I don't want to be an airline pilot.

[Wildpilot]

Well after a few years in the industry I have started being honest with myself. What I mean is whilst in flight school and during my first couple of jobs I was surrounded by other pilots telling me that all of these experiences are just a stepping stone to get to something with two jets and two pilots.
I love flying in bush operations, the people the heavy loads, crap strips the basic aircraft in some far flung place on earth. But I was dragged along with all the others and started to convince myself that only drop kicks stay in GA and after 1000hrs you are to good to be on a single piston!

It has taken me quite a while to realise this of course is a bunch of crap and actually its some of the best flying you can get. I still get more excited at seeing a muddy C185 unloading rifles and backpacks than I do seeing a 777 inbound from some exotic destination. This is not a rant or disparaging of airline pilots whom I have the greatest respect but its just me telling you how much better I feel now I'm doing what I want not what I think is correct for my career. In fact I try to avoid companies that have lot of singles and a couple of twins because they tend to attract the guys who would kill there own family for twin time and often don't enjoy the journey getting to the RH seat and they are no fun to be around.

Before someone comes on here and says you can't fly GA for ever with a big loan well I have the big loan and it is hard at times but money is not everything. When I'm fishing off the floats of my aircraft I have to smile to myself, its a great job.


I should have recognized the signs early, when the other students wanted to fly the new a/c with the glass cockpit I was in the cub and loving it.

So are you going to head for the airlines because you really really want to or is it because it is expected of you in this career and your peer group and the imagined prestige you think it will bring. How many times have you been asked "do you fly those big ones" when telling someone you are a pilot.:ok:

[tu144]

I am still working on my PPL but I dont really care much about being an airline pilot. I just wanna go somewhere where its fun, good atmosphere, and decent pay.

[Wildpilot]

The fun and good atmosphere is easy the decent pay not so, I for fit the last one for the first two.

[lpokijuhyt]

Let me guess...you are single and do not have to support a family.

[Wildpilot]

No wrong, have big loan and wife and house and all the other trappings of everyday life minus kids, and we don't plan on having any either. And I'm not young and new to travelling either so its not just a fad I'm going through.

[bucket_and_spade]

Interesting post wildpilot, fair play.

I'm an airline pilot and, as has been hinted at above, can't afford to take a drop in pay at the minute. I'm lucky in that I get a decent amount of time off, winters especially, so I can, if I want, do some fun flying then if the itch needs a scratch. Give me a job doing what you describe and paying me what I get now and I'd strongly consider it!

Pigs, fly, etc.

B&S :ok:

[Wildpilot]

I think that is a common theme among allot of pilots your wages + my job would be great.;)

[S-Works]

I never wanted to be an airline pilot despite all my friends either being airline pilots are desperate to be one. I had a job lined up with Jazz on Dash 8/300 a few years ago and realised it was not what I wanted. I never intended on becoming a Commercial Pilot at all, I just fell into it, right place at the right time (or wrong time depending on your view!)!!!

Another three hand half thousand hours on top ferrying, teaching, examining, parachute dropping, air taxi and light cargo in everything from SEP to twin turbine and I still love what I do and have not changed my mind. Whereas most of my mates bemoan the gloss has gone and they wish they could be doing the same. I guess sometimes the grass is not greener.

I think the thing for me was the level of dedication and rigidity needed to be an airline pro never appealed to me.

[340drvr]

......and, I'll bet you don't have to wear a necktie, either! There are plenty of valid, satisfying career paths in aviation that have absolutely nothing to do with airlines...(If you could take a widespread poll, I think you'd find plenty of big-iron pilots that would be absolutely jealous of your job.) Follow your heart.

[PicMas]

The starting post really reminds me of an old saying:

"Please don't tell my mum I'm a pilot, she thinks I still play piano in a whorehouse"

[Wildpilot]

Well I suspect the piano player in the said whore house gets better money and maybe a staff rate!

[3 Point]

I'm off to learn piano!!

[powerstall]

and i'll join you. :ok:

[Light Westerly]

Nice post Wildpilot,

I find myself in the same boat, and have told myself that I like it. Just coming up on 4000 hours of flying, mostly in Alaska. All single engine piston, floats and wheels, and VFR (sometimes very marginal VFR to be sure).

I am also 40, single (now) and basically broke. I have no health insurance, retirement plan, and my main employment is just as fragile as my next medical exam. I am lucky in that I am an A+P mechanic, and that has at times been a lifesaver when it comes to a paycheck.

I do love the flying though. Flying in Alaska is always challenging, the sights and weather are ever changing, and it's nice to be a part of an important supply line to people who need you, and generally appreciate you. Especially when you can do it without scaring them too much, at which I have (fingers crossed) been mostly successful.

The pay is not bad. One can make a decent career out of it if with the right company, but I am worried about my future. I am really out of the loop when it comes to instrument flying in "the system", have no turbine time, and very little multi engine time. That in itself makes it hard to contemplate the move to a company outside of Alaska, as I would be competing against pilots for whom those things are a piece of cake, for less money most likely.

I am not sure I would be very good at being a copilot.

All in all, I'm happy, and feel lucky to be able to do what I do. Although sometimes I have to remind myself of that.

Stay safe friend.

[The Heff]

How does one start bush flying?

Every flying school I've looked at are all for training pilots to ATPL standard and packing them off to the airlines, but who would I turn to if I wanted to fly something a bit more adventurous?

I would like to get paid to fly, but I want something that's going to be hands-on all the way, and it would be a fulfilling feeling to deliver something that's important to someone's life rather than ferrying passengers for business trips/holidays, etc.

[Wildpilot]

light westerly check your pm's

[potatowings]

A great post and thanks for all your sentiments.

I too was a bush pilot and loved the work. The one thing I didn't like was the pay. I found a happy medium half way between bush flying and airlines.... Biz Jets.

It is 2 crew and has elements of airline flying, but there is tremendous variety with unique and challenging destinations all over the world from uncharted rural Russian airstrips to airports in africa with little more than a cup on a string for ATC, coupled with the occasional approach into major international airports and night visual approaches into the carribean.

It really is not the stick and rudder flying that I do miss so much, but for me I have found the happy middle ground, almost airline pay without the crazy roster. A cool aircraft to fly with all the bells and whistles. Amazing destinations and challenging environments.

Just my little input.

[redsnail]

Potatowings,
My sentiments exactly. :ok:

[dynamite dean]

'I don't want to be an airline pilot....'

- good , cos loooking at the shape of the industry at the moment there aint much chance for a while!:}

(sorry couldnt resist)

[pma 32dd]

I don't want to be an airline pilot......................I want to be

A Lumberjack!

:)

[Light Westerly]

The Heff,
In an attempt to answer your question about flight training, and "bush" flying.-

It looks like you live in England? Not sure about the travel, visa, work permits, etc...
Are you able to travel, live, and work in Canada? I would bet that if you are seriously interested in a program of flight instruction that emphasizes back country type flying that you will be able to find the kind of instruction you are looking for there. I mention Canada because I think (been known to be wrong) that would be the easiest as far as all the government paperwork.

Another benefit to Canada is I believe the cost of flight instruction there might be less than England. Also, by actually being there, you will make friends involved in that kind of flying most likely if you get out and explore a bit. The biggest part of getting a flying job is actually being there.

I have included a link to a site about Alaska flying, it is a paid membership site to view the job listings, but much of the site is free and a good starting point. It has a short list of flight schools in AK, not all inclusive of course, but it may give you an idea of what you would experience in Canada. If you do some research on this site (pprune), and a bit of googling, I'm sure you will find similar information for related flight instruction in Canada.

Alaska flight operations and Alaska Flying (http://flyalaska.com/)


Good luck friend.

[jetopa]

For me, all it boils down to is having the right balance between aircraft to fly, salary, people I work with and time left to do other things than flying.

You need to get paid enough to pay your bills, but a big paycheck isn't everything. Likewise will the latest shiny jet with the biggest screens in the neighborhood not necessarily make you happy. Having to fly though with people you don't really get along with or not being able to have a life is a guarantee for a loss of perceived quality of life.

I understand that you sometimes have to compromise and that living in a perfect world is hard to achieve. Wildpilot isn't really telling us something new here, but his posting is a more than welcome reminder to cool down a bit and find out for yourselves what's important for you. Thanks!

[Wildpilot]

Well I'm still of the same opinion a year or so down the track, enjoying what I do and the places it takes me.

I never say never so who knows one day I might fly a big shiny new jet but right now, I'm pretty content. The other week I was invited to have a look around a Dash 8 but seeing as I used to fix airliners a long time ago I ended up looking around the C185 in the corner ( now that is a plane ).

The main reason I started this thread was I have found a place in my mind where I can now enjoy what I am doing at this minute and not ruin my flying experiences with thoughts/panic of the future.

I have seen allot of pilots of late who just are not enjoying there life as this career can become a fixation that over takes you.

Life is not a dress rehearsal.