So true for many regional pilots....

[HAL Pilot]

 

[webmaster]

Time hack on A4s response: "you damn guys do it to yourselves, working for sh!t wages..."

On a serious note, really haven't said in any other forum posts, but I appreciate the "education" and enlightenment that all of you provide about commercial aviation. I still consider myself clueless with regards to it, but I have definitely learned alot reading the posts, the news articles, and the references you take the time to post. Hal, A4s and Wink, domo arigato!!!

John

 

[FrankTheTank]

It's all about the #'s and networking!!! Get the PIC and network!!!

 

[onedge]

Not one person from my graduating class, pilot or otherwise (and there were A LOT of pilots) are doing anything more than flight instructing or working more or less dead end jobs. All things considered, I'd take job with a salary. period ended.

 

[mo7stanley]

That is true. While I didn't spend a load on flight school it is priceless to get paid to fly. I still remember the first time I got paid to fly, (a couple months ago) it was priceless. By the way, there are plenty of ways to get through all your flight ratings without spending the kind of money talked about. The best way is to not go through a college to get the tickets.

I have my CFI and CFII and I am under 20,000 and it is all paid for. Finally, it should only take about another 6-7 grand to get my multi engine ratings including MEI.

 

[nugget81]

The best way is to not go through a college to get the tickets.

Be careful with your generalizations. That statement may be true for you, but using the collegiate educational system to get flight ratings may have been the only option for some people. Smiles in effect....

BTW, we all know what really makes airplanes fly -- money!

 

[A4sForever]

Time hack on A4s response: "you damn guys do it to yourselves, working for sh!t wages..."

Uhhhhhhh ... please, boys ..... the "BEST" way is to go through ... ??? The BEST way is to fly in the military and then get your ratings.

Time tested and proven. And at t the end of THAT "flight" ... you have no debt, some credibility, lots of experience, maybe an ex-wife or two, and many, many sea stories.

 

[A4sForever]

Only if you don't suck. The Military will only throw so much money at you. I had students that just should NOT have been pilots. Period....

Agreed ... you are entirely correct. And that's why the airlines had ME ... i.e., to get rid of the guys you describe in airline civie street .... even though Daddy or the bank had long ago bought their tickets.

 

[mules83]

Only if you don't suck. The Military will only throw so much money at you. I had students that just should NOT have been pilots. Period. Bust as long as they ponied up the cash, I had to keep teaching. Talk about frustration.

I’m currently instructing a kid at a local glider field who needs a lot of work. That’s not the problem....the problem is the dad is a personal injury lawyer(!!) and very active with his son flying. His son is taking longer then usual to solo and the dad is really pushing me to kick myself out. I can just see it now if something goes wrong....I'll be lucky if I still have two testicles left in my name.

And I also instruct a guy who is 84....and he flies great.

 

[plc67]

Back in my CFI days I've had to tell some students flying wasn't their game. They didn't all listen but they all got a new instructor.
I did have one student who I took through his Private and he pranged an airplane buzzing several years after I'd flown with him and the feds contacted me about him and they were more than a little curious about his training. It was pretty clear that if there was a problem there wasn't a statute of limitations.

 

[puck_11]

I had students that just should NOT have been pilots. Period. Bust as long as they ponied up the cash, I had to keep teaching. Talk about frustration.

Thats the worst part about being a CFI, working with those and the unmotivated.

Back to the original part of the thread, most of my classmates are flying CRJs and turboprops starting at 22k a year! I made more in college of off BDCP then they're making now. The worst part about it is, they're based in cities with high costs of living, ie Seattle, Virginia Beach. They say they're barely making ends meet and have no money to do anything. If you want to hear more about the glorious civilian regional pilot life, read any of the forums at www.flightinfo.com

 

[MasterBates]

You have to pay $10 just to read the forum