Good jobs still exist in 2020
Hi everyone! I came here to share my story and to boost the spirit of everyone that think aviation is dead.
I'm from Portugal, the lovely country with excellent weather and nice beaches, cheap meals and chilled out people. I finished my pilot course in the end of 2016 with 150 hours and there were no jobs for such low timers except Ryanair. I applied for it and went to the interview. (Un)fortunately I didn't pass. I was pissed, but luckily I had a job offer in the middle east with trucks that payed my bills for one year. After that, in the middle of 2017, there was a rumour that TAP Portugal could open a position for pilots with 200 TT. I came back to Portugal and tried to do as much as I could. Unfortunately money wasn't coming from the sky and I only managed to make 190TT when TAP opened. Luckily, a few months later, they didn't ask for minimuns and I applied. I got in!!! I started in Fabruary of 2018 and did the A320 type rating with them. The company was a mess and the instruction was even worse. Me and my colleagues waited weeks to do the base flight, another 3 weeks to do the first flight, and so on with a lot of cancelled flights at the last time. I was completely dead by July and failed 2 line training flights. They said goodbye to me in October and I sailed to fly private jets in Cascais. Did the type for the C525 (Citation) and started in January of 2019. Salary was just 1500 plus per diem, which were 2100/2200. I wanted to keep my A320 rate valid so I did it in Spain and a friend told me to put my CV in some websites, like aeroprofessional. I did it after having the rate valid in my license and after a few days a guy called me saying that there was an offer to fly the C525 for 4000 a month with a private owner. It seemed to be too good to be truth, but I said yes and went to the interview with the owner and then the aircraft manager. I got the job!!! Started in September and damn, it was like the guy told me. 1 flight every 3 days, flights home every stop of 3 days or more, 4000, lunches and dinners with the owner and almost no money spent. Then covid came and I thought I was going to be fired. The aircraft was stopped and no light in the horizon. Then my boss, the owner, came to me and said ot not worry because the salary wouldn't be cut and the job was secured. I spent from March till today, in his house, everything payed, food on the table, clothes washed, bed made every day, pool, playing with the dogs and I go very often on his boat around Malta with him and his associates. Tomorrow, July 16th I will fly again. This is the proof that still are really good jobs and to the ones that are trying to find and feel down, don't give up. If I wasn't fired from TAP I wouldn't be here enjoying my good life. Don't give up guys! Covid is just a phase and everything will recover! Cheers