As a youngster it has always been my dream to become a pilot but isnt sure if its worth the hassle. The problem i see with being a pilot is it really worth paying all that money $60k+ to get a $30k job in GA. Then after spending at least 5 years working your way from a little Cessna 172, to a large multi engine turbo prop you might be lucky and get a jet job at Jetstar on $85k per year.
As a part time job (im still at high school) i work at a concrete truck company driving forklifts and bobcats. The the guy who owns the business asked me what i wanted to do when i finished high school. I told him that i would like to become a pilot. He just said im wasting my time. He said why would you want to enter a dog eats dog industry when you could work for him and drive concrete trucks for $85k a year and he will pay for my Heavy Rigid truck licence training
. It just doesnt make sense sometimes.
The other problem i see is job security. Dad has been at Qantas for 35 years and he still worries about what Qantas plans to do with his job in the coming months, whether he should do LWOP, what airlines in the Middle East would be good if he does lose his job.
Being a pilot does look like a good job but it just doesnt seem to be a good career at the moment. Hopefully things will pick up in the future.
In the mean time i will be doing some work experience with BHP next week. Might see how that goes.