So I'm not sure if this is the right section of the forum to post this but pretty much if anyone has any tips or advice I would love to hear any of it. Also I'm curious about non flying jobs you can do with an aviation degree if I ever wanted kids in the future, and would like to hear from female pilots about their experience. How much time might I be away from home and family until I built up seniority? Would love to hear from anyone. Pretty much I'm just curious if this career is for me. I love travel but I'm not sure how I would feel about being away from future husband/kids a lot.
Student curious about aviation career
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ATC_av8er
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Not female, so take my opinion with a grain of salt. You sound like you are still young. Go out and do what YOU want while you still can. Don't worry too much about settling down with a husband and a kid. Things will happen when they happen. If you focus too much on one thing, you will miss everything else your life has to offer. If you want to become a flight attendant, apply with an airline and become one. It's not an easy job by any means. You will be working long hours on your feet most of the time, away from home for days at a time, and a very low starting salary. It can take years to build up any sort of seniority to get the ideal schedule. This applies to aviation jobs as a whole, pilot, FA, ATC, etc. However, most people in these jobs wouldn't trade it for anything. It makes your life a lot easier if you actually enjoy your job and going to work.
Seriously though, go out an explore different jobs in the field. Take a discovery flight to see if you want to go down that path. Chat with a flight attendant on your next flight. Take a tour of an ATC facility. Visit an MX hangar. See an airline dispatch center. The world is your oyster.
Seriously though, go out an explore different jobs in the field. Take a discovery flight to see if you want to go down that path. Chat with a flight attendant on your next flight. Take a tour of an ATC facility. Visit an MX hangar. See an airline dispatch center. The world is your oyster.
Sinistar
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Brad
If you don't mind a few questions:
How old are you?
How much education have you completed?
How much flight training have you completed?
If aviation wasn't for you, what education (degree) would interest you most?
Would your ideal aviation career be a pilot?
Is your reason to be in aviation for the travel?
Do you have any out of the ordinary medical conditions (might prevent you from flying)?
My wife has several thousand hours and could probably go back right now and be making some great money in the coming years. We've talked about it and she doesn't want to be gone from our daughter (10yrs old) that much.
I asked her how much she would be gone? Something like gone for 3-4 days and then off about the same. It would be like that for several years I think and then seniority would allow being more selective and getting better holidays off, etc. Active airline pilots here on the forum can tell you more.
One of her friends (has ATP) has twins and switched over to working for the FAA. I would think if your kids are high school age it could be a bit easier to be away.
The previous advice is spot on. You don't know when you'll meet your hubby, maybe you won't have kids. Heck the woman who just landed the single engine Southwest Flight flew off carriers and is a mom. Clearly she didn't let early thoughts of family keep her from doing what she wanted
Maybe you should visit a larger, active FBO and see what all careers are going on behind the scenes like the financial, training, maintenance and sales roles.
There still aren't that many women in aviation so get in there
How old are you?
How much education have you completed?
How much flight training have you completed?
If aviation wasn't for you, what education (degree) would interest you most?
Would your ideal aviation career be a pilot?
Is your reason to be in aviation for the travel?
Do you have any out of the ordinary medical conditions (might prevent you from flying)?
My wife has several thousand hours and could probably go back right now and be making some great money in the coming years. We've talked about it and she doesn't want to be gone from our daughter (10yrs old) that much.
I asked her how much she would be gone? Something like gone for 3-4 days and then off about the same. It would be like that for several years I think and then seniority would allow being more selective and getting better holidays off, etc. Active airline pilots here on the forum can tell you more.
One of her friends (has ATP) has twins and switched over to working for the FAA. I would think if your kids are high school age it could be a bit easier to be away.
The previous advice is spot on. You don't know when you'll meet your hubby, maybe you won't have kids. Heck the woman who just landed the single engine Southwest Flight flew off carriers and is a mom. Clearly she didn't let early thoughts of family keep her from doing what she wanted
Maybe you should visit a larger, active FBO and see what all careers are going on behind the scenes like the financial, training, maintenance and sales roles.
There still aren't that many women in aviation so get in there
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Aztec Flyer
What sinistar said.
One of my nieces decided she didn't want to be a pilot, so she went on to become an avionics and electronics technician in the Air Force. She keeps all those computers on the taxpayers airplanes running. And loves it.
She does have to travel a bit though. They are always doing joint exercises in different places and have crews that travel to support the planes during those.
There's Aviation management careers, from managing FBOs to airport management.
Plus, if you are inclined, there is a real shortage of pilots right now. Opportunities and advancement come faster than before, so it's a great time to think about that sort of career.
Good luck with your investigations!
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Ken Ibold
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Aviation is a thousand different careers. Tell is more about your interests ... and your aptitudes. What are you interested in and good at?
SkyDog58
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Canis Non Grata
I'll just say that at 16 you should not be making future career choices based on some hypothetical future husband and kids. Make the decisions based on you, your interests, and your own personal passions. You want to be a pilot? Do it.
James331
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Obviously not a female
But a aviation degree is worth a few cents more than the paper it's printed on. If you're going to go to college at well I'd do flight training and nursing or something similar, waaaay better ROI compared to basically a BS in BS.
Flight wise, depends on what facet of aviation you want to get into, there much more than just flying for a airline.
I fly medevac, home every night, one week on one week off, make enough to what I want to do.
Non "pilot" aviation jobs, the commercial drone market is quite interesting and expanding.
No there isn't, there is a shortage of pilot pay resulting in unfilled jobs at the regional and some other levels though
Also the washout rate even after all that training is notable, those first couple jobs are tuff not only to get, but also quality of life wise.
But a aviation degree is worth a few cents more than the paper it's printed on. If you're going to go to college at well I'd do flight training and nursing or something similar, waaaay better ROI compared to basically a BS in BS.
Flight wise, depends on what facet of aviation you want to get into, there much more than just flying for a airline.
I fly medevac, home every night, one week on one week off, make enough to what I want to do.
Non "pilot" aviation jobs, the commercial drone market is quite interesting and expanding.
No there isn't, there is a shortage of pilot pay resulting in unfilled jobs at the regional and some other levels though
Also the washout rate even after all that training is notable, those first couple jobs are tuff not only to get, but also quality of life wise.
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Aztec Flyer
Agree that pay is still a problem. But the competition for qualified pilots is starting to raise the pay. Won't solve the problem.
Can't produce pilots fast enough to fill the positions. Problem is compounded by the inability to keep instructors. We are 6 short in our FTU and just lost two more. One went directly to the right seat of an RJ, the other to a Q400.
This is the highest demand for young pilots I can recall since I started flying in 1974.
Or engineering...James, to assume only traditional female job such as nursing is unacceptable. Altho flight nurse or EMT could be interesting.
James331
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True, but most of it is pay, I know lots of folks who are qualified to fly 121 but still don't because they don't want the QOL downgrade of working at a regional
Huh?
I don't speak liberal very well, but I really don't care about her gender, nor will anyone else, quality employers included.
I mentioned getting a nursing degree because it pairs well with aviation and can provide a good QOL, unlike a standalone "aviation degree".
Engneering? can you get that degree and license in 2 years or less at a community college, while only paying community college level prices?
Also a flight nurse would be a good ways off from a greenhorn RN, also most working CFRNs make less than in the hospital.
EMTs aren't paid worth beans, good skill to have, heck I'm one as well, but I would not recommend going EMT unless you have some really inexpensive and basic tastes in life.
Clip4
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Airport, flight school, or FBO management.
N918KT
Line Up and Wait
I work in airport operations at a major international airport. It's one of the types of careers in the larger realm of airport management. I can give you more information about it if you are interested.
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Ken Ibold
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Lots of cool jobs at/for airports. I do airport planning and other airport consulting for a major consulting engineering firm. Work is ever changing and pay is reasonably solid. We hire entry level planners (masters degree) at 60k or so, depending on the part of the country.
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A female commercial/instrument student got her degree in computer science and is now an air traffic controller. Your gender should not have a deleterious effect on your career plans. ASA's female general manager got an aviation degree and now runs a major aviation supply firm. There are many career paths....don't limit yourself.
Bob
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Checkout_my_Six
Touchdown! Greaser!
from an old bald fat guy.....young hot females do climb the gummint ladder quickly. Trust me on that...and young or hot is not a necessity, but it helps.
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Best I can give is husband of a female pilot perspective:
If you want to fly, fly. Have fun doing it. Go with the flow as long as it takes you there. It helps if you have a husband that also at least enjoys the lifestyle (like me!).
Different aviation career paths made life interesting in the beginning for us, we spent more time apart than together the first seven years of marriage. Eventually, we got to live together full time. Then, we could see my wife's furlough coming down the line, so that was a grand opportunity to have our first child. She got recalled after two years, and it was tough for her to leave home every week. Then we decided it was time for another child, and that worked well, vacation and sick time allowed about six months off for that. But remember, seniority is for the specific seat you hold, not just total time in the company. So when she first went back to work, she was senior in her seat and could set a schedule that was family friendly. But then she was forced to upgrade her position, and lost seniority, and that really sucked. She almost quit (I found out years later), but instead I gave up my flying job, and became Mr. Mom. We moved to a pilot base where she could have a more family friendly schedule, and life was good.
Here we are way down the line, kids are gone, she makes good money to pay for our (okay, my) little airplane addiction, and she is senior enough in her current seat that I can massage her schedule to do just about anything we want, when we want (I learned long ago it benefited everyone if I knew how to optimize her schedule). Her biggest complaint is that she can't both travel and volunteer enough when she is not flying. Not bad decisions to have to make.
Always have a viable backup option that works for finances of the family, you never know when your attitude or the fickle fortunes of the airline industry will change everything.
Hope that helps.
If you want to fly, fly. Have fun doing it. Go with the flow as long as it takes you there. It helps if you have a husband that also at least enjoys the lifestyle (like me!).
Different aviation career paths made life interesting in the beginning for us, we spent more time apart than together the first seven years of marriage. Eventually, we got to live together full time. Then, we could see my wife's furlough coming down the line, so that was a grand opportunity to have our first child. She got recalled after two years, and it was tough for her to leave home every week. Then we decided it was time for another child, and that worked well, vacation and sick time allowed about six months off for that. But remember, seniority is for the specific seat you hold, not just total time in the company. So when she first went back to work, she was senior in her seat and could set a schedule that was family friendly. But then she was forced to upgrade her position, and lost seniority, and that really sucked. She almost quit (I found out years later), but instead I gave up my flying job, and became Mr. Mom. We moved to a pilot base where she could have a more family friendly schedule, and life was good.
Here we are way down the line, kids are gone, she makes good money to pay for our (okay, my) little airplane addiction, and she is senior enough in her current seat that I can massage her schedule to do just about anything we want, when we want (I learned long ago it benefited everyone if I knew how to optimize her schedule). Her biggest complaint is that she can't both travel and volunteer enough when she is not flying. Not bad decisions to have to make.
Always have a viable backup option that works for finances of the family, you never know when your attitude or the fickle fortunes of the airline industry will change everything.
Hope that helps.
As they say, the sky's the limit. Best advice is talk to people who are working in the industry. As you learn more your questions will change---for the better or worse. I take it from your initial questions that you want to be a pilot? If so, look for a local flight school who offer "flight experience" flights to see if flying is your thing. It may cost a buck or so to go up but it is the quickest way to see if you like it by doing it.
If piloting is your calling but you still want options as you mentioned then look at commercial drone pilots. You can work both sides the equation at the same time.
Other avenues: every local airport has someone you can ask questions to. Look for "Airport Appreciation Days" at local airports. Airshows. Go to a large airport and ask ticket counter people if they can hook you up with flight personal.
Good luck!
denverpilot
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Time to pay the instructors more. That’d be the fix for that.
Never happens though.
It is happening at our FTU.
But instructors have always made slave labor wages, so now it's slave labor + $1.00.
I don't know to what degree flight schools can pass on their increased costs without losing students.
At ours we have a number of other things going on. We have a taildragger that has kept two of the instructors around longer because they like teaching in it, and a couple more coming up are doing the same. So trying to find creative incentives, while we train more. Also got a few retired alumnus grey hairs back teaching part time - @mscard88 will identify with that.
Gee, it's always hard to give advice, when the world is such a vast place, with so many possibilities! Youth is for exploration! (I'm jealous!)
One difficult thing about being a female in aviation is that you're less likely to find role models that "look like you". There just aren't as many female pilots (and flight instructors, etc.) out there. Don't let this discourage you; remember that great role models come in all genders, races, shapes and sizes. Even old white guys are worth learning from!
Don't worry about crossing the marriage-and-family bridge until you get to it. People are all different, life situations are constantly changing, and people (both you, *and* some hypothetical future partner, and even kids themselves) are surprisingly adaptable when faced with something that they really care about.
And yeah, there are lots of "not away from home all the time" aviation careers. Air Traffic Control. Flight instruction. The list is endless. Then again, travel can be awesome too. People are all different. Figuring it all out is part of the fun...
-- Female with a STEM "day job", been flying for fun for >10yrs, currently training to be a CFI, married to a fellow pilot, but no kids.
One difficult thing about being a female in aviation is that you're less likely to find role models that "look like you". There just aren't as many female pilots (and flight instructors, etc.) out there. Don't let this discourage you; remember that great role models come in all genders, races, shapes and sizes. Even old white guys are worth learning from!
Don't worry about crossing the marriage-and-family bridge until you get to it. People are all different, life situations are constantly changing, and people (both you, *and* some hypothetical future partner, and even kids themselves) are surprisingly adaptable when faced with something that they really care about.
And yeah, there are lots of "not away from home all the time" aviation careers. Air Traffic Control. Flight instruction. The list is endless. Then again, travel can be awesome too. People are all different. Figuring it all out is part of the fun...
-- Female with a STEM "day job", been flying for fun for >10yrs, currently training to be a CFI, married to a fellow pilot, but no kids.
Checkout_my_Six
Touchdown! Greaser!
Gee.....that was inspiring....and refreshing.Even old white guys are worth learning from!
FlySince9
En-Route
oh, you didn't go there...
