In you opinion, is it all worth it? Piloting?

[highlander]

I don't know if it is necessarily harder or easier to get to the airlines. In 1992 there was no WestJet.....but, there were other airlines that aren't here anymore. I remember seeing job ads for pilots for companies like Bearskin where the minimums were at least 2500 hours or more. Today, more and more people are getting into 703/704 with the bare minimums. It seemed impossible to ever get a job anywhere with 200 hours.

With that said, no matter what your goals are, don't give up. Just be patient and keep plugging away. The industry is always changing and evolving.

[Flightman7]

^ Your right, thanks alot for the advice

[CAL]

Mitch lots of good posts on here from loads of folks with varied experiences....all good stuff.
I would say that flying for a career especially the airlines is typically rewarding for only one person.
I would say dont get married or have kids until you are left seat on an airliner with a good schedule....or have found a great corporate gig which has you home often....a wife and a kid will slow you down in this industry...too much tugging at the heart.

[Flightman7]

CAL,

I do agree with you on the first part

However the whole Flying for a career vs. having a family is what scares me the most

I guess its all a matter of priority, some prefer to dedicate their lives to their career, others prefer to gravitate more towards having a family and living a normal life. As of right now, im not sure if both are an option until you got atleast 10-15+ years in the industry. I would say at this age, both seem equally as important, although maybe my priorities will change in the near future.

Thanks for the insight,

[BTyyj]

(Look below)

[KAG]

Jackg737 I'm going to correct you on "if you have the hours you will get in" at either WJ or Air Canada - that is simply not true. There are way more applications then positions. Your success at getting hired depends on attitude, connections and luck as much as total time. Even if you have all of that sometimes it just didn't pan out. I'm not trying to scare you or anyone just telling ya what it's like.

[TopperHarley]

Most pilots make more than doctors though, on an hour to hour basis. 2nd year WJA F/O makes $60/hr, while a family practitioner makes $58/hr. A 2nd year WJA capt. makes $134/hr, while a neurosurgeon makes $132/hr.

Those numbers can be misleading. A pilot is generally paid 75-85hrs/ month. We're not paid for the time we spend doing our pre-flight duties. The hourly pay is based on block-time usually, so push-back to shutdown at gate.

It's not so much the wages that people complain about, as they are, for the most part, decent at the bigger companies; however, the working conditions are often a different story altogether. You'll see this for yourself once you start flying.

[BTyyj]

Sorry, I was just meaning to say that if you are a good applicant, you will get hired. You don't need anything overly special about you; just have the hours, the references, the attitude, etc., and you will be doing well.

TopperHarley, yes, those numbers were from internet websites so they may be off. The point though is the same; pilots make more per hour than most other professions. To be fair though, due to regulations, pilots also get a lot less hours compared to other professions as well. I know that most surgical residents have to work 80 hrs per week, with several 24 hour days.

[mduffy]

From an investment/return point of view - not worth it. If you wish to live in Toronto or Vancouver - forget it. If you wish to be a family man - big challenge. If you want to be wealthy - those days are gone.

If you love flying... I guess you're already screwed.

Sorry.

[florch]

Most pilots make more than doctors though, on an hour to hour basis. 2nd year WJA F/O makes $60/hr, while a family practitioner makes $58/hr. A 2nd year WJA capt. makes $134/hr, while a neurosurgeon makes $132/hr.

Take your hourly pilot wage and divide by 2. That's a good approximation of what you're real hourly wage is.

Or figure 40 hours X 52 weeks is roughly 2000 hours for a normal full time job.
Pilots may be paid for 1000 of those hours, so hourly times 1000 is your salary. That neurosurgeon is making $264k while the pilot is making $134k in your example.

[BTyyj]

Most pilots make more than doctors though, on an hour to hour basis. 2nd year WJA F/O makes $60/hr, while a family practitioner makes $58/hr. A 2nd year WJA capt. makes $134/hr, while a neurosurgeon makes $132/hr.

Take your hourly pilot wage and divide by 2. That's a good approximation of what you're real hourly wage is.

Or figure 40 hours X 52 weeks is roughly 2000 hours for a normal full time job.
Pilots may be paid for 1000 of those hours, so hourly times 1000 is your salary. That neurosurgeon is making $264k while the pilot is making $134k in your example.

Yes. From what I have heard, the average neurosurgeon works about 60 hours per week (like many other medical specialties), which translates into about 3120 hours a year. So that neurosurgeon would probably make around $411 840 annually. I think my figures, although they might not be extremely accurate, still emphasize the point I am trying to make; pilots on an hour to hour basis do really well.

I am not trying to diss any pilots here at all. I think, personally, that pilots don't earn as much as they deserve (due to the over-competitiveness in industry).

To answer the original poster's question; I think you should follow what you feel is best for you. I think you would be happier working the job of your dreams and making less than doing a job you hate for more money. I think the point I was trying to make above is that pilots don't do terribly. Most people make do off of far less. Once you are with a good 705, you WILL be making good money.

BTW, if you don't want to worry about money; try marrying a rich spouse