Originally Posted by
VariablePitchP
Really? Ts&Cs are doing well across the board because of the pilot supply becoming more restricted. Whilst there’s still a long way to go to an actual ‘shortage’, it seems a great time.
Pop out of flight school, join easyJet at 20 and we’re looking at the right side of 150K as a captain by 25/26. It’s easy to say every job in industry makes this sort of money but they just don’t. .!
The bit that's missing is be 75\50 % of that by 30 and certainly 50% by 50.
Sure salary's are great but you burn out by your early 30s or do long term health damage. 5x4am wake ups or 2am bedtimes with multiple 12hr days on minimum rest is just not sustainable. Throw in the way seniority is and the CAS/EASA restrictions it's hard to job hop after 5/10 years in your relatively stuck where you are without huge income knocks. So your company's T&Cs tumble, Work life balance collapses your relatively stuck. Then your transferable skills outside of aviation are not really seen if you do want to exit.
By the time these kids get to 60 most around them will be working until at least 70.
I guess if you compare it to other jobs you can get with few qualifications sure it's great. You'll earn a lot more.
The reality is most coming into it 'could' have higher education qualifications if wanted and with them the likes of professions city roles in consultancy, finance, IT, law. Pulling similar earning for a longer period of time. With nice retirement part time consultancy type gigs in their 60/70s whilst winding down. No worries about staying stringently medically fit to maintain their income in later years, less worries about childcare/family life. Normal sleep patterns (with so much research showing how important to later life health sleep is this is important).
Dont get me wrong the job day to day I wouldn't want anything else. And the above makes me sound bitter. I'm not I'm grateful for my lot. I just don't think it was the job it was 20 years ago. And I wouldn't be advising a bright switched on person to turn to it.
Your health is so much more important than short term gains in income. And this jobs certainly kicked mine and many around me. And I can only see the future being worse in that sense.