Would you recommend a career in aviation
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Would you recommend a career in aviation
Lets say a close family friend or relative approached you, and said their son/daughter wanted to be a pilot and asked for your advice.
Would you encourage or discourage their son/daughter from taking the next step?
Would your answer have been any different if you were asked the same question say 5 years ago?
Would you encourage or discourage their son/daughter from taking the next step?
Would your answer have been any different if you were asked the same question say 5 years ago?
Safety First!
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If someone's heart is really in it theyll do it no matter what. And thats where flying is different from other careers.
I think youd have to be honest, and say that the industry has its ups and downs. At the moment its in a trough, but it will improve again one day. Today its tougher than a few years ago, you wouldnt want to do it unless you were prepared for a lot of heartbreak and toil. Five years ago Id have probably said that all was looking good, get into it. But events can change all that overnight...
Kermie
I think youd have to be honest, and say that the industry has its ups and downs. At the moment its in a trough, but it will improve again one day. Today its tougher than a few years ago, you wouldnt want to do it unless you were prepared for a lot of heartbreak and toil. Five years ago Id have probably said that all was looking good, get into it. But events can change all that overnight...
Kermie
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I would say, stay at school, study hard, join the military, fly the best, have fun, do every course that the military can offer, then leave after 10 years and take up an alternative career in one of the many areas the military will give you training. As far as commercial flying,it is boring as batsh*t, job scurity is non-existant and i doubt if we will see decent pay for the remainder of this decade, IMHO. I have done both, except i dodged every course the military offered in the attempt to get enough hours so that i could reach the "holy grail" of the airline job. I achieved that and am now LHS on the best Boeing has got to offer and wish i had taken my own advice. That way i could live where i want, work during the day, be home for birthdays, anniversaries, first days at school, xmas, etc. Wouldn't have to worry about who i let in the cockpit, the fact that nobody outside the west actually gives a toss about airline security, whether my airline will still exist next year, what i would do if i had to return home and find work.
I would say yes, because the whole uncertainty in the industry at present is only a knee-jerk reaction. If the person in question is extremely committed and passionate about aviation, then there is no better career.
But, this thread started by Centaurus last week brings us all back to reality - well worth a look.
http://www.pprune.org/cgibin/ultimat...&f=12&t=007091
Cheers,
TL
But, this thread started by Centaurus last week brings us all back to reality - well worth a look.
http://www.pprune.org/cgibin/ultimat...&f=12&t=007091
Cheers,
TL
Considering the web and the weave of aviation, I would have to say now could be a very good time to enter the game - for a young player. By the time he or she is up to scratch the industry should have settled down again - perhaps as long as 5 years.
Looking below the waves the ocean is deep and can support many fish if they enjoy swimming hard.
PS.If glory and fame are the game then become a doctor or lawyer.
Looking below the waves the ocean is deep and can support many fish if they enjoy swimming hard.
PS.If glory and fame are the game then become a doctor or lawyer.
Some people spend a whole lifetime trying to find what they really wanted to do...and never finding it.
Others have some inner demon which drives them in pursuit of their goal, whether it is aviation, seafaring or a career in the legal or diplomatic areas...or anything in between. Perhaps it is the difference between working to live and living to work.
No career these days (with the possible exception of undertaker) has anything like the job security of just a couple of decades ago. Aviation is a very sensitive barometer of the world's economic climate. Some might even say a little too sensitive.
If someone has the desire, the interest and the need to pursue a career, then they'll pursue it no matter what the cost in money, relationships or time. The lure of aviation is something unique because only about five generations of mankind has been able to experience the sensations and sights of leaving the ground and travelling by air. In our collective consciousness it is a relatively new memory...but a powerfully addicive one.
Would I encourage someone I knew to pursue a career in aviation? I think so, especially if I thought they'd succeed and make a good go of it. But I would offer this advice. If you enter commercial aviation, plan to retire at 55 so you're young enough to enjoy the rest of your life doing things which give you pleasure...and being with the people who mean the most to you.
Others have some inner demon which drives them in pursuit of their goal, whether it is aviation, seafaring or a career in the legal or diplomatic areas...or anything in between. Perhaps it is the difference between working to live and living to work.
No career these days (with the possible exception of undertaker) has anything like the job security of just a couple of decades ago. Aviation is a very sensitive barometer of the world's economic climate. Some might even say a little too sensitive.
If someone has the desire, the interest and the need to pursue a career, then they'll pursue it no matter what the cost in money, relationships or time. The lure of aviation is something unique because only about five generations of mankind has been able to experience the sensations and sights of leaving the ground and travelling by air. In our collective consciousness it is a relatively new memory...but a powerfully addicive one.
Would I encourage someone I knew to pursue a career in aviation? I think so, especially if I thought they'd succeed and make a good go of it. But I would offer this advice. If you enter commercial aviation, plan to retire at 55 so you're young enough to enjoy the rest of your life doing things which give you pleasure...and being with the people who mean the most to you.
Don Quixote Impersonator
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Just do it.
The ups and downs, train smashes and general uncertainty are the same in any businesses or professions.
Except in this one they may be a little wilder, but of one thing I am sure, and I've worked up there and down here, the ups are sublime beyond anything the rest can offer or even imagine.
You might not get rich or even recognition but there is nothing and I mean nothing that can beat sitting up there watching the world roll by underneath you with the canopy of the sky above you, the hiss of the airflow around you and and the the muttering of the radio in the background.
"Errrrm, sorry Centre were you calling us?"
Even the Gods are jealous as they are always trying to smite you down.
There is only one tiny weeny little BIG disappointment and that is it's the one thing that is difficult to share or communicate with your wife, children and friends.
The ups and downs, train smashes and general uncertainty are the same in any businesses or professions.
Except in this one they may be a little wilder, but of one thing I am sure, and I've worked up there and down here, the ups are sublime beyond anything the rest can offer or even imagine.
You might not get rich or even recognition but there is nothing and I mean nothing that can beat sitting up there watching the world roll by underneath you with the canopy of the sky above you, the hiss of the airflow around you and and the the muttering of the radio in the background.
"Errrrm, sorry Centre were you calling us?"
Even the Gods are jealous as they are always trying to smite you down.
There is only one tiny weeny little BIG disappointment and that is it's the one thing that is difficult to share or communicate with your wife, children and friends.
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No not this week in light of the recent Ansett colapse.However Aviation has always had its ups and downs.
The way the world is going at present he/she is could always get a job with the Air Force.
[ 26 September 2001: Message edited by: Captain Muff Diver ]
The way the world is going at present he/she is could always get a job with the Air Force.
[ 26 September 2001: Message edited by: Captain Muff Diver ]
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so things are uncertain at the momet, why does everyone always focus on the down side?
I am doing night frieght in PA-31's PA-60's and some day runs in a BE-76, 2 weeks ago i was close to getting an airline job and now my next step has been moved back by maybe years but i still love my job it is very easy and for the small amount of work you do the money isn't bad, most people end up in office jobs and other jobs a lot less enjoyable than most flying jobs and they sit there for there entire working life.
Flying is an easy job (most of the time) and even the bottom of the food chain in flying positions are more enjoyable than many highly sort after positions in other professions.
i would recomend any one that has a positive attitude to get into this industry, however if the person always focuses on the bad points in life i would recomend they look for another profession, they would have to much competition in this industry it seems
I am doing night frieght in PA-31's PA-60's and some day runs in a BE-76, 2 weeks ago i was close to getting an airline job and now my next step has been moved back by maybe years but i still love my job it is very easy and for the small amount of work you do the money isn't bad, most people end up in office jobs and other jobs a lot less enjoyable than most flying jobs and they sit there for there entire working life.
Flying is an easy job (most of the time) and even the bottom of the food chain in flying positions are more enjoyable than many highly sort after positions in other professions.
i would recomend any one that has a positive attitude to get into this industry, however if the person always focuses on the bad points in life i would recomend they look for another profession, they would have to much competition in this industry it seems
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This question, Would you recommend a career in aviation??, I'm sure has been asked at many times with the ups and downs of the industry.
There are a lot of pro's and con's to be weighed up when deciding what career path to take. Not only in aviation, but in any other profession.
It is a fact that in nearly all cases, cost and time most definitely come into it. That is where aviation loses in a lot of respects. It takes time, but more importantly (lots of) money to get those initial licences and ratings before you even become employable. There are those people out there, who have spent the money to gain their CPL and have just given up because the first elusive job was a bit too elusive for them. I can understand why they have given up. They have spent a lot of money, but don't seem to get returns. Why spend a lot of time and heartache hunting down a job, when you could be making more money, with little outlay, elsewhere.
The question that all pilots I believe ask themselves at some point is, what is this worth to me??
Is it worth all those nights spent cleaning dishes or serving drinks at the local pub / restaurant??
Is it worth all that money that I owe to the bank, and that i will be paying off for a long time to come??
Is it worth the days spent worrying about where the next pay cheque is coming from to pay the bills??
But then there are those other questions we ask ourselves...
Is it worth the view we get after take off as the sun rises and you fly through a layer of cloud to be sitting in a clear blue sky??
Is it worth the feeling you get as the aircraft takes off and knowing, you are the one directing it in any direction that you want??
Is it worth the feeling of complete bliss you get flying an aircraft on a clear night, with all the stars in the world close enough for you to reach out and touch??
The answer to these questions for most pilots is yes. It has to be or else we would not be wasting our time.
So would I recommend a career in aviation?? Absolutely. If the persons heart is in it, nothing will stand in their way to get what they want.
And besides, what other profession gives you the chance to never have to work a day in your life??
There are a lot of pro's and con's to be weighed up when deciding what career path to take. Not only in aviation, but in any other profession.
It is a fact that in nearly all cases, cost and time most definitely come into it. That is where aviation loses in a lot of respects. It takes time, but more importantly (lots of) money to get those initial licences and ratings before you even become employable. There are those people out there, who have spent the money to gain their CPL and have just given up because the first elusive job was a bit too elusive for them. I can understand why they have given up. They have spent a lot of money, but don't seem to get returns. Why spend a lot of time and heartache hunting down a job, when you could be making more money, with little outlay, elsewhere.
The question that all pilots I believe ask themselves at some point is, what is this worth to me??
Is it worth all those nights spent cleaning dishes or serving drinks at the local pub / restaurant??
Is it worth all that money that I owe to the bank, and that i will be paying off for a long time to come??
Is it worth the days spent worrying about where the next pay cheque is coming from to pay the bills??
But then there are those other questions we ask ourselves...
Is it worth the view we get after take off as the sun rises and you fly through a layer of cloud to be sitting in a clear blue sky??
Is it worth the feeling you get as the aircraft takes off and knowing, you are the one directing it in any direction that you want??
Is it worth the feeling of complete bliss you get flying an aircraft on a clear night, with all the stars in the world close enough for you to reach out and touch??
The answer to these questions for most pilots is yes. It has to be or else we would not be wasting our time.
So would I recommend a career in aviation?? Absolutely. If the persons heart is in it, nothing will stand in their way to get what they want.
And besides, what other profession gives you the chance to never have to work a day in your life??
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Try the deathbed bed test
Imagine being really old and on your last legs and looking back over your life and if you think that you would be really disapointed having not had a go then its worth seriously contemplating. Anyway its about what you want!!!!! not whats good for you The deathbed test works for me P.S. aircraft refuelleing is a good job but its boreing after a while. Have a go at flying I say You can always change your mind later theres never agood time to start in heaps of industries/careers JUST DO IT!!!
Mrs wheelbarrow (mother of children who may well ask me this question one day)
Imagine being really old and on your last legs and looking back over your life and if you think that you would be really disapointed having not had a go then its worth seriously contemplating. Anyway its about what you want!!!!! not whats good for you The deathbed test works for me P.S. aircraft refuelleing is a good job but its boreing after a while. Have a go at flying I say You can always change your mind later theres never agood time to start in heaps of industries/careers JUST DO IT!!!
Mrs wheelbarrow (mother of children who may well ask me this question one day)
Thanks for twisting the knife Booka - beautifully writ.
I turned my back on a flying career 25 years ago because I believed what the doomsayers said back then. High Unemployment, Oil Crisis, GA Collapsing, RAAF Low Morale and Lower Hours, Airlines not recruiting -
Sound familiar??
I was 'lucky' because I had the option of a well paid alternative in front of me - or so I thought.
By all accounts, I have had it good. Successful career x 2, responsiblity, achievement, respect and a great family.
I've also experienced the doubts, uncertainties, fears and depressions that come from not knowing whether the pay packet will feed the kids and where the next job is coming from. These feelings exist outside of aviation too
So why do I look up every time anything flies over ?(Why did I pick an office just under short final at YPDN? )
Why do I jump at any opportunity to fly anywhere in anything (as infrequent as it is)?
Why do I loathe my comfortable, well paid job and wish I was elsewhere when others are lining up to take it on should I leave?
(Why do I spend so much time on PPRuNe? )
In hindsight, I have to admit that I made the wrong choice all those years ago and I have been resenting it ever since. The money might have been better but the grass ain't necessarily greener.
If you have a young person come to you in their naivety, because they have a yearning for the skies; please encourage them.
Don't blind their eyes to the harsh realities but please, please don't crush their dreams.
Give them the knowledge to choose their own path for themselves. One day they may even thank you for it.
(Leaves soapbox, reaches for tissues and departs sobbing.)
I turned my back on a flying career 25 years ago because I believed what the doomsayers said back then. High Unemployment, Oil Crisis, GA Collapsing, RAAF Low Morale and Lower Hours, Airlines not recruiting -
Sound familiar??
I was 'lucky' because I had the option of a well paid alternative in front of me - or so I thought.
By all accounts, I have had it good. Successful career x 2, responsiblity, achievement, respect and a great family.
I've also experienced the doubts, uncertainties, fears and depressions that come from not knowing whether the pay packet will feed the kids and where the next job is coming from. These feelings exist outside of aviation too
So why do I look up every time anything flies over ?(Why did I pick an office just under short final at YPDN?
)Why do I jump at any opportunity to fly anywhere in anything (as infrequent as it is)?
Why do I loathe my comfortable, well paid job and wish I was elsewhere when others are lining up to take it on should I leave?
(Why do I spend so much time on PPRuNe?
)In hindsight, I have to admit that I made the wrong choice all those years ago and I have been resenting it ever since. The money might have been better but the grass ain't necessarily greener.
If you have a young person come to you in their naivety, because they have a yearning for the skies; please encourage them.
Don't blind their eyes to the harsh realities but please, please don't crush their dreams.
Give them the knowledge to choose their own path for themselves. One day they may even thank you for it.
(Leaves soapbox, reaches for tissues and departs sobbing.)
