What happens to airline pilots who lose their medicals?

[QF747-400]

I was just wondering what happens to airline pilots when they lose their medicals or cannot be a pilot anymore due to some reason. If they have no degree or anything except flying qualification, what happens? Are they finished?

Does the airline give them any other position or something where they COULD work as?

QF747-400

[ITCZ]

A good question, especially if you are considering entering the profession.

What do they do? Well, if it is permanent loss, then you lose your ability to work in a very highly skilled and narrow focus profession.

If you are lucky or well organised you might get an insurance payout that should just about pay off your house and car.

Then you go back to whatever it was that you did to earn money before you were a pilot.

Drive taxis
Wait on tables in restaurants
Pull beers
Clean windows

Some companies are supportive of pilots who may have additional special skills, but this is not to be counted on. Skills such as performance engineering (working out weight and temperature charts for maximum uplift out of airports), ground school instruction, operations officer.

But most would involve a considerable loss of income and change in lifestyle.

Very different to what happens with doctors, lawyers, teachers and accountants.

And it usually happens in the critical mid-years of one's career, when one is too old to be considered as having 'potential'!

One day: a skilled and experienced professional in charge of millions of dollars worth of equipment....

The next?
Drive taxis
Wait on tables
Pull beers
Clean windows.

Worth remembering next time someone thinks the pay is high.

[Icebreaker]

Loss of licence insurance (premium is paid by the company... as much as you can get...) plus income protection insurance (tax deductible) are the usual protections. It's not a bad idea to have a contingency should it happen.

[beached]

I lost my medical 4 years ago. I imagined this possibility from time to time, but nothing prepares you for the shock when it happens for real. As well as the obvious money concerns, there is the issue of not being able to fly. I am one of these sad people who has been besotted with flying since he was 17, so being grounded does leave a huge vaccuum in your life.
I think any pilot would be wise to cultivate other interests away from flying, and if possible structure your finances for this possibility - LOL insurance is a must.

[DeltaT]

Other jobs once you have lost your medical, dependant on experience:

Airline Sim Instructor
Ground theory Instructor
Work in some capacity for the CAA (many jobs require airline experience, even though no flying involved in the job for them)
If you still have many working years ahead then you can apply for maybe Airline jobs in Logistics etc, where your experience will help.
If you can get a Class 3 medical, then retrain for ATC