Life As A Pilot

[Joe Bob]

Where does Normy fit in?

[GH85Carrera]

I live in OKC, but I don't work for FAA. The man that founded this company worked at the CAA before it became the FAA. He has a three digit employee number.

My dad was an Air Force pilot & I work with two pilots. I know a lot of pilots. I am not a pilot myself. But I know their "type"

[Joeaksa]

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.

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!

[Joeaksa]

Originally Posted by kanadary

at least you have this under your belt.
Meet sexy Danish model on International trip.
that doesn't happen to most guys.

If you really want sexy women, go to Russia or the former Soviet Union. The Ukraine is my choice or even the Balkans. Simply put, many of the ladies there are "drop dead gorgeus" and very nice to boot.

[rattlsnak]

Most of that is dead on with the previous generation. Now, you know ahead of time, that the days of "Catch me if you can" (leo dicaprio movie) are long gone. There are times when I wish I had a normal 9-5 job, but I really cant see myself doing anything else. There is a major difference in quality of life depending on your seniority level and type of operation. (121, 135, 91, etc). I get much better schedules and pay at a fractional then I did at the airlines, but I also do not feel as secure here as I was there. But hey, working 14 days a month isnt bad, and if you count vacation, I only really work less than 5 months a year!!
That being said, it is very sad and disapointing sometimes as I do tend to miss a lot of my kid's events as they always seem to fall on my work weeks. You just have to make the best of your time when youre home.

[t6dpilot]

I very seriously considered taking the airline route some years ago when I was in career "transition." I have a good friend with fairly high seniority in AA who knows a check pilot at Sky West. He could have easily gotten me through the door for an interview - the rest would have been up to me, of course. I really considered this hard as I love to fly, but I came to my senses thankfully. Crap pay and crap schedules did not appeal whatsoever. I would literally have to pay them to hire me. No thanks. I'll just stick with the corporate game and work hard to afford to play with airplanes.

I know a lot of airline pilots both active and retired. The game has changed...