PPRuNe Forums - View Single Post - Uncertain law student with nagging wish to fly
Old 2nd Apr 2006, 15:25
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scroggs
 
Join Date: Dec 1997
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Hey, no problem.

Having a Plan B is a good idea in this business, because you never know when circumstances will make flying employment difficult. It's not a hypothetical thing either; when aviation goes through one of its regular cyclical downturns, we all catch a cold big time. The cycle within the airline business is vastly exaggerated from the normal economic cycle because we rely on discretionary spending. We are a luxury, both for individuals and for businesses, so air travel is one of the first things to go when money is tight. And pilots are expensive, and easy to dispose of when not needed. Just look at the fallout from 9/11, after which UK airline capacity was reduced by over 25%. In the US, they still have many thousands of pilots 'furloughed' (laid off) thanks largely to 9/11 and SARS - and a vastly over-optimistic business plan prior to 9/11, but that's another story. The fact is that those pilots are having to earn their money outside flying, and so could you, so it's never a bad idea to have a Plan B.

Scroggs
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