A Career in Aviation or Law Enforcement?

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yowflyer23
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Re: A Career in Aviation or Law Enforcement?

Post by yowflyer23 »

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yowflyer23
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Re: A Career in Aviation or Law Enforcement?

Post by yowflyer23 »

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EastCoastWings
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Re: A Career in Aviation or Law Enforcement?

Post by EastCoastWings »

I did 14 years in Law Enforcement before finally walking away and never looking back (and that was before the political climate fell off a cliff). Most of my friends who still do the job wish they could do the same. I'm now working as a Flight Instructor, making a third of what I did before, but I genuinely enjoy what I do and don't dread going into work.

That's not to say that there aren't folks who get into Law Enforcement and love every minute of it, or folks that get into aviation and hate every minute of it. Everyone is going to have a different experience, and that experience is going to change the way the view each career. It sounds like you're trying to over-analyze the decision. Forget how long it's going to do X Y or Z, you need to look inside yourself and decide deep down what it is you truly want to do, what is going to make you happy, what are you going to enjoy doing for the next 40 years. Chances are that first gut instinct is the answer. Then once you choose, enjoy the journey, life can't be about the destination all the time or you'll never enjoy it.
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Inverted2
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Re: A Career in Aviation or Law Enforcement?

Post by Inverted2 »

I think there’s another thread on here where someone described what it’s like to work in law enforcement today. Stay away if you can. Unless you like being around the dregs of society most of your time at work. (Or is that airline life? :wink: )
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Re: A Career in Aviation or Law Enforcement?

Post by KAG »

I'm the son of a 43 year veteran of the RCMP. My dad basically forbid me from joining the force.

I'm really surprised no ones mentioned Fire fighting. 7 24 hour shifts a month, and every fire fighter I know has a side hussle and lives better then I do lol. Besides, everyone's happy to see a fireman (person), not so much a cop 😀

The grass is always greener, it's what you do with your patch of grass that counts - the view helps too.

Joe, you still running this board? Too many adds man. Wtf happened
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Bede
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Re: A Career in Aviation or Law Enforcement?

Post by Bede »

KAG wrote: Tue Jan 18, 2022 8:31 pm I'm really surprised no ones mentioned Fire fighting. 7 24 hour shifts a month, and every fire fighter I know has a side hussle and lives better then I do lol. Besides, everyone's happy to see a fireman (person), not so much a cop 😀
That's easier said than done. Decent jobs with low barriers to entry are near impossible to get and are essentially a crap shoot.

I'm on a volunteer fire department. We get lots of keen kids sign up hoping to get hired by a city department. In 13 years on the department, only 1 had been hired by a city.
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Re: A Career in Aviation or Law Enforcement?

Post by KAG »

Bede wrote: Wed Jan 19, 2022 3:07 pm
KAG wrote: Tue Jan 18, 2022 8:31 pm I'm really surprised no ones mentioned Fire fighting. 7 24 hour shifts a month, and every fire fighter I know has a side hussle and lives better then I do lol. Besides, everyone's happy to see a fireman (person), not so much a cop 😀
That's easier said than done. Decent jobs with low barriers to entry are near impossible to get and are essentially a crap shoot.

I'm on a volunteer fire department. We get lots of keen kids sign up hoping to get hired by a city department. In 13 years on the department, only 1 had been hired by a city.
Ouch, sounds worse then flying. Where is your fire house located? I'm guessing it depends on retirement cycles. My good friend is fire in Newmarket and it didn't sound that hard, but of course he's second gen firefighter with lots of ins.
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KAG
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Re: A Career in Aviation or Law Enforcement?

Post by KAG »

Bede wrote: Wed Jan 19, 2022 3:07 pm
KAG wrote: Tue Jan 18, 2022 8:31 pm I'm really surprised no ones mentioned Fire fighting. 7 24 hour shifts a month, and every fire fighter I know has a side hussle and lives better then I do lol. Besides, everyone's happy to see a fireman (person), not so much a cop 😀
That's easier said than done. Decent jobs with low barriers to entry are near impossible to get and are essentially a crap shoot.

I'm on a volunteer fire department. We get lots of keen kids sign up hoping to get hired by a city department. In 13 years on the department, only 1 had been hired by a city.
Ouch, sounds worse then flying. Where is your fire house located? I'm guessing it depends on retirement cycles. My good friend is fire in Newmarket and it didn't sound that hard, but of course he's second gen firefighter with lots of ins.
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mmm..bacon
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Re: A Career in Aviation or Law Enforcement?

Post by mmm..bacon »

KAG wrote: Tue Feb 01, 2022 3:57 pm , but of course he's second gen firefighter with lots of ins.
My sense of firefighting is that it's the last bastion of the 'boys club' jobs. First, you have to have all of the qualifications, and then, you need the personal connections and ins....
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Re: A Career in Aviation or Law Enforcement?

Post by Prodriver »

Pretty hard to pass up a government pension? The only people getting ahead lately as society shifts Left, seem to be government employees and cops. There sure seems to be a lot of them driving around, anyway, it sure looks like good work if you can get it.
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172ReliefPilot
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Re: A Career in Aviation or Law Enforcement?

Post by 172ReliefPilot »

I had this dilemma as well before i began my flight training. As naive as i was back when, i thought it would be easier to fall back onto policing later on in life if i didnt like airline flying. trying to get a cat 1 medical, go through training and making it to an airline later in life always threw me off for some reason. Idk that was just my thought process.

Now im presented the opportunity to fly for an airline in the US. However, I dont know if i would ever police down in the us... :L
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glenomatic
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Re: A Career in Aviation or Law Enforcement?

Post by glenomatic »

It's a tough choice. From what you've said, I think you're bright and motivated and will do well whichever way you choose.

I had a similar choice after undergrad. I love to fly and always dreamed of becoming a military pilot. My vision was not good enough back in the pre-laser eye surgery days though. I was working in construction and chipping away at my PPL, and had jumped through all the hoops and was ready to go to basic officer training to serve with our local reserve unit.

At the same time I applied for law school and was accepted. It was a fork in the road for me and I decided to put pilot training and CAF on pause. I am now a partner in a law firm and came back to flying for my PPL and own my own plane. It is a mentally tough job but I work in a warm office in the day and am home every night with my family. My chances of getting hurt at work are zero. I have decent financial freedom. I have a great amount of flexibility in my schedule and I can go flying almost anytime I like. My career is not limited by maintaining a medical.

I have friends that are commercial pilots, that have served in the CAF and that are RCMP and city police members. There is no golden answer, every job seems to have its ups and downs. Policing is tough right now as some folks see the police as the enemy. They get calls that are soup to nuts and often mental health related "if it not bleeding or on fire we get the call". Shift work is no joke and is very difficult for some people. CAF occasionally does cool stuff but you have little choice where you live and it is buried in bureaucracy. I have occasionally sat right seat and observed on commercial flights and it seemed incredibly boring to me vs. what I get to do with my own airplane.

I will add that my sister is an EMT-P and is in a position called "community" paramedic. I think she has the best thing going. Usually minor injuries, no nights, everyone always happy to see her. Awesome benefits and pension.

You have a tough choice, My advice is whatever you choose, go at it full steam ahead and you will be successful.
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McKinley
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Re: A Career in Aviation or Law Enforcement?

Post by McKinley »

Why not continue with psychology?


I would not get into the aviation industry right now.

Reasons: pandemic, inflation, fuel costs, government that wants to severely limit fossil fuel usage.
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