe you can be jonh travolta the second..... 😂 .....just kidding...
I prefer avaition. I think that entertainers and sports players get paid to much. Alot of that money should go to doctors and teachers. No offense. Just my opinion.
Andy2005
Guest
I heard that pilots in Europe get a better deal than those in America. (Better pay, easier to get work) Is this true?
But the condition is: you need to be successful in some other field in order to make enough to afford a plane.....
I actually know someone whose father is an airline pilot and owns his own plane. It might be a share in a plane though.
sunrize
Guest
Hi guys I'm an Airbus 320 captain and I wont give you any advices here but thought you should know how I've stumbled upon this message board.. I was searching yahoo for this question (literally): " i am a pilot and can't schedule my life " 🙂 to be honest that's not the hole side of the story but sure is one!!
Don't know why, but reading all these posts I feel I'm getting put off this course. Is it really not a nice job??? I mean, I live in Spain, and I'm doing an extra subject to get to Uni. It is tough as **** and I don't want to know that I don't need it. Where exactly can I become a pilot? is it in Uni? It's expensive as hell, and I want to knw if it is actually worth it.
So you are an airline pilot and have put in many years of faithful service, when the company goes into bankruptcy due to the incompetence of management and executives. do they cut their own salaries? No they force you to take a pay cut. Then they go into bankruptcy court and ask the judge to scrap your pension. 
Note to the pilots of Delta Airlines. If they scrap your pension, strike! If they are going to turn your life into poop, shut the airline down for good and turn theirs into poop, as well.
I wanna be a pilot not, becayse to get money and trvel over the world. I wanna be a pilot because i am having fun. and even if my monthly paiment gonna be about 3000 i am gonna enjoy, by the way, i am going to air cadets its kind of a flying school. and the leader there is a pilot, he said one thing witch i was amazed: If u fly 3 hours or 4 per day u get ur 3000 but if u work like a truck driver aboubt 8-7 hours u get over 12000 $ and thats true, because my captain said that to me. But for me guys doesnt matter the thing is I WANNA BE A PILOT !!!, and my parents agaisnt it but they cant do nothing about it, they said if i like it, i will do it !!
CrashGordon wrote:
So you are an airline pilot and have put in many years of faithful service, when the company goes into bankruptcy due to the incompetence of management and executives. do they cut their own salaries? No they force you to take a pay cut. Then they go into bankruptcy court and ask the judge to scrap your pension.
Note to the pilots of Delta Airlines. If they scrap your pension, strike! If they are going to turn your life into poop, shut the airline down for good and turn theirs into poop, as well.
Very well said, Crash. This is the problem with many industries these days,
soon the CEO's will wake up to their environment, I hope.
😎
It does not matter what industry you work in there will always be bankruptcy, incompetent management and "no thanks" for loyal service. The thing with a pilots job is there is no better office!
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