Lets Play a Game - Choose one

[wowie_kazowie]

Ok, this is pointless, but I am curious. Lets say that the pay, benefits, corporate culture and hours flying are IDENTICAL between the different aviation jobs. So really it’s only the type or flying, equipment flown, and where you are flying that change. Which would you choose? (I realize this list does not include everything, but just chose one… or none)

[Mart]

I'm rather surprise that people prefer to stay put for long hour on major airline long auto-pilot haul. I thought pilot like to fly.
It is also difficult to judge if you only flew in 2-3 of your option, after all grass is always greener on the other side of the fence.

[Shiny Side Up]

Spoiler alert! No one's going to put in flight instructing.

[Mône]

Wrong!

I absolutely loved instructing.
Best benefit: sleep at home every night.

[iflyforpie]

Spoiler alert! No one's going to put in flight instructing.

I didn't..... but I would if given a second option. Only the pay keeps me from doing it....

[Mône]

Lets say that the pay, benefits, corporate culture and hours flying are IDENTICAL

[Cat Driver]

I didn't..... but I would if given a second option. Only the pay keeps me from doing it....

Ahh but there is a way to get good pay teaching flying.

[Shiny Side Up]

Spoiler alert! No one's going to put in flight instructing.

I didn't..... but I would if given a second option. Only the pay keeps me from doing it....

Well, to be clear, instructing ain't that bad, but lets face it, everything else equal, If I can fly not with students opposed to with them, I'd rather fly without. Even making money at it, its not 100% all the time mine - or I would guess anyone's - first choice to be doing. For most, it would be something that they can do only part time, and in general, not do day in and out.

[iflyforpie]

I didn't..... but I would if given a second option. Only the pay keeps me from doing it....

Lets say that the pay, benefits, corporate culture and hours flying are IDENTICAL

Which is why I would have put it down as a second choice.......

[Shiny Side Up]

Exactly. Anyone who puts instructing as their first choice a) hasn't done it long enough or, b) done it full time, or c) done it for a long time.

That said though the good part about it is interesting people and airplanes, the bad part of it is also "interesting" people and airplanes....

But I can't complain too much, the last few days I was instructing on a Stinson, a Maule, a Bellanca, and a Cessna taildragger.

[Big Pistons Forever]

I would only consider full time instructing again under 2 conditions

1) It was well paid

2) I could pick and chose my students and had the power to fire any student that was not willing to work hard, set high standards for themselves, and had a positive and safe attitude towards his/her flying.

It is extremely unlikely that I will ever be offered a job that meets those conditions so I will continue to instruct part time, with the students I want and in a time and manner of my choosing. I still find some of the most satisfying and rewarding flying I do is flying instruction. Too bad it is so under valued by the Canadian aviation community, and many posters on Avcanada,,,,,,,

[Big Pistons Forever]

I see major airline flying is currently the number one choice on the poll. Personally I can't think of a less attractive job.
A life time of chronic jet lag induced fatigue, grossly above normal radiation exposure, and a flying "experience" of hours and hours of crushing boredom......No Thanks.


The QANTAS pilots union supposedly just had a Birthday bash for a retired long haul pilot celebrating his 75 th Birthday. This was a huge deal because he was apparently the first pilot ever to make it to 75.

[iflyforpie]

Is that true BPF?

A couple of the things that kept me from the airlines was doing maintenance on the aircraft and seeing how fast the UV bleaches out the crew seats (easy to tell which one was capt and f/o) and cabin monuments.... and how a former employer of mine who worked for CX watched as friends of his dropped left and right from cancer after being bathed in radiation from the windows and the CRTs on the older glass cockpits....

[Shiny Side Up]

I would only consider full time instructing again under 2 conditions

1) It was well paid

2) I could pick and chose my students and had the power to fire any student that was not willing to work hard, set high standards for themselves, and had a positive and safe attitude towards his/her flying.

Even still BPF, imagine that you had to crank in the same amount of hours a week flying. Even with motivated students, and decent pay, its still not enviable to do it day in and day out. If you exclude ab initio from the training work it becomes better, but its really hard to instruct full time and not do it. That said, even the good students can grind on your nerves, the chief problem being that instructing is a customer service position. And that's best to be able to step away from it on a regular basis.

I will continue to instruct part time,

I'm almost to the point where I think that no one should instruct full time. Any who do (including myself) become worse at it past a very short time, in one way or another. Since I've been able to move away from it and do more recreational flying and other flying work, I think I've become better again at the instructing when I do it.

[Skyhunter]

Ok, this is pointless, but I am curious. Lets say that the pay, benefits, corporate culture and hours flying are IDENTICAL between the different aviation jobs. So really it’s only the type or flying, equipment flown, and where you are flying that change. Which would you choose? (I realize this list does not include everything, but just chose one… or none)

[TG]

The game is missing the Air Force.

[wowie_kazowie]

And cargo... Whoops.

[1000 HP]

Bush Flying was my second choice and I enjoyed it for many years. Last week I was lucky enough to put in 25 hours on an Amphib Caravan up in Northern Sask. But I'd pick fighter pilot over that or preferably spraying crops in Columbia with an OV-10

[TG]

1000hp, they do it with Air Tractor 802 now.



Spraying option