Quote:
Originally Posted by Embraer
the military part is the smartest thing they can do. ...and stay in. do the active time, and then go Guard or Reserve. Fly for Purple or Brown, or get a corporate job. Skip scheduled passenger service.
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Thats good intel. I should have stayed in and would be double dipping now. I did airline (twice) and the airline world that our Fathers could have done is gone, never to return. These days a new hire copilot makes $19-22k a year, thus living in a crash pad with 3-4 others (or back at home with the parents) and it does not improve until you can hold a line and the 5 year time period.
Then went with McDonnell Douglas on an overseas military contract and did very well but living and working in Saudi Arabia was the pits. Did medivac for 14 years and loved it but the calls at 22:00 "we have another transplant mission" that kept you awake until 04:00 the next day got tiring, especially in the winter.
Now do corporate and while its ok, its up and down in that if the company has a difficult year the plane may go. Got laid off in 2005 when the company was sold and the new owner did not want a jet, so went back overseas again working for the factory and delivering new planes around the world. Then eight months ago the old owner of the company called and said he was tired of being retired (at age 46) and did I want to do it all over again.
Now heading up his flight department again and just returned from NBAA where we were looking at new aircraft to buy. The jet we are flying now is very nice but he wants "longer legs" (to do Europe or Pac Rim again) so its time to go bigger.
I could care how big the bird is, but want the good schedule (we fly about 7-8 days a month, off the rest) and salary/benefits package. Am looking at retiring in 4-5 years and spending the time restoring antique airplanes and cars.
Still, am paid very well to do something I love and would do for a lot less if needed. Nothing like flying... and its even better if its in a really fast jet or taildragger!