Can I be an airline pilot?

there is a pilot shortage....so there are lots of opportunities to make money. :yes:
 
oregonboy109 said:
When I was visiting UND they were pretty straight with us and said that the industry is unpredictable and what is happening now might not be in 5 or 10 years. I had done research and went in expecting to hear the hype your talking about, I had heard it at WMU and Purdue, but was surprised that UND didn't really pull any of that. Of course they do talk and brag about their program and all that but made sure we had no flase illusions about the industry and it's future.
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About time some of them started to, good on them.
 
Greg Bockelman said:
There is one hell of a bias against airline pilots on these boards. I wonder why that is.
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Yeah, I've gotten used to it on this board. That's one of the best things about getting older - I give less and less of a crap about what other people think. Does my job provide me a comfortable living and good QOL for both me and my family? Yes it does. So call me a bus driver, a blue collar worker, overpaid button pusher - doesn't matter. I actually *do* this job for a living - I know better.
 
jordane93 said:
Maybe envy? It's very strange. I can't see myself doing anything other than being an airline pilot.
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Yeah, I think you'll love it. Nothing you've posted on this board has led me to believe that the industry negatives will eventually outweigh the positives for you.

Now someone that's already decided he doesn't like flying (like the OP)? Yeah, I can't imagine he'll last very long in this industry, and I'd recommend he stay away.
 
kayoh190 said:
Yeah, I've gotten used to it on this board. That's one of the best things about getting older - I give less and less of a crap about what other people think. Does my job provide me a comfortable living and good QOL for both me and my family? Yes it does. So call me a bus driver, a blue collar worker, overpaid button pusher - doesn't matter. I actually *do* this job for a living - I know better.
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I'm one of those arrogant jet pilots who cut people off in the pattern and don't talk to the little guys at the FBOs...
 
kayoh190 said:
Yeah, I've gotten used to it on this board. That's one of the best things about getting older - I give less and less of a crap about what other people think. Does my job provide me a comfortable living and good QOL for both me and my family? Yes it does. So call me a bus driver, a blue collar worker, overpaid button pusher - doesn't matter. I actually *do* this job for a living - I know better.
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what do you fly?

....how long did it take to get there?

....when did your wife quit her job and you began supporting the family?:dunno:
 
Mason said:
The road is long and arduous, the path difficult and expensive, the payoff tenuous and not guaranteed. Someone with less than full commitment, enthusiasm and desire has little chance of success. IMHO.
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Exactly, there is only one reason to go after the job and that is you love flying. Otherwise there are better deals out there.
 
Mason said:
The road is long and arduous, the path difficult and expensive, the payoff tenuous and not guaranteed. Someone with less than full commitment, enthusiasm and desire has little chance of success. IMHO.
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Exactly, there is only one reason to go after the job and that is you love flying, if a school tries to sell you on something else, it's not honest. Otherwise there are better deals out there to make a living with higher pay and sooner, greater forward stability since every job change isn't one to the bottom of the seniority list, and better quality of life for a family person. Not to mention many of the university programs end up costing as much as an MD or JD.
 
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Checkout_my_Six said:
what do you fly?

....how long did it take to get there?

....when did your wife quit her job and you began supporting the family?:dunno:
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Not sure if this post is meant to be trolling me or what - especially given my recent circumstances. If you really want to know the answers to these questions (and I suspect you don't), feel free to PM me.
 
Greg Bockelman said:
There is one hell of a bias against airline pilots on these boards. I wonder why that is.
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Those of us who respect airline pilots and respect the profession may not speak up as often as we should.
 
kayoh190 said:
Not sure if this post is meant to be trolling me or what - especially given my recent circumstances. If you really want to know the answers to these questions (and I suspect you don't), feel free to PM me.
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Thank you for your service.....:rolleyes2:
 
SkyDog58 said:
I'm okay with you thinking that way because I actually think you are an idiot. Anyone who is throwing a ton of money at an endeavor that they have no real interest in is a fool. Unless, it isn't a ton of money for you as you are a spoiled rich kid spending daddy's money and looking for something to do in life that doesn't require much physical effort. But if it is your own money that you had to work for or a loan you will need to pay back then throwing it at something you do not really want to do is pretty stupid.
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You're still a disgrace to yourself and your family that you probably don't have , you don't know who I am, you don't know what I've done, you're just sitting on online forums ****ing people off because you still live in ur mummy's basement...... How's working the drive thru been going?
 
kayoh190 said:
Yeah, I think you'll love it. Nothing you've posted on this board has led me to believe that the industry negatives will eventually outweigh the positives for you.

Now someone that's already decided he doesn't like flying (like the OP)? Yeah, I can't imagine he'll last very long in this industry, and I'd recommend he stay away.
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Yep! It will be tough in the beginning but it will be worth it. I've been a CFI since April and have 1200 hours (started with 280). I get to the school earlier than anyone else and stay later than anyone else.
 
Not to worry - you won't have to fly that much if you get an airline job - most of the time you're monitoring, vice flying.

But me'thinks U B a troll . . .or twelve, or something. I could be wrong. . .
 
In general, you should not get into a job you don't enjoy at the beginning. The reality is that over time, there is a good chance you won't be enjoying it forever. So the second rule, is get into a job that pays decent money. If you hate your job but it is making you some decent money, that's one thing. To hate your job and not enjoying the money... well then you're an idiot and you made a bad choice back when you did.
 
Having worked as an airline mechanic, maintenance supervisor and maintenance controller for a large portion of my life, I have dealt with a large number of airline pilots. The best ones and the easiest to deal with are the ones who appear to love to fly and who have the right outlook on their job. These are also the ones that appear to be the most competent.

The ones who did not enjoy flying were the ones who repeatedly found reasons not to take the airplane. They also seemed to be the least knowledgeable and competent as most times issues that they thought were grounding items were easily fixed or easily deferred. They were just being stupid jerks.

Fortunately the vast majority of airline pilots in my experience fall into the first category above. My favorites of course are the ones who are willing to shoot the breeze about flying with the "lowly maintenance guy". Just last week talking with a 747 captain, the subject of my seaplane rating came up and he would not stop asking questions about it and saying how that was something he has always wanted to do.

Bottom line is that as with any occupation; you gotta love what you do regardless at what level you do it.
 
SkyDog58 said:
My favorites of course are the ones who are willing to shoot the breeze about flying with the "lowly maintenance guy".
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That kind of classist BS p!sses me off. Sometimes we're motivated by a different set of pressures, but at the end of the day we work together for the same end result. One of our MX guys owns a Tiger (or Cheetah?), and we keep talking about flying together at some point. I just saw him earlier in the week, and he was talking smack about teaching me how to fly 'a real airplane'. Hey, bring it on! :D
 
SkyDog58 said:
My favorites of course are the ones who are willing to shoot the breeze about flying with the "lowly maintenance guy". Just last week talking with a 747 captain, the subject of my seaplane rating came up and he would not stop asking questions about it and saying how that was something he has always wanted to do.
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We actually had quite a number of A&Ps who were also Capts/FOs at the Regional I flew at. Always had (and still do) respect for mechanics and feel they should be paid a lot more than they are. Many of the pilots who were also A&Ps resided at the numerous fly-in communities near the 'big' aerodrome. :)
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I would love to be an airline pilot. Not sure why people bash them here. I could understand it if airline pilots were always complaining about their jobs, saying they hate it, etc. Instead, the airline guys around here seem to love their jobs. I guess some people aren't happy until everyone is unhappy.
 
Lachlan said:
I would love to be an airline pilot. Not sure why people bash them here.
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I'm not sure there is really that much bashing going on here, but when certain people decry, "how dare you argue with me about any flying subject...I am a 20K hour ATP!", the unwarranted arrogance is rather off-putting. Not to paint with a broad brush, but this attitude is not uncommon among airline pilots.

I made the analogy of the absurdity of the Greyhound bus driver claiming mighty authority on the subject of basic car control skills. I know lots of airline drivers also fly small GA airplanes, but seriously - how does sitting in an airliner seat give one such higher authority on the subject of aircraft control basics? I thought the bus driver analogy was rather apt, but was simply called childish for mentioning it. Forget that bus drivers spend much more time actually manipulating the controls. ;)

I understand that airline flying would give significant perspective on limited aspects of flying that most GA pilots wouldn't approach, but some airline pilots could stand to take an honest look at what their airline flying experience really means in the context of comprehensive flying experience AND skill.

I remember a "high time" airline pilot on another forum claiming that lots of time sitting in the seat makes one "very comfortable in the cockpit". This was on the subject of self-taught aerobatics in an experimental aircraft. I guess airline flying prepares one for that. ;) The same individual also argued up and down that based on his vast experience of having 200 landings under his belt with his experimental taildragger, that simultaneously landing on one main wheel and the tailwheel in a x-wind is a "recipe for a rodeo ride". When it was pointed out that this is actually the textbook way to do a '3-pointer' in a x-wind, he got huffy and stated that this reminded him of why he dislikes participation in online forums. But I digress...
 
Greg Bockelman said:
I try not to be like that.
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Yeah, neither do I. I certainly don't feel like my airline stuff has any bearing on the GA side. It just pays for it, that's about it.

Different skillset, different rules (for the most part), different just about everything.
 
kayoh190 said:
Yeah, neither do I. I certainly don't feel like my airline stuff has any bearing on the GA side. It just pays for it, that's about it.

Different skillset, different rules (for the most part), different just about everything.
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yup....different skillset. :rofl:
 
Lachlan said:
Are you suggesting it's the same skillset? Flying a tired out 172 is the same as flying a 737? Cool- sign me up! I'm a student airline pilot now! Same skillset. Or am I misunderstanding your :rofl:?
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I think what he means is that if you have flown a 737 for years without touching a 172 or any other small airplane, then try to fly one, it might be safe but it won't be pretty.
 
Everskyward said:
I think what he means is that if you have flown a 737 for years without touching a 172 or any other small airplane, then try to fly one, it might be safe but it won't be pretty.
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Years ago I went away from GA for about two years, then got back into a 152 with a buddy of mine. Just like you said, it was probably (reasonably?) safe, but definitely not pretty!
 
kayoh190 said:
Years ago I went away from GA for about two years, then got back into a 152 with a buddy of mine. Just like you said, it was probably (reasonably?) safe, but definitely not pretty!
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I've had the same experience, and I don't fly anything close to as large as a 737.
 
Everskyward said:
I think what he means is that if you have flown a 737 for years without touching a 172 or any other small airplane, then try to fly one, it might be safe but it won't be pretty.
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Oh, I get it now. I know a retired United captain who can't even taxi a 172 straight. I know another captain from a major who flies a RV-8 and says he's a terrible pilot when he's in it.
 
I never saw the problem with the bus driver analogy, and I've driven a bus. It's accurate, it's the same job as I do as captain on a boat as well. I manage a piece of equipment and it's energy to safely transport people or cargo to a destination for money. Anything that one might consider it beyond that is just unnecessary, unproductive, egotistical fantasy that in the end serves against a pilot's best financial interests by perpetuating a glut market of pilots competing for less jobs than pilots available, driving down market leverage. Day one at Greyhound and you're making 3-4 times the day one at Mesa or whatever regional, because bus drivers are honest about what their job is.
 
Lachlan said:
Oh, I get it now. I know a retired United captain who can't even taxi a 172 straight.
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That sounds right. ;) That's the biggest change for me too - the control pressures on the pedals are night and day (especially with Cessnas), so when I've been away for a little while, there's a tendency to use way too much rudder (especially on takeoff). Pitch and roll seem to be an easier transition, but I think that might have to do with my arms/hands being better at adapting back to smaller movements than my legs.
 
Henning said:
I never saw the problem with the bus driver analogy, and I've driven a bus.
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Sheesh, we've moved on. I know you like to post just to hear yourself 'talk', but we've already been through this.
 
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