Relocating

[wavey]

Hello there,
I'm new to this forum, so this topic may have been covered. If it is, sorry for the repetition.

I'm working towards my PPL right now, with aspirations to get my CPL in the next couple of years. It's a slow process as I can only afford to fly about once a week right now. With regards to having a career as a pilot, I'm interested to know how many pilots have had to relocate for work? How typical is it? Is it something I should be prepared to do if I'm going to be a pilot? For the discussion's sake, I live in Toronto. I'm 28 years old, probably older than most pilots taking on this career path, and I'd probably be a little less motivated to relocate at this point.

Any feedback would be appreciated!

[ahramin]

I have never met a pilot who did not have to relocate multiple times in order to get their career going. In my career I moved three times, and a fourth move is coming.

Having said that, if there is anywhere one could spend their whole career in it's Toronto. If you are lucky enough to get an entry level job in Toronto you should be alright.

[North Shore]

Rare, and lucky, is the guy/gal who didn't have to move at least once for this job.

What will happen is that you will get your licences, and try to stick in TO. Your buddy will do the same and then suck it up and move to Ft. Middle of Nowhere. His job will get him 800 hrs/year, yours, if you are lucky, 1/2 that. In two years, you'll both want to move on, but he'll have 4x the time, and be looking to move back to the big smoke - chasing the same job that you want. As an employer, who would you be inclined to hire, in an industry where experience is generally measured by hours?

FWIW, at 31, I left my comfy existence (and girlfriend) behind on less than a week's notice to move to Pickle Lake in search of my first job outside of instructing. I still spend ~5 months away from home every year. There's tons of great places to live in Canada besides Toronto....

Good luck!

[TG]

I didn't have to move (change area)

My current job and the past ones involves rotations though and in a lot of different places.

Well, thinking about it, it's kind of having to move every time you go to work.
So I'm not sure if I can still pretend I didn't have to move

[wavey]

Thanks for the replies. I knew somewhere deep inside that relocating is the nature of the business. I just wanted to get a feel for what it's like out there in the real world.

North Shore - I know that there are great places to live besides Toronto. That's not the issue. It's leaving home that's the issue (family, friends, etc.). Thanks for the insight though, it's greatly appreciated!

[Nark]

Wavey

It's because I've moved chasing this wonderful career; I have made more life long friends.

Many of whom are lurkers and active participants of this forum.

Good luck in you goals.

[sheephunter]

If you're not willing to relocate at 28, I'd guess by 30 you'd be even less inclined. Add a house and a couple kids into the equation and I'd be very nervous of spending much more money on this career path. PPL sure, but the CPL thingy... well. Take a look in the Avaition Jobs Forum and look under the sub thread on Hire Me. From there, look at the guys currently looking for work, some with quite a few hours and see how many say they will not relocate. It will give you an idea of what is required to further your career and especially for lower hour guys to get started who would relocate anywhere to get their foot in the door and to get started in this industry. Most likely it will be Fort Somewhere or Someplace Lake or quite often a town with more vowels than Vanna White. The lucky part is that you should be able to stay in Ontario but most stray from east to west with nearly all their time north of Hwy. 7 I would think that all the moons would have to line up to stay within sight of the CN Tower for an entire career. Sorry, I don't think there's a more realistic picture to paint. Good luck with your PPL. As your first day here, I hope we don't scare you off. If it is your dream, go for it... with eyes wide open. You'll meet great people within the industry, have a lot of laughs, have stories that no one "at home" will beleive but beleive you me, most every aviator from early days on tell the exact same stories and it really did happen to them as well. Good luck in whatever you decide.

[Ralliart]

I've had to relocate 6 times for various companies so far. Hopefully only one more time after this.

[Lateralus]

I had 5 moves under my belt before I was 28 haha. Now that I am back home (Toronto) I want to get the the hell out of here. After living in many different places in the country you realize how many awesome places there are in Canada.

If I had to do it all again I wouldn't change a thing, I have friends all over the country and have seen some really cool stuff too along the way.

Best of Luck.

[Meatservo]

Relocating can be the best part. See some other part of the country. If you don't have dependents that is.

[cdnpilot77]

I did my first year on the dock when I was 30, have had to move 3 times to 2 different places but I have been lucky enough to find work flying a great airplane 20 minutes from home in SW Ontario. I anticipate a couple more moves before it's all said done too. The toughest part has been leaving the wife each time to go to parts unknown Ontario, but it's got to be done and works if you have an understanding partner.

[kilpicki]

Have relocated numerous times, detrimental to the pocketbook but the friends I've made are worth more than money.
Seems like the co workers from the North (not N Bay) are my lifelong friends. Whitehorse, Yellowskin, Inuvik, we all left the apron strings to be on our own.
I did reside in TO for a few yrs and it was hell after the North. I told my Yellowknife buds I was in TO for 3 yrs(girl not airplane) and the common reply was 3 MIN WOULD BE ENOUGH FOR ME. I concur.

So as said before Go North Young Man.

[av8tor_assrope]

Easy on the Toronto bashing....not everyone prefers the hick towns where everybody knows everybody. I’ve worked in many parts of the country, including north of 60 and I still love Toronto. Anyways, to answer the original poster, take some of the bullshit you read on here with a grain of salt. I would’t sweat it. I've flown with a lot of guys who have never left southern Ontario. There’s tons of people at big red, little red and a handful of corporate gigs in and around the yyz area, who have never left southern Ontario either. It be a little tougher to get into a 704/705 machine but not impossible. If you don’t mind instructing for several years you’d be able to land a gig out of the north end eventually. If you don't believe me PM me and I could probably name about 10 people off the top of my head who I've flown with the past year.

Good luck and remember what I said about the bullshit part.

[wavey]

Thanks for all the replies!
While it's evident that relocating is almost definitely a prerequisite for a flying career, it's still interesting to hear the different points of view.

I never stated that I'm not open to relocating. There are definitely aspects of it that I would love to explore, and if my love of flying continues as strong as it has been so far, it's going to be hard to avoid relocation if the career path calls for it. Again, this is not about Toronto, or how great it is, or how horrible it is, etc. All I stated is that I live in Toronto, and I currently enjoy everything I have here. I'm just trying to take everything into account before I go and spend $60K on training.

[ajet32]

15,000 hours 8 moves .Two across the country. Some bad timing involved as well. Anyone I know who is or has been successful has moved at least twice before getting that real job one might stay with or even retire from. As someone mentioned there is a great deal of aviation away from Toronto.
Cheers

[mattedfred]

I'm 37 and I've moved 15 times in my life. I've lived in Ohsweken, Walkerton, Paris, Ayr, Sault Ste. Marie, Lac La Croix, Winnipeg, Waterdown, Woodstock, Ingersoll, Cambridge and Montreal.

I moved from Ayr, Ontario to attend Aviation College in the Soo as I couldn't afford a non-subsidized post secondary education and wanted a College Diploma.

I couldn't afford an instructor rating so spent all we had on a float rating which meant that my first job was in Lac La Croix, Ontario instead of back home.

I got laid off for the winter and my wife and I basically flipped a coin to decide whether we would move to Sudbury or Winnipeg so she could finish her degree. We moved to Winnipeg and I got a flying job a few months later.

We moved to Waterdown, Ontario after I got laid off in Winnipeg and found a job back home in Ontario.

I've been with my current employer for almost 11 years and am on my 3rd base. My 1st base closed after we merged with a few other airlines and I chose to switch to my 3rd base when they reduced the number of Captains required in my 2nd base.

My wife and I have been back in Southern Ontario for 13 years and only had to live away for school and work for 5 years. We live close to both of our families, have jobs we love, are debt free and were able to live together throughout my entire career. (I commute to Montreal and have a crashpad there so it shouldn't really count as a move.)

Figure out what your goals are then research the best way to achieve them. Then figure out what you are willing to do given what you have learned. I learned that I could achieve my goals faster by moving away and I was willing to do so.

There are more paths to take to your goals than you may realize. The path you take should be the one you choose based on what you are willing to put up with. These are very individual choices.

Hope for the best and plan for the worst and try and enjoy yourself while achieving your goals.

My goal was to be 40 years old and healthy, happy, married, near family, have a safe and reliable job, own a home, be a Captain on a large turboprop, able to travel and be debt free.

I've been lucky enough to achieve my goal 3 years early and I know that the path that I have taken has made me who I am today.

[wavey]

Mattedfred,
Amazing. Thanks for the response and the advice. It must make you whole knowing that you achieved the goals you've set out for yourself. It looks to me that something that hasn't been said, but seems to be true in this case, is that I have to be open to going with the flow, roll with the punches, etc.

You're also lucky that your partner was mobile and willing. I'm sure decisions are made tougher when you have to leave that loved one behind. Regardless, this gives me some food for thought. Thank you.

[cdnpilot77]

It looks to me that something that hasn't been said, but seems to be true in this case, is that I have to be open to going with the flow, roll with the punches, etc.

You're also lucky that your partner was mobile and willing. I'm sure decisions are made tougher when you have to leave that loved one behind.

Bang on!