I never thought I'd say this....

[righthandman]

I never thought I'd say this, but I actually DO regret switching careers to being a pilot.

I am NOT saying this to discourage others, I just wonder if there are any others of you that feel the same way? It is really meant for people who have been in it for a while and things didn't PAN out for you, through no fault of your own.

The problem with this career, is that you sort of paint yourself into a corner.

[KAG]

How did you "paint yourself into a corner"?
Sounds like you've been doing some serious thinking, been there myself. I doubt there is a pilot here that at some point hasn't given it thought ot two themselves.

This industry is tough, and a bitch to break into. That said the more time you spend in it, the more options you have.

If you just look around, I'm sure that corner you painted yourself into has a door.

[North Shore]

This is an interesting question for me. I've wanted to fly ever since I can remember, and I've just been promoted into the left seat of the machine that I first dreamed about in high school. I make a decent salary and have half the year off. OTOH, I quit a good job at home to go flying, one that gave me many of the same benefits that I now enjoy, with the addition of 5 days off every 10, year-round - plenty of time to do the things that I enjoy. BUT, I wasn't that happy doing it. I always felt that there was something more. So here I am, doing 'the more.' And, I'm still finding out that there's 'more'...but I love the flying..

In the words of some, conflicticated!

[righthandman]

So just to elaborate on the "painting yourself into a corner" comment I made: it is a fairly specialized skill set....being a professional pilot.

I personally have a fair amount (7000 hours worth) of experience but it doesn't seem to get me anywhere in so far as finding employment commensurate with my abilities. What can I say? Times are tough and friends are few, it seems.

Either that or I am just not much good at this job search thing. And time is not on my side. Even if the universal retirement age becomes 65 world wide for transport category A/C I only have about 8-9 years left. So just to be clear about this, I enjoyed the flying that I have already done but just to stay active in flying, I am currently instructing... which is not that bad... IF say it paid 5X more than it did.

The amount of effort and time to get the 14 written exams done for the JAA/EASA ATPL license simply feels too arduous at my age somehow. And there are no guarantees of getting a job subsequently anyhow. (The girlfriend lives in Europe.)

Like I said.. I can't believe this is the frame of mind I now find myself in but I worked long and hard to get as far as I did and after two company bankruptcies my enthusiasm is wearing thin.

I haven't given up hope but my finger is hovering over the panic button at the moment.

[Lost Lake]

Ditto righthand man. I started later in life, only have 6 -9 yr left. Got into the mifr, turbine world 2 years ago at the end of the bubble. No left seat mifr, so that world is closed. Back to floats. I haven't earned over $40K a year since I started 20 years ago, and some years I made a lot less.

Hardly saw my kids grow up in the summer, but did manage to keep my marriage. I don't regret the experiences I've had, but no, I wouldn't do it again!

[scopiton]

Code: Select all

The amount of effort and time to get the 14 written exams done ... simply feels too arduous at my age somehow

I don't know your age and I don't want to be rude by any way and I realize we don't have the same chances and opportunities, but being able to learn and progress all your life long will sound much more positive and dynamic toward a prospective employer, no ?

[Highflyinpilot]

I started training when i was 18 years old, got my commercial along with a float rating, then got out of the industry at 21 and I am SSSOOOOOOOO happy I did.
There si no way i would be where i am now if i had stuck to the flying thing, no way possible.

No offence to you at all lost lake, And I really mean that, but i couldnt imagine not being able to make over 40G a year in 20 years of doing something. At 23 years old in my current trade( 2 years after leaving the aviation business which was in 05) I buried that number by a very big margin.(Again nothing personal, as Im sure your job is a heck of a lot funner than mine that's for sure, but to each their own i guess).

If I could do it all over i would have stopped training after my PPL and not waste a ton of money on the extra training for the CPL and floats.


Sure sometimes I wondered where'd i'd be had i stuck it out, but then I look at what I have acheived in my short time in the workforce and that thought goes away really fast.

Again not trying to gloat or try to feel superior to others as i am far from it, but just a different perspective of things.

[Hedley]

I really like sex, so I became a porn star.

What other choices did I have?

[iflyforpie]

Sometimes it is easy to look at somebody else's life and see the grass is greener. Listening to Highflyingpilot and how he is doing makes me wonder sometime why I go through what I do just to sit in a piece of tin in the sky...

I don't think I do too bad. I entered aviation at 21 as an AME, 25 as a commercial pilot (I'm 31 now), and there is only one T4 I've had that was under 40K since I started flying and most were comfortably (if not extravagantly) above that doing about 300 hrs a year of flying and twisting wrenches maybe 500 hours more (I am employed full-time). I am home every night, I didn't have to go north (though I would have loved to, wife hates the cold and hates rotation even more), and we don't push weather or compromise safety. I can do things like go to my son's soccer games, my daughter's dance recitals, and usually work my schedule around special events even in the summer. Job security hasn't been an issue at all for me and I work for one of the best bosses in the world.

That is only part of the story though. My wife has to work so we can continue to own a house, raise two kids, save money, and actually do things like go on vacations, family outings, and other fun things. We own POS cars because we don't want to see extra cash disappearing in depreciation and interest. And until my wife gets further up in her job, we are without health benefits.

But these are choices we made and I don't regret the few shortcomings to do what I love and my wife and family enjoy me a lot more. My wife was the one who encouraged me to pursue flying again on the condition we stay south and that it would pay enough (that meant two years on the ground).

So regrets? Some maybe. My other career choice was electrical engineer and I can't imagine how much money I would be making now if I'd stuck with it. But I would still be wishing to fly, trying to arrange free time for lessons and tearing up air, whereas now I can use my free time for other things...

[flyinggreasemonkey]

I've gotten 2 advantages to working in aviation...first is the fact I worked on some kick ass machinery, including a P51 and a Corsair.

Second is the fact that I'm being fast tracked through a selection process for a Nuclear Operator in Training job at a major nuclear power plant because "my skills are so well rounded and diverse" $32 to start as a trainee...not bad.

[200hr Wonder]

I started flying after spending a few years in the IT world during the .com boom era, thinking it is what I wanted to do. Hey I was going to be the next Bill Gates. After having a near death experience and realizing I HATED office work. HATED it. Got my CPL done shortly there after while driving a truck for a lumber company. I liked driving the truck but not nearly as much as flying. Had to go back to IT after getting my CPL done, did that for a while longer and loathed every moment at the desk and busted my ass to get out Instructing on the weekends and taking leave of absences in the summer to instruct Cadets. Got a job offer on a turbine in the north as F/O took a 45% pay cut and left IT for good. Have never looked back. Sure the pay sucks, but I am single, and I like for the most part getting up and going to work. As I say I love my job every day except for payday. To me money is so low on the priority list compared to most people. Do I: Enjoy my job? Check. Have gotten to experience some great places, people and things because of it? Check. Not loath going to work in the morning? Check.

So yes I would do it again. Sure I am deep in debt, but I did it to my self and aviation is only partially to blame. Besides if I spend too much time worrying about my bad choices in life it would just depress me. All I can do is move forward and learn from them. Some I would make again, some I would do a little differently, but in the end I would still be in the cockpit.

[Mihai]

Very well put 200h wonder. I have just started in this industry and I pretty much know what's waiting for me. But I'm thinking that if I had busted my ass to study something I didn't like back in university and be in an office 9-5 monday to friday, I would have killed myself after a couple of years. No matter what happens, I won't regret it.

[AMM]

NO REGRETS JUST REBIRTHS

[phillyfan]

Ah yes the mid season blues. I have had to see some poor bastard deal with this every float season. After this stage the guy considers doing an IFR. They will get happy again in Sept. Then they sit around collecting EI wishing the season would just start again.

[flyinthebug]

Like some people above, I started flying later in life. It was my 2nd career and a choice I have absolutely no regrets about making. Aviation has provided me with MANY opportunities and im very grateful to the people that helped give me these opportunities. I may regret some decisions ive made over the last 17 years, but becoming a pilot is not one of them. Its a rewarding career and beats working for a living! Ive met some amazing people along the way, flown some vintage iron,and seen some things and places most people only dream about...One day sitting at Chatterbox Falls on the BC coast.. I remember asking myself this same question. It had been a long 13 hr duty day and about 7 hours in the cockpit of a -2...and i was hating my job. Then, after I short conversation with a 777 skipper who was also visiting Chatterbox, I realized what a lucky SOB I was to be making 54$ an hour to bring 6 tourists to this beautiful spot. Regrets are for suckers.. Look back and always ENJOY the ride! We ALL are lucky to defy gravity daily, and be paid (well in some cases, certainly in my own) to do it.
Fly safe all!

[N2]

The only regret I have is that I listened to all the BS about the industry when I started from people I thought had some clue about aviation. If I had been told the truth I could have made better decisions for sure, but then again I really have no one to blame but myself for listening.

[Old Dog Flying]

I have never regretted getting into aviation but mine was different in some ways. Started flying at 16, got my PPL at 17 and joined the RCAF at 18. Thought I'd like to fly Sabres but didn't make it so got into ATC as an enlisted airman. I continued flying and scrounging flying time in all kinds of military iron while progressing through the RCAF/CAF ATC network.

Got a CPL, Instructors rating and ran a couple of Class 6 military flying clubs and finally retired as Chief Controller Tower at YMJ. And ran another FTU for a couple of years until moving to the soggy west coast, back into ATC and still instructing on the side.

I retired again in '03 from ATC and instructing after a very l0ong and interesting career. Would I have made any changes? Maybe, maybe not. Do I ever regret my life decisions? Only one and I divorced her a long time ago.

This is one hell of a business but I have met some of the best and the worst people in the world while enjoying just about every minute of it. I have no regrets and I've never looked back. And I spent my 75th year hanging out with some really crazy aviators from PP to ATPLs and they are all nuts but great!

Safe flying folks and keep smiling
Barney

[Highflyinpilot]

i think the only way I would ever get back into the aviation industry is if I got a shot as an ATC, but even then I would have to seriously think about it.

[Mihai]

Interesting topic. So 1 pilot in 4 regrets the decision of becoming a pilot.

[winds_in_flight_wtf]

Dear avcanada members who regret it ,

Then please resign immediately, so I can begin my career!

I love flying, and everything about it. The planning, the excitement of being up there, the excitement of coming down thinking "God damn I’m lucky":) Fly part time then, rather get another career! Im -**.*** in debt due to my education and career of choice. But at days end, I like what I do. It will pay off sooner or later, because lets be realistic..... people have to fly;)

[nottellin]

Dear avcanada members who regret it ,

Then please resign immediately, so I can begin my career!

I love flying, and everything about it. The planning, the excitement of being up there, the excitement of coming down thinking "God damn I’m lucky":) Fly part time then, rather get another career! Im -**.*** in debt due to my education and career of choice. But at days end, I like what I do. It will pay off sooner or later, because lets be realistic..... people have to fly;)

Ahh ignorance is bliss,

wait a few years and then ask yourself the same thing..

The novelty wears slightly when its your career

[canwhitewolf]

ed robertson of the bare naked ladies has the best of both worlds, cant help but envy the guy

[AMM]

Dear avcanada members who regret it ,

Then please resign immediately, so I can begin my career!

EXCELLENT
+1

[Gogona]

I have two questions to topic starter and other pilots, who regret about their choice.

1) What EXACTLY do you regret about? Is that expended money, time and efforts, health, missed opportunities, etc.? Try to figure it out – what is the most disappointing issue for you?
2) If you 'll quit this career, are you going to fly as a private pilot or you rather leave aviation at all?

[Mihai]

I have two questions to topic starter and other pilots, who regret about their choice.

1) What EXACTLY do you regret about? Is that expended money, time and efforts, health, missed opportunities, etc.? Try to figure it out – what is the most disappointing issue for you?
2) If you 'll quit this career, are you going to fly as a private pilot or you rather leave aviation at all?

I think no one who get into this would leave flying completely - cause let's face it, we all love being up there. It probably the fact that the industry is so messed up and making a good career out it that makes some people regret their choice.