View Full Version : GA vs Airline
Hi to all fellow pilots and aspiring pilots,
Just thought of starting this thread to give aviation another point of view. I believe when u come to this forum there are numerous amount of threads all asking about how to get into the airlines, whats their requirement, how to excel in the cadet pilot interview...everything seems to be evolving around the prestigeous 'Airline Job'. The question i want to post is:
1)Is flying only about airline?
2)Had anyone ever stop for a moment and take a look at General Aviation?
In my opinion, flying is not only about getting into the airlines, flying big jets. If one really love flying, there are many jobs in the general aviation such as instructing, chartered flying, dust spraying etc. I had been flying for 4 years now, and people i meet all around i can say maybe only 1 in 100 is intrested in picking GA as a career. Why is this so? What had the perception of flying been build around us ?
Is it due to the fact that GA gives u lesser money? Less prestigeous? If one really compare the amount of stress working in airline, maybe they are a few thousand more but is money really the only pushing factor? Is prestige another doing ? Or is flying with the pretty stewardess more motivating then flying with an old uncle beside u learning to fly?
Anyway hope i can have some comments & feedbacks from you ladies and guys out there:) ..thanks.
antohalim
27th Apr 2006, 09:19
Nice topic 9M-...
Myself, being a PPL holder, can't really say how good it is flying with an airline, since I have no experience at all.. But to tell the truth, GA is FUN!!
Leisure flying is an excellent stress reliever (albeit an expensive one).. Everytime I had enough of all the projects and deadlines in the office, I just called the flying club, booked the available slots during my off-days and just came to the airport and fly for an hour or so... And just like that, all my thoughts about the office work vanished...
I do envy those people that work in aviation industry, be it as an instructor, airline pilot, mechanics, or even ramp agents, since they can be near to airplanes in their everyday job. And currently I'm thinking of switching my career to the aviation industry...
moon_towers
27th Apr 2006, 12:02
Hello there,
It's a good topics....,
Talking flying is not always about airlines,but people who's starting from the airlines then change into sort of charter flight usually get some "shock" feeling because it does difference.:eek:
Prestigeous is relatives,money usually takes a lot of deal but some people except the job because the short/med flight time instead flying for longhaul :cool: Flying with the flight attendant it's common gives kind of attractive environment/atmosphere but not always that way,especially after you've been flying for longhaul i.e:zzz:
Just a taugh ;)
m_t
NZ X man
27th Apr 2006, 13:05
9M:)
GA has many good points, for example. corporate flying. But in some parts of this world of ours, the corpoarte market is very small or still developing. I have enjoyed the 20+ years as a corporate pilot, and woulld still prefer a good corporate job over airline aviation.
Good Luck:)
kwaiyai
27th Apr 2006, 13:33
Some parts of GA unfortunatly dont pay well enough to stay so naturally you tend to blow to an Airline for progression ( In inverted commas). I certainly would go back to GA to fly Air Ambulance as an example as its more me. But plenty would rather fly at 300 plus. Its a case of what you prefer I guess, Neither is any better or worse in my view. Its Just what satisfies you the most during work time and of course pays the Bills. Worth noting that there are some Instructing jobs that pay better than some F/O Jobs:ok:
Latif_Strikes_Back
27th Apr 2006, 19:35
In my opinion, flying is not only about getting into the airlines, flying big jets
Yes we all love GA that's why so many pilots love to stay there! Disgusting wages, long and most times unpaid hours, aircraft that are unserviceable, managers that have no knowledge how to run a GA company let alone an airline (Tony I’m talking about you) and the general thought out bettering yourself is all a good enough reason to leave that brothel known as GA.
Funny thing is Tony has turned Air Asia into general aviation. Mainstream meets the tandas... Love your work Tony! Then again how hard can it be to compete with MAS? They had no competition for years and they kept screwing it up...
Hi,
Thanks for the respond and feedback. I generally think that many people have a misconception of what flying is all about. Take for example, you met a long lost relative one day and he/she ask what r u doing for a living? and u replied :"i am a pilot" I am sure the next reply will be: " With SIA?" I mean from this simple example we can see that the general perception of flying must be related to SIA in singapore or Airline. This will have bad effect for people who are interested in just being a flying instructor for instance. Why must flying be related to big organisation? Does it mean that i fly for a flying club i am low class?
What i stand for in this thread is to promote to all of you that being a flying instructor is also a professional profession. It also require alot of work not only in flying well, but in getting and teaching the right skill across to your student. As i am a flying instructor i cannot comment on other jobs such as chartered flight etc. So if anyone of you out there or if there is any who are interested to know more about becoming a flying instructor as a career, i am more than willing to give you any feedback. Thanks.
FloatPilot
28th Apr 2006, 15:21
I agree 100%. I have no interest in airliners. I'm GA all the way!
carlvinson
28th Apr 2006, 15:28
I love GA.
zelin
28th Apr 2006, 16:53
Flight instructor is a noble profession...well, without them there would no new blood for airlines rite? I think being an instructor is a very good platform to hone your skills as you really have to juggle flying and teaching, so guess it trains one to be a better pilot than let's say an airline pilot who become one by undergoing training IMO. You gain more when you give more ;)
9M, just a curious question: since u haven't been instructing for long, would u forsee in the near future yourself getting bored of teaching? i.e. job has become mundane after having spent years expounding the same stuff? :rolleyes:
why did u choose to become an instructor? :)
Flight instructor is a noble profession...well, without them there would no new blood for airlines rite? I think being an instructor is a very good platform to hone your skills as you really have to juggle flying and teaching, so guess it trains one to be a better pilot than let's say an airline pilot who become one by undergoing training IMO. You gain more when you give more ;)
9M, just a curious question: since u haven't been instructing for long, would u forsee in the near future yourself getting bored of teaching? i.e. job has become mundane after having spent years expounding the same stuff? :rolleyes:
why did u choose to become an instructor? :)
Good question raised. Actually to tell u the truth, my job started to get mundane after the 3nd month and thats when i started asking myself was instructing what i wanted to do?
Afterwhich i realised this is part and parcel of working. Whichever job when one reached a certain timeframe, it will definitely get mundane but how one carry on from there is really a test of your passion towards that job.
For me, when my first student passed his PPL, the instant excitement and sense of satisfaction is a feeling i still cannot forget till now. Everytime i do an introductory flight, looking at the excitement of my student having their first flight of their life is also a joy one cannot miss. There is also the first solo, looking at your own student achieve that is also a gift :) Thats how i am still instructing till now and that passion is growing more and more and i am beginning to find that i really do love instructing.
As for why i choosed to be an instructor is because initially that is like the only avenue i can take if i want a career in flying. I admit that i have the thought of going to the airline eventually after i have enough hours as an instructor but i can honestly say after i have been an instructor going into an airline or not is no longer important to me anymore as i can be a full time instructor eventually and will be really happy teaching in a professional flying school.
it's certainly heartening to know that there's such a passionate and dedicated instructor we have in our midst. :ok:
ur students must be really lucky to have u as their instructor & u must have inspired many of them! ;)