When to pull the plug on the Aviation career?

[Johnny#5]

I'm thinking about quitting aviation and becoming a cop....anyone ever tried that?

Seems just as exciting and maybe a little more fulfilling. Plus I get to speed for free.

[The Old Fogducker]

And Johnny ... you'd get to star in some of cpl-atc's posts if you stepped on a spider on or off duty!

Seriously though, one of the guys that flew for me part-time was a cop and I used to go out on "ride-alongs" from time to time when he was on shift. I thought it was highly interesting from an observer's perspective, but he used to say that he was "one of society's garbagemen" dealing almost constantly with some of the least savoury members of the population. The Justice System just turned them back onto the street again rather than deal with the issue by either punishing criminals or at least taking them out of the neighbourhood for awhile ... that victims were never cared about, and the system was upside down, never making a crook who stole some little old couple's last hundred bucks never made to pay it back or fix the door he kicked in.

They sure joke around among themselves a lot with practical jokes going on all the time ... must have been a way to blow off some of the steam pressure of doing something like he did one evening when I saw him less than 30 minutes after he held and comforted a dying man at an accident scene. Then he went to the victim's home, and told his wife and kids that their husband and father had been killed by a drunk, and that his last thoughts and words had been of them before he died at the side of the road.

He said that sort of stuff stayed with you a long time.

But then the cop-haters will say ... "so what, he got paid for it, its just his job, get over it." Be prepared for some scumbag to say something like that Johnny. Thank-you in advance for your service.

The Old (cop respecting) Fogducker

[Luscombe]

I worked with a guy who went the other way... was a cop and became a pilot. He told us some pretty scary stories about the human scum that he had to deal with and showed us the scar he received from a knife wielding drunk. I think he thanks his lucky stars for the day he decided to trade in his shield for wings.

[warbirdpilot7]

I'm sure we have all had this thought at some point. I sure have. Looking at 90% of my close high school friends who are doing "better" then me, making more money then me, have houses, have wives etc.....Their jobs are very decent paying(doctor, cop, real estate). This will cause some "self evaluation", or at least it should.

It's a matter of YOUR life style and what you want. I know 100% that I would be better off right now if I chose another career path, but I did the machine shop/factory thing for 5 years. Monday to friday 7am-3:30pm will wear on your mindset.

Some people in this industry get lucky, and get a decent job without paying any dues or eating you know what. My problem is I worked a ground job for a longtime Canadian operator, did loyal service, never called in sick, went above and beyond, and it did not mean a SINGLE thing to them. Thats the part that hurts. Blew some of my youth, that I cant get back.

If you want a stable life(at the beginning of your career) this is not the industry for you.

[oldtimer]

I pulled the plug after 51 years, the only real job I have ever had. I have worked for good operators and some shitty operators but for the most part it was a good career. One thing I did observe a few times, not only with pilots but with people in other occupations, that as a person ages, some of the faculties deteriorate. You know the comments "That old fart should pack it in."
Now that I have turned 70, I did not want to hang around until I had to be forced out to pasture. I left on my own accord while still on top of my game (well, THAT WAS MY OPINION. Oh sure, I could pass a checkride, shoot an ILS to mins and all the other things that make a good pilot but I really had to work at it.) I took a good hard look at my performance and I could see problems developing. I did not want to hang around till things went to hell so I retired.
In retrospect, I am happy with the decision.
I can now go to the city in rush hour and drive slow!!
I woke up this morning, it was snowing. So I had a pee and then went back to bed. The snow let up while I was having my second cup. Life is good.