I started out about 4 years ago as a helicopter engineer, and a little while ago I decided NO MORE.
I had relatively little experience, but enough to be able to do a standard inspection alone, yet none of this was valued by 'Da Management' in attitude towards me or pay.
The general concencous of opinion at this end of the industry, is that the pay is $hit and you get treated like a moron! There were guys there who had a hell of a lot more experience than me, and were getting treated the same as me.
Example (True story): A guy in Helicopter maintenance 23 years old, been doing it since he was 16. (Not licenced) His mate, 23 years old, car mechanic, been doing it since he was 16 years old.
Who do you think gets the better take home pay????
The bl**dy car mechanic. Where is the logic in that? Car mechs are worse bodge artists than we are!!
At the end of the day it is down to you to make a decision, but my advice is stick to IT or something involving computers, if you are that way minded, you will get a hell of a lot more money and job satisfaction out of that than you will tinkering with aircraft!
'Some days you are the pigeon and some days you are the statue!'
[This message has been edited by HeliEng (edited 28 May 2001).]