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Old 10th Sep 2021, 01:37
  #39 (permalink)  
Manny Calavera
 
Join Date: Mar 2016
Location: Sydney
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Petra,

I've been casually following your story back from your previous posts and I feel for your situation, having been in it myself three years ago. After finishing a CPL(H), spending what could have been a deposit for a house and being unable to find any real flying work after a year of making the rounds (and spending even more money to do it), reality begins to hit you hard. It's humiliating and bitterly disappointing. As much as we tell ourselves at the beginning that we are prepared to do whatever it takes for however long it takes to get that first job, at some point it becomes impossible to keep going unless you already have money to burn. Continuing to push on amid mounting debt, crappy jobs and near-zero paid flying prospects will eventually land you in a very bad place, both mentally and financially.

I agree with the majority of the responses here. You should put the dream on hold temporarily and find other work. Focus on paying off debt and hopefully build up some savings. The kind of loan repayments you have are not insignificant, and being unable to repay them could make it very hard for you to obtain credit in the future. By all means maintain your contacts in the flying world and keep an eye out for opportunities, but accept that it might still take a few years to get the flying job you want, if indeed you still want it at that point.

Obtaining a commercial pilot's licence is not easy. It involves a great deal of responsibility, a cool head, quick (potentially life-or-death) decision making and an ability to understand and follow a myriad of complex procedures, rules and regulations. With a bit of luck and some savvy job interview skills, you can leverage this proven ability to obtain a job that is perhaps more rewarding than working in a call centre. I was lucky enough to find a management position which I love, and have since reevaluated my career priorities. I accept that I will probably never make use of my expensive CPL. It was a hard pill to swallow, but ultimately I am much happier for it. Nevertheless, getting a pilot's licence was incredibly fun and rewarding and I do not regret it one bit.

It's true that there are now thousands of pilots out of work, fresh graduates and experienced captains alike. Many of them in situations just as unfortunate as yours or worse. I don't think you deserve the negativity you've been receiving on this forum, though. You are doing the right thing by asking for advice and it's clear you're prepared to put the work in and make big sacrifices. Your timing has been horrible I'll admit, but that's through no fault of your own. I do believe that eventually there will be a sharp increase in the demand for travel, and therefore pilots. For example: until Delta screwed us over, Jetstar was forecasting domestic travel to exceed pre-covid levels as early as December 2021. Whether we somehow get Covid under control or simply learn to live with it, the need for travel will return.

Keep being resilient, look after yourself and eventually good things will come. Best of luck to you.
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