WTF?

[invertedattitude]

I spent $45,000 on my flight training, then screwed off to become an Air traffic controller.

Now I fly for pleasure not for pain, and while there are times I still think I'd like to be a commercial pilot, I realize I make great money, I'm home every night, and I live in a civilized part of the country.

Not knocking what you guys do at all, if I hadn't gotten into ATC, I'd likely be in tundra country begging for peanuts, and looking back I wouldn't change my decision.

The reason for my post? To prove exactly what everyone else has said, the industry is rediculous for a young person to get into, and while I guess I'm sort of a "quitter" for not sticking with it, I don't regret it.

One thing all young pilots can be thankful, is that there's no debters jail

[Liquid Charlie]

I guess this would likely be better as a new thread but I have to ask -- what would a young pilot think he is worth for that first job. There is no doubt that to get those licenses it's expensive in this day and age.

My era paid nowhere near that and in fact I think my private license cost me less than $100 once I got my $100 rebate back form the government -- my first job was $300 a month and after 5 years I was making close to $1000/month -- now that was the late 60's early 70's and it was also the best time of my life -- having said that -- none of us were carrying the enormous debit load like today -- we were just worried about the price of Rum and Beer -- Red lake is still recovering -- -- so I put it out there again -- what should a starting wage be -- applying inflation and such -- is 5 times the wage back then reasonable -- that would make it $1500/month and after 5 years close to 60K -- Back in the 70"s the mystical Arctic driver could make 60K for 6 months work -- we thought that was insane money but you also had to realize they were doing between 2 and 3 hundred hours a month flight time -- indeed times have changed -- I think when the dust settles the industry for the most part in north america maxes out shy of the 200K mark and that's after many years and a few contracts. Is that what the flying schools are telling people ?????

[futboler14]

I have a VW Rabbit/Golf 4 dr/sunroof/CD stereo for sale for $1295 in Sidney, complete with lots of new bits.

trade you staight-up for a 4 door/nissan sentra spec-v/ dvd, mp3 player and subs

I'm growing out of that crap and just need a car good on gas like a cavy or sunfire

[flying4dollars]

er..................hmmm................

sounds a bit like you walked into a casino cold turkey, bet $50,000 on a game you didn't know how to play.

The problem is you seldom find people standing outside a fence watching a fork lift driver working and longing to be one.

sums it up right there...


solution? sure...suck it up, get your time in here, then GTFO...Europe, Middle East and Asia pay the way pilots should be paid..



on another note, there are some people in aviation who have such a hard on for flying, that they'll do whatever the industry tells them, and some that dont. personally, id much rather make 28,500 a year flying a navajo right seat than 60,000 to start at the rigs. Its what makes you happy. For me, nothing else but flying does, and a lot of operators take advantage of that.


welcome to Canadian Aviation

[Bobby868]

The job situation for pilots has never been better than it is now. And I suggest you all bask in its glory while it lasts because this bubble is gonna burst in a few years and when it does we will be back to the real rough times again and then you will really know what it's like to prostitute yourself for a flying job.