New Career

[onmyway]

Anyone here left an airline job or any other flying job in pursuit of new career?

[wtf_over]

top poster

[onmyway]

Top Poster ?

[Captain_Canuck]

cat driver = top poster

[JBI]

...

[onmyway]

I want to be carefull and not bash aviation. It's been a roller coaster for me in over the last 21 years. Really good times, really bad times. I guess I've had enough. It's funny, I'm in a position to go anywhere over seas direct captain on any wide body, and I don't care! I'm looking forward to getting back to University, learning, and most of all being home with my wife. No more nights and days away. Will I miss flying? You bet, it's all I've known since I've 19, but it's time for me to move on. I was once told that you'll know when you hit the wall, I really didn't understand it till now. Like I did in for aviation, I've got to follow another dream! Lifes short.

[Mach .28]

Left aviation for 2 years to play with trains after having a hard time finding work. Made 3x the money but suffered in the quality of life department. Worked mostly nights, weekends and could never get vacation besides the winter. Got the company to pay for schooling though.

Back flying now for 1/2 the salary and wouldn't think twice about going back. Watching that sun come up every morning is awesome compared to being stuck in a cubicle. There is way less stress in my life and I actually get to spend some daylight hours with the family.

[tdawe]

Does it count if you thought you were working in the aviation industry only to discover you were, in fact, working for a circus?

[moe]

yes my three armed, claw toed flame thrower, it does.

[FlowPack]

i am now in a career outside aviation. its not nearly as much fun tho. and i didn't stop flying because i hit the wall, but because sometimes you cant just think about yourself. family and finances being the clincher for me. but i can do a whole lot of fun stuff i couldnt swing while flying for a living (like filling my car ALL the way to the top).
flying.. it is my medicine and it is my poison.
so maybe not the same thing.. really...at all.
oh that reminds me.. now i can be a raging alcoholic too.

[Rubberbiscuit]

I think I know what you mean when you say "I have hit the wall". I had some bad luck after about 12, 13 years of flying, and even though I was in what many pilots would consider a dream job, I found myself very unhappy. I decided to to pursue family life rather than airplanes and paycheques. My wife wanted to go back to school so I took a job that brings me home every night. I am very happy in my job, working great and easy hours doing the type of flying I always enjoyed the most. More importantly family life is great. I thought very hard of changing careers at one point but my wife talked me out of it.. I apologize for not really answering your question but I guess my point is... rather than cutting all ties to aviation off, have you considered trying a flying job that will give you a different lifestyle? Sounds like you have been at the airline, living out of a suitcase, going from hotelroom to hotelroom for a while. I know I did not enjoy it. Good luck either way!

[fboog]

It seems kind of weird reading how you guys would like to get out of flying when all I can do is daydream all the time on how to get out of the railway industry, to start flying again, and maybe have a long shot at the airlines some day. Is the grind and very bumpy road all worth it??

[Pugster]

Have you thought about an operator like (or, just) Canadian North?

From what I understand they are home a lot, the flying is fun, and the people are good. I have a couple of friends there and they have described it as the best non-airline airline job out there. Might fit the bill for someone who is tired of living out of hotels and wondering why every time they end a pairing their kids have grown 6".

[aeroyt]

I was born into aviation and spent 30 years flying and now I fly a Kenworth. the reason, money I still love flying and if there was a job out there flying that I could get and be able to pay the bills I would take it. Driving a truck is not so bad when you make 140,000 a year for only 6 months work. I chose not to fly for Air Canada because I enjoyed flying the bush and have had a great life doing that, its just the money.

[albertdesalvo]

Driving a truck is not so bad when you make 140,000 a year for only 6 months work.

So truck drivers make $280K per annum? Boy, all those doctors and lawyers are sure gonna be pissed off when they hear that!

[Buschpielot]

I'm another pilot who left flying for the railway. Flying was great in my 20's but I got into my 30's, got married, kids and decided that lifestyle and being alive to see my kids grow up meant more than airplanes. I can't speak for all railways but at the one I work for safety comes above anything else and isn't a nudge-nudge-wink-ha-ha thing like it was at the aviation companies I worked for.

[Highflyinpilot]

I did all my training got my cpl, floats, didnt even get a start in the industry(not because I couldnt, because I had a change of heart). I moved on to a diffrent career mainly because I wanted more so to plant my feet as soon as possible ie buy a house, raise my kids(while being at home and not in a hotel room), have my toys(Atv, snowmobile etc.) and still be able to pay my bills at the end of it all.I love the fact that I know every 2 weeks my paycheck will come in and my bills will get paid, get to go home at 5pm, eat supper with my wife and daughter every night(just having a family life.)

I must say I miss flying so much, would of loved to see what could've happened had I stuck with it, but then I look at what i got and say to myself, I AM SO HAPPY RIGHT NOW, IM JUST LOVING LIFE THE WAY IT IS.

So I guess depends on what people want in life. Every one has diffrent taste, and a life of constatly relocating, working for peanuts sharing apartments with other people that I dont even know wasnt for me.

To each their own.

[Chuck Ellsworth]

I can't speak for all railways but at the one I work for safety comes above anything else and isn't a nudge-nudge-wink-ha-ha thing like it was at the aviation companies I worked for.

Cheer up, when SMS comes to 703 you can come back, it will be safe then.

[Justjohn]

I've been out of professional flying going on 15 years. Like many, I drive a truck. I think about airplanes EVERY day.

And no, I don't make $140K in six Or $280K in 12. I know what that # really means. That's gross earnings before expenses like Fuel etc for an owner/operator. But I'm awful close to 6 figures driving for Tim Hortons. ( and I get all the coffee I can drink ). And I'm home every night. And I'm about to . it all and dive back into poverty wages and a rekindled flying career. I really enjoy my driving job. but Life is short. Bills are looked after. Its time. With 2700 TT it should still be possible.

[SinkRate]

I guess I have a few questions?
You say you can get a widebody job anywhere overseas..... Awsome , you must know your shit....This means you have attained a level in aviation I can only hope for in my career.
You now want out cause youve hit "the wall".
Im not draggin on you at all, I completely agree with the outllook "if your not happy change your life".
But I am curious cause i am probably 10 yrs behind you in this career.
Whats "the wall" ?
From my perspective It must be pretty shitty to want to get out after yrs of climbing the "ladder" and finally making decent pecos.
And if it is that bad, should i even bother continuing the rat race for another ten yrs so I can experience it for myself?
Personally my education is geared towards nothing but aviation, which means outside of aviation i am qualified to drive a taxi .
Without flying what do you plan on persueing?

Sinkrate