WHAT THE H*LL AM I SIGNING UP FOR??

[futboler14]

The response to your questions is here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S7HmWU2Tm5s

this might answer your question also...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RayMaswju1A

[petpad]

That latest video is misleading. True the pay sucks as a first year F.O on a Regional jet - but pay incresases after first year and then you are building quality time on a good aircraft. I think overall it is worth pursuing and encouraging , rather than the opposite!

[stringbender]

I started my flying when I was 25. The initial plan was to be at the regionals by 35 and the majors by 40. Because the industry has changed, since then I didnt have to do the regionals and Im at the majors at 40. Yes it was a tough road. I lived up north and that was the best flying experience I ever had and the many great friends I have today came from those days up north. Now I have an incredible schedule, work with great people and cant picture doing anything else. Yes there was many a time I wanted to quit but now when I work 14 days a month and actually enjoy going to work, ITS WORTH IT. Ask yourself what you want out of a career.

['effin hippie]

10999.

What the people who know what the f*** they are talking about on this thread are saying is, you had better have passion. Passion and a fairly blind commitment to succeeding no matter what sacrifices are demanded of you.

I will freely admit that I got into aviation totally blind and I basically had the CPL/MIFR before I even knew what the reality of starting out was gonna be like.

Anyway, since I was 30K in, I hit the road out of YVR in a Civic with all the shit I could fit, a couple grand and a solemn promise to never return until I was employed as a pilot. That was in late Sept 2001. I kept the promise and I was 2 years before I got home for a visit. I spent 5 years living in places that had little or no quality of life, no opportunities to meet a woman and that no partner would ever be happy living in. I lost out on relationships with a couple of great women. I spent the second half of my twenties essentially broke. And that is fairly normal story for entering this industry when times are slow, as they are getting right now.

Would I do it again? IN A HEARTBEAT! What a freakin' ride!

Maybe what I'm trying to get at, is that to succeed, it is likely that you will have to give up most of what you know and love, for a time. Look at your life right now, your woman, your friends, your lifestyle; imagine losing all, or almost all of it, some forever (like the girl), some for a few years. You will have to adapt to living in circumstances that will sometimes border on the appalling, you will have to find new ways of having fun, learn to live content in a new culture. Maybe never live in your hometown again. Accept that you will do whatever you must, within the bounds of ethics, to become a pilot. If you can choose to commit without reservation to this course you will have the time of your life, meet some of the best people you will ever be privileged to know, and eventually be given pretty decent money to fly an airplane.

People here aren't posting up horror stories because they have lost their passion, but because they know how much passion was needed to make it. Aviation is no dream job, it demands big sacrifices from most of its adherents. So yah, to echo the others, either you're in or your out, no waffling. And maybe you get lucky and don't have to sacrifice much at all, but DON'T plan on it.

Best of Luck, 10999, and try not to buy any PPC's.

ef

[Changes in Latitudes]

10999.

What the people who know what the f*** they are talking about on this thread are saying is, you had better have passion. Passion and a fairly blind commitment to succeeding no matter what sacrifices are demanded of you.

I will freely admit that I got into aviation totally blind and I basically had the CPL/MIFR before I even knew what the reality of starting out was gonna be like.

Anyway, since I was 30K in, I hit the road out of YVR in a Civic with all the shit I could fit, a couple grand and a solemn promise to never return until I was employed as a pilot. That was in late Sept 2001. I kept the promise and I was 2 years before I got home for a visit. I spent 5 years living in places that had little or no quality of life, no opportunities to meet a woman and that no partner would ever be happy living in. I lost out on relationships with a couple of great women. I spent the second half of my twenties essentially broke. And that is fairly normal story for entering this industry when times are slow, as they are getting right now.

Would I do it again? IN A HEARTBEAT! What a freakin' ride!

Maybe what I'm trying to get at, is that to succeed, it is likely that you will have to give up most of what you know and love, for a time. Look at your life right now, your woman, your friends, your lifestyle; imagine losing all, or almost all of it, some forever (like the girl), some for a few years. You will have to adapt to living in circumstances that will sometimes border on the appalling, you will have to find new ways of having fun, learn to live content in a new culture. Maybe never live in your hometown again. Accept that you will do whatever you must, within the bounds of ethics, to become a pilot. If you can choose to commit without reservation to this course you will have the time of your life, meet some of the best people you will ever be privileged to know, and eventually be given pretty decent money to fly an airplane.

People here aren't posting up horror stories because they have lost their passion, but because they know how much passion was needed to make it. Aviation is no dream job, it demands big sacrifices from most of its adherents. So yah, to echo the others, either you're in or your out, no waffling. And maybe you get lucky and don't have to sacrifice much at all, but DON'T plan on it.

Best of Luck, 10999, and try not to buy any PPC's.

ef

Might as well lock this thread at this point, because no one will give a better answer than that. That is truly, IT!

[Cat Driver]

Yup, lock it.

[E-Flyer]

I started my flying when I was 25. The initial plan was to be at the regionals by 35 and the majors by 40. Because the industry has changed, since then I didnt have to do the regionals and Im at the majors at 40. Yes it was a tough road. I lived up north and that was the best flying experience I ever had and the many great friends I have today came from those days up north. Now I have an incredible schedule, work with great people and cant picture doing anything else. Yes there was many a time I wanted to quit but now when I work 14 days a month and actually enjoy going to work, ITS WORTH IT. Ask yourself what you want out of a career.

This is a prime example of dedication, passion, and ambition for those of you who read what i said earlier on.

I think the saying that "there's no guarantee of making it to the majors" is all bull shit. If you work hard, keep your body medically fit to surpass CAT1 standards with some extra blood work (airlines), there should be no reason why you wouldn't be able to fly for the big guys. That being said, if you're a weak pilot (knowledge or stick and rudder), you have a challenge to surpass, but it's not impossible.

Great Post String Bender !

Cat, you agreed with Latitude, and he used a few points that I mentioned before. Shit, you finally agree with me. ! This is like a revolution.

[Cat Driver]

No one is wrong all the time E-Flyer.

[Cobra64]

This has been a very interesting thread for me to follow. Much like the first poster of the thread, I am jumping head first into this whole aviation thing. I am 25, have a non aviation education and was just starting to get established in that area, but decided to put that all on hold. In three weeks I am starting my training and I have never been more excited or scared about anything in my life. It is incredibly expensive and I don't know where it is going to lead me. But you know what? I'm ok with that. When making the decision to take the plunge and get my pilots license, the deciding factor for me was...."why not." I am young, single, and have the opportunity. I would absolutely HATE to get to the later years of life only to be constantly inundated with thoughts of "I wish I had" or "If only, when I was younger, I would have followed my dreams." If it doesn't work out, it doesn't and I roll with the punches and go back to my fall back. But if it does, and I find my perfect little spot in the front of an airplane, well I just can't imagine anything better.

[E-Flyer]

This has been a very interesting thread for me to follow. Much like the first poster of the thread, I am jumping head first into this whole aviation thing. I am 25, have a non aviation education and was just starting to get established in that area, but decided to put that all on hold. In three weeks I am starting my training and I have never been more excited or scared about anything in my life. It is incredibly expensive and I don't know where it is going to lead me. But you know what? I'm ok with that. When making the decision to take the plunge and get my pilots license, the deciding factor for me was...."why not." I am young, single, and have the opportunity. I would absolutely HATE to get to the later years of life only to be constantly inundated with thoughts of "I wish I had" or "If only, when I was younger, I would have followed my dreams." If it doesn't work out, it doesn't and I roll with the punches and go back to my fall back. But if it does, and I find my perfect little spot in the front of an airplane, well I just can't imagine anything better.

Right now there's a great sense of motivation for you to do this !

Please come back and rejuvenate this post in about 4 years and tell us what your opinion of flying is. I can't remember anybody not being excited in the first segments of flight training

[Cobra64]

Right now there's a great sense of motivation for you to do this !

Please come back and rejuvenate this post in about 4 years and tell us what your opinion of flying is. I can't remember anybody not being excited in the first segments of flight training

I'm not sure how to interpret this. Are you 4 years out from 0hrs and disgruntled with life? Or been around for a long time and seen to many people start strong only to become dismayed and unsatisfied with the choices they have made? I ask in seriousness because I am interested in hearing your perspective.