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RV-3Bravo

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for a little while at least. I just put in my application for ATP's Professional Pilot Program! After the many urges by family and friends(thanks Matt!), I have finally started the process of my dream job! I will still be building the -3 since I have pieces to work on, but it will be slowed quite a bit. What a great day! :D:D
 
Cool deal, Stephen... congrats!

Which program did you choose? Private through Instrument Commercial Multi-Engine?
 
I am starting off from zero to a CFII. I started a couple years ago with a 152 in California and had a few lessons with no solo. So, I figured I would have an upper hand when I start from zero.
 
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Well, thank me when you are on your 5th day of reserve in Newark and Crew Scheduling rolls your day off!!

Being an Airline Pilot these days may not be the career is once was, but I still love it. Don't let people discourage you with negativity. Educate your self as much as possible when it comes to different airlines and work rules.

If you need any help, you know how to reach me.

-Matt
 
I don't want to rain on your parade. However 33 years flying and doing it for a living my entire adult life I have to say, reconsider. I still like flying very much but a pilot career simply make zero economic sense going forward. People often assume the career is cyclical, and it is. The problem is over time the sum of all losses will exceed the sum of all gains. By the time you get to the finish line you will be very disappointed.

http://forums.jetcareers.com/general-topics/53768-expectations-how-save-5-airline-ticket.html
 
asav8tor said:
I don't want to rain on your parade. However 33 years flying and doing it for a living my entire adult life I have to say, reconsider. I still like flying very much but a pilot career simply make zero economic sense going forward. People often assume the career is cyclical, and it is. The problem is over time the sum of all losses will exceed the sum of all gains. By the time you get to the finish line you will be very disappointed.

http://forums.jetcareers.com/general-topics/53768-expectations-how-save-5-airline-ticket.html
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I have to disagree. While I may have not been in the airlines 33yrs (It's been 11) I have been around long enough to see some of the downsides to this industry.

To say someone will be very disappointed, in my mind only reflects the outcome of your career. I have had the benifit of being on both sides of the coin. Sitting at a desk wishing I was being paid to fly, and commuting in the day before a 6am show time. I'll take the airline job.

I am all for future Airline Pilots educating them selves for what lays ahead, and not entering with rose colored glasses. But this career really can be one of the most rewarding jobs there is.
 
msturgis said:
I have to disagree. While I may have not been in the airlines 33yrs (It's been 11) I have been around long enough to see some of the downsides to this industry.

To say someone will be very disappointed, in my mind only reflects the outcome of your career.
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I was quite upbeat and looking at a glass half full for the first 25 years. It took that long for me to finally figure out what I had been told but ignored when I was only 18. I get it now. At the 11 year point I would have written exactly what you wrote. Not now. I'll check back with you in 22 more years.

It is in your mind only, many, many are very disappointed.
:cool:
 
asav8tor said:
I was quite upbeat and looking at a glass half full for the first 25 years. It took that long for me to finally figure out what I had been told but ignored when I was only 18. I get it now. At the 11 year point I would have written exactly what you wrote. Not now. I'll check back with you in 22 more years.

It is in your mind only, many, many are very disappointed.
:cool:
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While I read the info you provided, it still won't deter me from my dream. Money isn't the issue to me, it's the thrill of traveling and not doing the job I have now. If you want, we can trade jobs for a day! I'm sure you'll want your airline job back... ;)
 
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asav8tor said:
I was quite upbeat and looking at a glass half full for the first 25 years. It took that long for me to finally figure out what I had been told but ignored when I was only 18. I get it now. At the 11 year point I would have written exactly what you wrote. Not now. I'll check back with you in 22 more years.

It is in your mind only, many, many are very disappointed.
:cool:
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I agree that many are disappointed, but so are many many other people in many many other careers.

My issue is saying that since Stephen wants to become a pilot, he will automaticly be disappointed.

But I digress, obviously VAF is not the place to argue over airline careers, there are plenty of fourms out there for that.

Like many people say.... Build the plane you want... Not what others want you to build.
 
Don't listen to the naysayers, Stephen..

If its your dream and your passion, then do it. #**@ing on someone elses dream is a good way to get @$$@@ all over yourself.

Go for it and get it done! Then lets go flying!
 
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Asav8tor,

Man, that was one depressing read! I'm afraid I don't really get the point though. Is it simply that airline pilots don't make as much money as you think they should? Heck, pretty much everybody I've ever known complains about not getting paid enough. At least a professional pilot gets to fly airplanes all day. I guarantee that forklift driver at the dump never once had a dream about forklifts.

That being said, I would advise Stephen to THOROUGHLY research the profession before committing to it. I meet a lot of young people who are convinced that only movie stars can afford airplanes and that the only way to get to fly is to make it your job (either civilian or military). This website is a terrific illustration of how untrue that belief is. Sure we've got some doctors and lawyers, but we've also got teachers, machinists, cops, welders, strippers -- ok, I made that one up -- but you get the idea. $50,000 for an airplane seems like millionaire stuff to a kid working at Starbucks, but the truth is that it's actually no more than a couple of Toyotas.
 
Ive passed on several careers because the experienced people I sought out for advice pooh poohed the idea for one reason or another. And in retrospect I should have gone for it because the cycles turned around or the focus of their negetivity turned out to be minor.

Do what will make you happy while doing it and whatever rewards there are financially will be adequate. Pick a career for the financial rewards and you'll hate it every day but payday.
 
Everyone here has an interest in flying and or building. Everyone here has the insight to recognize the RV line as the best effort ever in the light experimental market. I will be the first to say flying for your job is an excellent way to spend the workday. But at the end of the day, the cold hard reality is some careers just don't make economic sense. The commercial pilot career is one of them. To tell someone to "go for it" just because it's their dream without a rational understanding of where you are sending them is quite a disservice.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RayMaswju1A

I'm not really interested in wasting any more RV bandwidth on this so this will be my last post on this thread. :cool:
 
You're a very unhappy person, Mike..

...With a career most would give an arm and a leg for.

In my Ag industry there are also naysayers like you but guess what. At the end of the day, I count my many blessings and see men come through my door with chemicals entrusted to me and and looking to me to save their crops.

How many of us have the opportunity to look at God's beautiful earth and count our blessings as we fly? This is my 39th Ag season and I still relish the ability to call my own shots and am ever so grateful for being in this, The Land of Opportunity that my Dad brought us to.

We need to encourage the younger generation and teach them to see the glass as half full instead. Yes, my muscles are sore at the end of an 8 hour flying day and my nerves need a break, but hey, I'm doing what I set out to do, 42 years ago.

My.02c
 
grantcarruthers said:
Do what will make you happy while doing it and whatever rewards there are financially will be adequate. Pick a career for the financial rewards and you'll hate it every day but payday.
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Words to live by. I believe this statement with all my "punch the clock" working stiff heart.

Best of luck on your career choice.
 
Careful what you say.

To tell someone to "go for it" just because it's their dream without a rational understanding of where you are sending them is quite a disservice.
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To tell someone "It is in your mind only, many, many are very disappointed" without a rational understanding of where someone is coming from is sending them quite a disservice.

You have no clue what the circumstances are you're dealing with. None.

I don't know why you would think that ****ing on someone who is working to make a life changing professional career decision is offering anything beneficial to them.

If you hate your job that much, then thats a problem that exist "in your mind only". That's your own problem and you get to deal with it.

If it's so bad, just quit and go do something that makes you enjoy your life more. If you picked a career that you wasn't right for you, then you should probably look in the mirror and see who's to blame. But one man's bad career decision doesn't make another man's bad career.

Before you start trying to offer beneficial advice, you should really step away from the keyboard for 5 minutes and think about what you're getting ready to say.
 
grantcarruthers said:
Ive passed on several careers because the experienced people I sought out for advice pooh poohed the idea for one reason or another. And in retrospect I should have gone for it because the cycles turned around or the focus of their negetivity turned out to be minor.

Do what will make you happy while doing it and whatever rewards there are financially will be adequate. Pick a career for the financial rewards and you'll hate it every day but payday.
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I agree completely. Right now I fall in the financial rewards area, but as soon as my wife gets out of grad school and I no longer have to work for bills and grad school tuition :eek:, I plan on fixing it with a lower paying, less stressful, more enjoyable job.
 
I think we should just congratulate him, wish him luck, and close this thread. Its veered off the RV related subject and becoming an argument.

To the OP, good luck man. I wish I could follow your footsteps but life took me a different direction. I know a few regional airline pilots that are very happy with their choice. The COST of doing what you LOVE is sometimes great... but the PAY can be life-long. Blue skies.

-Daniel
 
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