Thinking of leaving aviation

[Stu556]

Hey guys,

[Old fella]

Jesus............ sounds like an issue for "Dear Abby". Plenty of people leave a stable career(in their eyes) and get into aviation, the ones I know who did this were quite successful in the aviation world. Others have left aviation and moved on and I only know of two who did this years back and in discussions with them later on, there was a tinge of regret but they moved on. I don't know how much of your life is invested in this aviation caper but the majors and their underling outfits are going nuts hiring(so I read here) times are good unlike my heyday 70's years. Perhaps your "lady in red" may take a shining to a white shirt,tie and bars on your shoulders gives the impression of being a "great success" and bragging rights to her possible catty girlie friends. Success is relative and measured in that in your initial married bliss you may get "it" three times a week and twice on Sundays after the wedding cake is consumed, Finally, don't forget to smile for the pictures............

[Stu556]

Jesus............ sounds like an issue for "Dear Abby". Plenty of people leave a stable career(in their eyes) and get into aviation, the ones I know who did this were quite successful in the aviation world. Others have left aviation and moved on and I only know of two who did this years back and in discussions with them later on, there was a tinge of regret but they moved on. I don't know how much of your life is invested in this aviation caper but the majors and their underling outfits are going nuts hiring(so I read here) times are good unlike my heyday 70's years. Perhaps your "lady in red" may take a shining to a white shirt,tie and bars on your shoulders gives the impression of being a "great success" and bragging rights to her possible catty girlie friends. Success is relative and measured in that in your initial married bliss you may get "it" three times a week and twice on Sundays after the wedding cake is consumed, Finally, don't forget to smile for the pictures............

Thanks.

[Meatservo]

I think you should give up and go do something else, something in the GTA that allows you to be near your wife and hang out with her.

[confusedalot]

whoaah.............not so fast...

I get the idea, and lots have gone through the questioning. Just see that is has only been a few months.

IMHO, as a specimen who has lived a teeney bit under 6 decades, I have finally figured out that luck and timing is everything......

parents had to live through a war with bombs falling. lucky me, never got that. parents immigrated to a country that was booming, lucky them, they made it.

first generation newborn in lucky country, ended up finishing school in a huge economic downturn, you needed astronaut time on floats to get a job LOL.

and now, the TIMING is perfect, not seen in this country since the 60's and the 70's.

Think carefully my friend, the grass may not be greener on the other side. I had a few jobs out of the transportation field, some were OK, but to my great surprise, the most one viewed as a ''secure'' job, was littered with soul crushing people, resulting in a huge amount of personnel dumping the job and go back into aviation. No fun, huge and unexpected negative surprise. And that job was not all that hard which is the funniest part.

Another job, not a soul crushing one, was battered by competition and economics, which made things just as unstable as aviation.

Wish I had the crystal ball, never could find it.

Obviously, you will look at your options, but I think that maybe, just maybe, the alternatives may not be any better. And once again, nothing is guaranteed, but right now, the business you are in is booming.

Good luck companion. just think before you jump.

[Braaaap]

I think it comes down to having your career in line with things your passionate about. Obviously it seems you have no passion or limited passion for aviation but for some people flying isn't "lost time away from friends and family".

Work is work. So no matter what you do you're going to have to do something away from friends and family. I overhear people on the go train that commute 2 hours in and out of Toronto in order to work 8 hour days. Where's the fun/time for family/friend in that?

Good luck with whatever you decide,

[Air.Field]

a piece of metal tube isn't worth it. Pursue the life of happiness

[complexintentions]

Pffft. Actually I've found working in a metal tube has provided quite a nice "life of happiness" lol. It is, after all, what you make of it. It did *gasp* require considerable sacrifice. I wouldn't trade it for anything. Ended up with everything I ever wanted - what else can one ask for?

If you're miserable being a pilot you'll probably be miserable doing whatever you do. I mean come on - it's the antithesis to Office Space.

Still, if you're finding aviation this difficult so early on, probably better if you just let it go. Hopefully the marriage lasts, but if it doesn't there will always be airplanes. You really don't give even remotely enough details to offer any concrete advice.

Truth is, whatever you choose you will gain something and lose something. Such is life.

Good luck.

[telex]

Ten months into the game and you're discouraged?

Make sure your marriage lasts because giving up on aviation for your ex-wife will be a bitter pill.

[cap41]

You need to be happy. Otherwise you will end up like some on here bitching about how much you make. Maybe find something local to do. Than fly as an instructor.

[citruskelly]

Does anyone have a copy of the original post by Stu?

I'm myself trying to figure out if I should jump into this career; maybe Stu's perspective will help me out?

[JasonE]

I've been thinking I should start playing the lottery. That way if I do win one day, I can start flying commercially and afford it I'd love to, but I'm just too old to work my way up to decent pay level. Mortgage and 2 teenagers to pay for now!

[confusedalot]

Teenagers will be out of the house in a few years ha ha, unless they are boomerangs. Mortgage, obviously pay it off as quick as possible, easier said than done I know.

And as far as timing goes, any bodies guess, who knows what the situation will be in a matter of a few short years.

Once again, right here, right now, the best I have ever seen, or rather, not personally experienced.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5aTYp8-O96M

[ajet32]

QUESTION?
Do you want to fly airplanes for a living?
ANSWER
Yes.

Now is a very good time to enter the industry. Better than any time in my 61 years, just do it or quit with the complaining. It takes a certain amount of hard work, studying and a little bit of good hand eye coordination. Jeez Louise this may be the best time ever in the history of aviation.

[co-joe]

There's a couple companies outside of aviation that if they called right now I'd give 2 weeks notice and never look back. This industry has big pros and huge cons. Find that balance that works and it's great, get caught in the wrong hole and your lifestyle goes for shit. Right now things are rocking, so its a great time to get situated where you want to be when the music stops playing. Like the others said, if you can't find your happy place in this hiring climate, odds are you won't find it at all so yeah, cut your losses and go make happy.

[WastedFlyer]

I never saw the original post, but by the replies I have an inkling what this is all about... I got my PPL in my teens but when it came to continue onto the CPL I had second thoughts for various reasons, mainly because the market for pilots in my home country was saturated at that time, but I also had concerns about being unable to lead a "normal" family life and doubted any wife would be too happy with a husband away a fair amount of time... So I gave up the CPL and settled for a career in IT... Fast forward 30 years, after having a normal 8 to 5 office job and being home every evening and weekends, my marriage broke up anyway after 9 years. Career-wise, IT is quite unstable as it's impossible to predict what's the "next big new technology" (computer language, architecture, etc.) so most of us IT guys just struggle to catch up, and anyway after the booming job market for IT guys in the 80s, everybody and their dog became an IT professional so that market became saturated, to this day. All these years I've regretted steering away from aviation (actually I always tried to work in IT for any aviation-related company, at least to be "near" airplanes somehow, but I never had no such luck).

I'm not saying that quitting aviation will be a bad decision for you, because everyone is different. But in my case, leaving aviation to look for a "more secure job" (at the time), or to ensure a "stable" and "happy" family life simply backfired.

Things happen for a reason, perhaps you need to leave aviation for a while so you'll notice how much you really miss it? That's definitely my case, and at this point in my life (I'm 51) there's nothing that would make me happier than finally getting my CPL (plus Float, IFR and perhaps Multi ratings) and end my days flying Cessnas 185s and 206s in the bush. In my case, I may be too old, I don't know, I'm sorting things out, working out to be in top shape for my CPL medical and then there's the financing "details"... I don't know, perhaps I was meant to be a pilot "now" and not back then...?

One last thought: my love for aviation has greatly outlasted my marriage...

Good luck in anything you do, but I suggest you "keep in touch" with aviation, whatever you do...

[Hockaloogie]

Things happen for a reason, perhaps you need to leave aviation for a while

How completely absurd. Things most assuredly do NOT happen for a reason. They just happen. No rational person believes things "happen for a reason". The premise is ridiculous.

But carry on...