The Rocky Road to Commercial Aviation - Please help out a wannabe!
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Canada
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I took my first flying lesson when I was 26. I took 2 years to finish all my ratings, while still working. I did my instructor rating as well. By 29 I was teaching flying lessons and yes it was a serious pay cut!! But if you REALLY love flying you have to do it.
People who knock instructing are usually people that have not done it. It can be very rewarding, but you cannot do it forever. I instructed for about 18 months. If you are at a busy enough flight school you can leave after a year or two with 1000 hours in your log book. Those PIC hours can be very important later on depending on the operation you are involved in.
I moved on, but it was a very bad time in aviation (just before Sept 11) and had a rough go for several years, not being able to get a "decent" flying job. I drove across the country a few times with no luck, nothing was moving at the time.
Anyway after a few years of struggling I left aviation and went to work for a large corporation. Within 6 months I was miserable. Once I had a taste of aviation I did not want to work in any other industry. So I went on the job hunt…again. I managed to get an office job with a respected medium sized operation with a nice fleet. I did that for 2 years and after a lot of hard work was rewarded with a right seat turbine job. It is amazing.
A few months ago I was woken up at 2am to do a Medevac flight. 30 minutes later I was outside fueling the airplane, temperature was –25, 30 knot wind out of the North, away from home, and what came into my mind? "I would not want to be doing anything but this"
If you are passionate about flying, my advice is go for it!!
I am in my mid-thirties, and don’t have a ton of hours. I may never make it to Air Canada, but I have realized there is a lot more to life than making it to AC.
Enjoy the ride.
People who knock instructing are usually people that have not done it. It can be very rewarding, but you cannot do it forever. I instructed for about 18 months. If you are at a busy enough flight school you can leave after a year or two with 1000 hours in your log book. Those PIC hours can be very important later on depending on the operation you are involved in.
I moved on, but it was a very bad time in aviation (just before Sept 11) and had a rough go for several years, not being able to get a "decent" flying job. I drove across the country a few times with no luck, nothing was moving at the time.
Anyway after a few years of struggling I left aviation and went to work for a large corporation. Within 6 months I was miserable. Once I had a taste of aviation I did not want to work in any other industry. So I went on the job hunt…again. I managed to get an office job with a respected medium sized operation with a nice fleet. I did that for 2 years and after a lot of hard work was rewarded with a right seat turbine job. It is amazing.
A few months ago I was woken up at 2am to do a Medevac flight. 30 minutes later I was outside fueling the airplane, temperature was –25, 30 knot wind out of the North, away from home, and what came into my mind? "I would not want to be doing anything but this"
If you are passionate about flying, my advice is go for it!!
I am in my mid-thirties, and don’t have a ton of hours. I may never make it to Air Canada, but I have realized there is a lot more to life than making it to AC.
Enjoy the ride.
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: frozen place
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Well said DHC6,
What you have to remember is that very very few people actually like what they do for a living let alone have a passion for it.We as pilots are blessed if we can do somthing every day that gives us that passion and that reason for getting out of bed in the morning.
I have been flying for close to 20 years(commercialy for 15),everything from flying medevacs and cargo on a Aztec in the middle of the night with a malfunctionning heater for 6$ an hour ,to charter,to regional to long haul airline flying.In the first 5 years of getting paid to fly my salary never went above 20,000$.Never got more than 1 day off a week.Flew all sorts of acft in all sorts off WX at all times of the day.Didn't have a social life for the first seven years nor could I afford one.
Finally made it to airlines were the pay is nice,the aircraft are the best around and the schedules can be very good.But then there are the layoffs,seniority disputes,CCAA,Juniority wich means no weekends,holidays,weddings,birthdays etc...
And you know what?At every stage of my career I couldn't wait for my vacations to finish so I could get back behind the yoke,I look forward to my days off to be with my family but not because I need to get away from the job because I still love airplanes and airports.I still look up at the sky every time an aircraft passes overhead,wondering where it is going,where the crew will layover.
Despite the low pay,pay cuts,long days,hotels,relocations,layoffs etc..I still wake up every morning thinking that I am the luckiest bastard to make my living at something that I love so much.Believe me it's not always easy,we bitch about a lot on these forums but the fact is this:if aviation is in your blood then you dont have a choice but to stay with it because you will never be happy doing anything else.You will learn to adapt to low pay, being away from your family and working weird hours because if you did anything else for a living ,all the money in the world and the time off and the 9 to 5 schedule wont give you the one thing you really need:to be in the sky.
After 20 years of sometimes very hard times I wouldn't change it for the world
and neither would just about every other pilot I know.Follow your passion and good luck!
What you have to remember is that very very few people actually like what they do for a living let alone have a passion for it.We as pilots are blessed if we can do somthing every day that gives us that passion and that reason for getting out of bed in the morning.
I have been flying for close to 20 years(commercialy for 15),everything from flying medevacs and cargo on a Aztec in the middle of the night with a malfunctionning heater for 6$ an hour ,to charter,to regional to long haul airline flying.In the first 5 years of getting paid to fly my salary never went above 20,000$.Never got more than 1 day off a week.Flew all sorts of acft in all sorts off WX at all times of the day.Didn't have a social life for the first seven years nor could I afford one.
Finally made it to airlines were the pay is nice,the aircraft are the best around and the schedules can be very good.But then there are the layoffs,seniority disputes,CCAA,Juniority wich means no weekends,holidays,weddings,birthdays etc...
And you know what?At every stage of my career I couldn't wait for my vacations to finish so I could get back behind the yoke,I look forward to my days off to be with my family but not because I need to get away from the job because I still love airplanes and airports.I still look up at the sky every time an aircraft passes overhead,wondering where it is going,where the crew will layover.
Despite the low pay,pay cuts,long days,hotels,relocations,layoffs etc..I still wake up every morning thinking that I am the luckiest bastard to make my living at something that I love so much.Believe me it's not always easy,we bitch about a lot on these forums but the fact is this:if aviation is in your blood then you dont have a choice but to stay with it because you will never be happy doing anything else.You will learn to adapt to low pay, being away from your family and working weird hours because if you did anything else for a living ,all the money in the world and the time off and the 9 to 5 schedule wont give you the one thing you really need:to be in the sky.
After 20 years of sometimes very hard times I wouldn't change it for the world
and neither would just about every other pilot I know.Follow your passion and good luck!
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: World Traveller
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Hi All ...
This is a great post with alot of good info. For my case, I got my first flying job when I was 29 but managed to play they last hiring wave and got on a turbine job with only 800hrs. Did a few cargo companies, a commuter airline, a couple of corporate jobs and was at Skyservice ( Hi jeff !! ) before leavi
ng Canada ( not an easy decision ) and going to Dubai to fly for Emirates on the B777. All in less than 10 years.
I have to say this a great industry, but its not for the faint of heart. You will get frustrated but there is nothing better. Have fun all
Doug
This is a great post with alot of good info. For my case, I got my first flying job when I was 29 but managed to play they last hiring wave and got on a turbine job with only 800hrs. Did a few cargo companies, a commuter airline, a couple of corporate jobs and was at Skyservice ( Hi jeff !! ) before leavi
ng Canada ( not an easy decision ) and going to Dubai to fly for Emirates on the B777. All in less than 10 years.
I have to say this a great industry, but its not for the faint of heart. You will get frustrated but there is nothing better. Have fun all
Doug
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Montreal, Canada
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Doug-
Curious, did you do anything special to 'play' the last hiring wave? Any special skills you have over and above your average bear? Turbine with 800hrs is impressive considering the many stories of guys with many more hours still instructing, and the "it's no joyride" / "20 years till the airlines" posts, etc. Congratulations... how's Dubai?
46N
Curious, did you do anything special to 'play' the last hiring wave? Any special skills you have over and above your average bear? Turbine with 800hrs is impressive considering the many stories of guys with many more hours still instructing, and the "it's no joyride" / "20 years till the airlines" posts, etc. Congratulations... how's Dubai?
46N
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: World Traveller
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46n
Anything special ?? ... not really but i did buy alot of beers for CPs and DFOs in order to get that first job. I guess I was lucky for that first job. The important thing was to keep on those companies and dont go away after the first no. I do have a university degree but I honestly believe that it did absolutely nothing for me in my aviation career.
As for Dubai, It actually rained today ( very rare ). Flying is great and seeing the world has been an adventure to say the least.
Doug
Anything special ?? ... not really but i did buy alot of beers for CPs and DFOs in order to get that first job. I guess I was lucky for that first job. The important thing was to keep on those companies and dont go away after the first no. I do have a university degree but I honestly believe that it did absolutely nothing for me in my aviation career.
As for Dubai, It actually rained today ( very rare ). Flying is great and seeing the world has been an adventure to say the least.
Doug
