Where do all these pilots come from?
Discussion
Chicken Chaser said:
I would love to do it. Its laying everything on the line for no guarantee which I can't afford.
And that is the crux of it. Sadly these days it's a troubled industry hell bent on low cost airline management feeding on the aspirational nature of the job.
I stated over 20yrs ago. The days when things were good. I did it because that's what I wanted to do. No 9-5 office with 1+ commute either side in traffic for me.
The money is good, but I sacrificed uni to get straight into it. Sometimes wish I hadn't but hey ho.
These days it's a ball ache to get up the ladder unless you can get 100k+ up front to get a chance of the big jets.
When I started, the guys I trained with came from all kinds of walks of life, none came from wealthy backgrounds/families. We just shared a common goal.
Some times I get fed up of another 4 am alarm, management always looking to cut costs somewhere else and a load of bulls
t that sometimes defies belief, however, even after all these years I still don't get bored of the views from the office. The people I fly with are generally all good and even though I'm too old, too happy with my current Mrs, some of the talent the younger lads are porking is just....
I was an airline pilot for 6 years following a few years of instructing. After being made redundant in the wake of 9/11 I decided on a change of direction and got in to restaurants (mixed results, the little restaurant did well, the big restaurant was a disaster 
).
After the restaurants I was faced with paying for a type rating in hope of getting a job, back to being an FO and probably relocating or doing something else. I did something else and became a train driver. 5 minute drive to work, great working conditions but probably a little worse than 2/3rds the money. I'm happy.
The industry is far removed from when I started flying 20+ years ago. It wasn't boring though
).After the restaurants I was faced with paying for a type rating in hope of getting a job, back to being an FO and probably relocating or doing something else. I did something else and became a train driver. 5 minute drive to work, great working conditions but probably a little worse than 2/3rds the money. I'm happy.
The industry is far removed from when I started flying 20+ years ago. It wasn't boring though
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