New Year’s resolution

[MikeLima]

Hi there, Merry Christmas!

My goal for the New Year is to find a decent job where I am treated with respect, have a decent salary and bring financial and emotional stability to my family.
In other words I am leaving this industry ASAP and don’t intend to look behind.

Please make yourself a favor and don't accept the working conditions offered by the new regionals, have a little respect for your profession please.

What a joke this industry has become!, not possible to pay a mortgage and have a decent life anymore, anyone else sharing the same goal?

Mike Lima

[ea306]

Mike Lima,

Wishing you the very best in your endeavor. More than once I nearly left this industry due to the very things you mention. I guess today I am one of the lucky ones... Good thing too as I probably am not skilled enough outside of aviation to make a living that balances with life style.

I have a son who is only 24 and makes a 6 figure salary as a skilled laborer logging. As a young man he wonders what he should do with his future. He Thought about flying....but as good as his father's present job might be, the investment of time and money and and years working for restaurant salaries just do not seem to justify getting involved in aviation. Perhaps going to school and getting into medicine might be a better option. Who knows.

I just do not understand why aviation in Canada has to be so under paid. Salaries are pathetic....Even going to Air Canada for the first few years....to pay your dues...again...and again and again.

Your sentiment is very understandable.

[Mig29]

I feel with your ML,

and things are definitively not looking up for our industry in Canada for 2013 and onwards.

Having said that, you are standing by your decision and that's brave! I respect you for that, not many guys can do that, and then end up in the same rut, being negative about their job, which flows into their personal life satisfaction.

Good luck to you, Marry Christmas and Happy New Years

[peice]

After a little more than a year in this industry I am also going to call it quits. Took a couple of years of training to get to where I am but the future isn't looking too bright for me. That'll be my new year resolution as well, followed by getting into bloody shape (something that I lost as well working here!). Hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and have a Happy New Year!

[Scuba_Steve]

I agree the prospects in the airline industry going forward are not looking good I foresee a lot if change and upheaval in the next few years in Canada. It's had me doing a lot of soul searching and contemplating a corporate career instead of Airlines. We'll see how the cards fall In a year or so. Best of luck wherever your future endeavors take you I can truly understand your frustration.

Cheers

[cdnpilot77]

I find it amazing that people seem to think every other industry is just rosy and that being treated like crap, working for crap wages etc is exclusive to aviation. Truth is, the job I currently hold is by far the best company I have ever worked for in every possible way. I have worked in several various industries with big discrepancies in pay and working conditions. With that experience, There is nothing I would rather do than fly an airplane. Maybe that comes from my relative late start in the game and enduring some pretty sh&$y situations to put myself into the position I am in now. Good luck to you, but seems some people just aren't happy whatever they do. My 2cents. I hope everyone had a safe and happy holiday.

[esp803]

After a little more than a year in this industry I am also going to call it quits.

Calling it quits after 1 year of a 40ish year career... Yes aviation is not (for the most part) the golden job they promised you it would be in flight school, but it does have it's up sides. My first year in aviation I also thought like you, then it just took one break and things rapidly got better. Thank you T&T. It was not the greatest place to live, or the best working conditions and the pay was less then desireable, but those guys knew there shit, kept me alive, got me into floats, and generally treated me very well. After 1.5 years actually in the industry (almost 3 years since getting the commercial) I was quite happily making 55k a year living in a place I wanted to live. The next year it was a hair over 60, but i only worked 8 months. The most loathed job I ever had was flying medevacs, being on call is just not my thing, when I was flying medevacs I flew 40 hours a month, and never had to be at the office, I spent my days doing anything from skiing to watching movies to learning how to cook well. I've now gotten a position that I suspect will keep me happy for quite sometime, well away from "shiny metal", I wouldn't trade the lifestyle I've enjoyed in my twenties for any other job.

My brother recently finished his law degree at a very good law school. You think he is doing much better? it's going to take him a couple years before he matches my salary, and several more after that before he gets anywhere close to the quality of life I enjoy. This is after nearly ten years in school. While he was slaving away studying in a cramped dorm room for his twenties I was spending time all over Europe, Africa, North America enjoying my life outside of my job. Aviation is easy to get the qualifications you need, might be a little harder to break into, but for me it's provided the life I want. Could have I done better in another industry? Probably. But I don't regret anything I have done with my life.

Giving up after one crappy year, especially your first... With that attitude I don't think there are many industries where you will succeed

E

[peice]

After a little more than a year in this industry I am also going to call it quits.

Calling it quits after 1 year of a 40ish year career... Yes aviation is not (for the most part) the golden job they promised you it would be in flight school, but it does have it's up sides. My first year in aviation I also thought like you, then it just took one break and things rapidly got better. Thank you T&T. It was not the greatest place to live, or the best working conditions and the pay was less then desireable, but those guys knew there shit, kept me alive, got me into floats, and generally treated me very well. After 1.5 years actually in the industry (almost 3 years since getting the commercial) I was quite happily making 55k a year living in a place I wanted to live. The next year it was a hair over 60, but i only worked 8 months. The most loathed job I ever had was flying medevacs, being on call is just not my thing, when I was flying medevacs I flew 40 hours a month, and never had to be at the office, I spent my days doing anything from skiing to watching movies to learning how to cook well. I've now gotten a position that I suspect will keep me happy for quite sometime, well away from "shiny metal", I wouldn't trade the lifestyle I've enjoyed in my twenties for any other job.

My brother recently finished his law degree at a very good law school. You think he is doing much better? it's going to take him a couple years before he matches my salary, and several more after that before he gets anywhere close to the quality of life I enjoy. This is after nearly ten years in school. While he was slaving away studying in a cramped dorm room for his twenties I was spending time all over Europe, Africa, North America enjoying my life outside of my job. Aviation is easy to get the qualifications you need, might be a little harder to break into, but for me it's provided the life I want. Could have I done better in another industry? Probably. But I don't regret anything I have done with my life.

Giving up after one crappy year, especially your first... With that attitude I don't think there are many industries where you will succeed

E

Thanks for taking your time for replying. I really do appreciate it. You're probably right, I may not be successful in another industry with the present attitude that I have but I was never like this. I have always been optimistic with whatever I wanted to do. Many times I've been asked as to what makes so happy. My answer? I've seen much much worse. Life has been great for me so far. This country is amazing. The opportunities are endless. But this environment - the long stressful days, extensions, broken planes, all without being paid properly - is slowing chipping away at my optimism. I still smile when I start work but that smile is slowly starting to feel forced and fake. This dream that I've had for so long has become reality unfortunately.

Success is different for all of us. For you, by the sounds of it, is the traveling and decent wages. For me? I agree as well that I should be getting paid decent for what I do. I understand that for a career you start small and eventually work your way up to a better paying job... This isn't the case anymore for a large part of aviation (I say large because there are exceptional jobs such as yours out there which are wonderful). Seeing whats happening with Air Canada's new negotiations, Sunwing, Canjet, Sky Regional, and so many more is really making me think about changing careers.

Looking into the future I don't see my knowledge and experience as being valuable in aviation. I'd much rather have a regular job that is boring, pays well, and values me.

Thanks again for your time.