WHILST ITS QUIET what do people do in the spare time??
 

As per the title, I am finding the market to be extremely quiet at the moment and only seem to be getting a couple of calls a month to fly from my company? I did write on another post similar to this but thought I'd start a new thread...

I find its extremely difficult whilst being full time employed to gain other employment whilst not flying. I'd love to set up my own company and generate a secondary income but don't have the money at present to do this. I have looked at driving jobs but usually you need to get yourself a PCV licence or an HGV one and that costs around £800. I have approached recruitment agencies and these people tend to look at you blankly when you tell them your a pilot and you want to work in your spare time as an office bod (or something like that).

As i said in my previous post I was thinking of selling my soul to earn some extra dosh, but have done this already to my company!!!

Don't get me wrong I love my job and its great knowing I am being paid not to do much and I am not complaining honestly!! But am one of those people that like to keep busy. I have completed all my games on the X Box, I have cut the grass too many times, my small weedy arms are beginning to generate muscles from visiting the gym, I read a lot (about my aircraft)......not too sure what else to do. I was thinking of becoming a pimp but I don't think this would go down well with the wife ;)

I haven't got an instructors rating and not willing to splash out on a rating at the moment, especially the way the credit crunch is hitting us all at the mo.

So my question is:

1) why do you do in your spare time when not flying
2) Any suggestions what to do?

Try downloading one of the FAA license study packages and do the FAA exams.

You might find this link useful for winter ops revisionAircraft Icing Training - Courses

Beyond that I was even reduced to tidying up the garage this week!

"spare time"?

How dare you!!

I did 100 hours in the last 12 months and I find that was quiet enough for me, in fact any increase in the hourly rate would really put a dent in my leisure time and associated activities.

Enjoy it whilst it lasts.........

Seriously is your job secure (difficult question to answer in present times but a worthy of serious consideration)??

If it is then I'd seriously make the most of the quiet times to do things for yourself (and your familiy) as, unless you have the dream job that really only involves working 2 days a month for the rest of your career (if only!), its unlikely to stay that way for long.

I don't work for a LCC before you ask but am constantly nudging max duty hours and getting close to max montly flying hours and simply don't have a life outside of work (day off today back on earlies tomorrow). I'm not complaining honest, as I'm glad to have a job in the current climate, but I have very little 'quality time' with wife and kids.

If you're still set on working yourself into an early grave then I'm sure you'll find something to do.

I have an HGV licence as a fall back job should the worst happen and if you know your days off are secure then a bit of driving can be fiitted in around work (although should you subsequently be involved in an incident you may find yourself in hot water if you'd been driving on your 'off' days).
If you're spending lots of time in the gym why not look into qualifying as a personal trainer? Pleantly of work my local gym and the hours are very flexible.

If I was in your shoes I'd
a) Spend more time with wife, kids and especially my Parents (they won't be around forever)
b) Get fitter (I've always wanted to do a Triathalon)
c) Improve my Golf handicap
d) Do up the house
e) Do up the two house's we are letting out (instead of paying others to do the work)
f) Train for another decent back up career (Plumbers are in serious demand I understand, and good money too).

Ted

Study for some qualification, something you are interested in that you could use if you should lose your job. Will be too late if you are out of work to do it. I call it future proofing. Or learn a new language.
there is so much you can do while you are being paid to do it:ok:

I'm learning to play the guitar. It's challenging, rewarding, fills in lots of spare time and best of all it doesn't cost a penny once you've got an instrument.

If you want to do more flying, try this:

1: Get the wife and kids out of the house
2: Make yourself a cuppa
3: Get out your guitar
4: Settle into your favourite comfy part of the house
5: Play the first note of absolutely any song you like - It really doesn't matter because I can guarantee that now the company will ring calling you out from standby.:*

There are quite funny responses already!!

Mcdoo - I am doing most of your points already i.e made a cuppa, sitting in my armchair (with the laptop), wife is at work and playing the keyboard (on my computer)!!!

I'd like to learn a trade, ie plumbing or electrics but really bad at both. I mean really!! I wouldn't trust myself in my own house let alone anyone else's. I tried fixing my toilet last week as the water was overflowing - water pouring every where.....god knows where the shut off valve was!!! Found it in the knick of time!! So when I say terrible, it is an understatement.

I did work in another industry prior to this as a manager in an office for 5 years. I did work for them whilst I wasn't flying but Credit Crunch has changed things a little... :(

Keep on going with the responses.....really interesting what people do!!

BTW, Ted, yes job is okay. Nothing is secure these days but company are growing and doing well. Its just unfortunately, quiet. It will pick up.

Hey Chief,

I never said I was any good at playing the guitar - you don't have to be to enjoy it. Same goes for my golf, I'm rubbish at that too - still love every minute though...:ok:

Become an air traffic controller!

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Why not do something useful for your colleagues who are working, like making lists of how to get free internet and/or movies in hotels and posting them?

Or the best way to into the airport lounges when positioning?

If I had the time I'd be studying for a backup career, just in case.

I really hate those quiet periods. (25 louzy hours a month) BUT since i fly corporate i gained weight and i'm single. So i decided to go to the fitness and chasing women.

Maybe a hint for you.

You could start a Pilot forum like prrune or if not that spend all your time picking fights in the forums arguing about anything you can think of, telling people that red is really blue :)

You could use your vast talents in aviation consultancy doing a lot of work and seeing the projects fold at the last hour and getting nothing from it :) but at least it will keep you busy and feeling important.

You could use your pilot bit with women making them go weak at the knees with your tales of death defying adventures and become a serious player :)

Start an internet dating agency for divorced pilots (loads of them)

or you could work for yourself selling something via the internet with a 24 hr shop online. This last one is serious :)

Pace

Thanks for the hint INNER, but am married and healthy?

However thanks for the advice...??!!

Maybe you should consider saving your money with the gym and just "chase women" as your kill 2 birds with one stone here?!!

Off to Tesco now to do the shopping!! :ugh::ugh:

HI Pace,

I like the ideas!! I might start charging people who fly for the scheduled airlines to write their topics on pprune as they're soooo busy!! £5 a reply?? Does that sound too cheap?

Anyway, TO ALL please keep the thread going with what you get upto when its quiet!!

and any ideas like Pace, are greatly appreciated.

The dating agency for pilots is quite a good one..unfortunately there are, I am sure, a lot around.

I might climb up parliament in a pilots uniform like those "dads for Justice" and declare that the government spends all those billions of pounds to pay us our tax back on courses we did........

Same boat as you Chief. People have said how luck I was to know what I wanted to do since I was seven and that was to be a pilot, everyone else at school didn't have a clue and fell into their careers by chance. I have racked my brain to try and think of what else I would like to do and all I could come up with was porn actor or demolition expert. I can't act so the former is out and I'm sure it takes years of engineering study to blow up buildings although I'd be happy just pressing the button that makes the whole thing go bang!

Oh well, twiddle twiddle twiddle...........:ugh:

ZzZzZzZ

golf
 

15 hrs only this month. But I have not enough time to practice how to hit well that small ball.

Dude, I envy you. I'm working a 6 days on and 2 days off schedule at the moment (airline work). I'd give anything to have some paid time off...

/LnS

I'm often home for only one or two days at a time, every few weeks or so. The rest of the time is on the road, either in the airplane or in a hotel. I'm sitting for nearly a week in Hawaii, and all of it will be spent studying for an upcoming recurrent groundschool at the end of the month. Like nearly all my time in hotels.

Time is always in short supply, and each day has five hours too few to study...so I make the most of what I have.

LNS, wanna do a job swap for a bit....!?

SNS, good luck with the exams! You're in Hawaii - thats very cool! I Know its not home but enjoy whilst you can. The weather in the UK is sh*te. No doubt its hot where you are.

Good advice - I'm a qualified plumber now, but be warned the money's not as good as you think and neither is the demand! :(