2011 recruitment
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 64
Likes: 0
From: Cambridge
REGRETS
I’ve often come across posts from wannabees containing phrases like "I don’t want to get to 70 and regret not having tried" or even "I don’t want to be old looking back thinking I never had a go, even if I don’t get a job at the end of training".
But does anybody ever consider they might look back in old age and regret getting involved. And I don’t just mean people who aren’t successful in landing a job, but people who make it to the airlines. Because take it from me, there are quite a few and I should know, because I’m one of them.
When I started out, I too thought it was going to be the dream job. And yes, I did enjoy much of it, both the flying, the challenge of getting there and the people I met. But once the novelty wore off it became just a job, often boring and it played havoc with your personal life and sleep patterns.
Following redundancy last year, and with 2,200 hours in my logbook, 800 turboprop and 500 hours jet, I wouldn’t go back to it even if you paid me. I do have some happy memories and stories that I could dine out on. But overall, I don’t think the sacrifice was worth a few good memories.
What I really want to say is, don’t worry about regretting not doing something, as justification for doing it. You’re much more likely to regret something you did in life, than all the things you didn’t.
I’d like to wish good luck to anybody starting out in this, or any other career, but be careful what you wish for
But does anybody ever consider they might look back in old age and regret getting involved. And I don’t just mean people who aren’t successful in landing a job, but people who make it to the airlines. Because take it from me, there are quite a few and I should know, because I’m one of them.
When I started out, I too thought it was going to be the dream job. And yes, I did enjoy much of it, both the flying, the challenge of getting there and the people I met. But once the novelty wore off it became just a job, often boring and it played havoc with your personal life and sleep patterns.
Following redundancy last year, and with 2,200 hours in my logbook, 800 turboprop and 500 hours jet, I wouldn’t go back to it even if you paid me. I do have some happy memories and stories that I could dine out on. But overall, I don’t think the sacrifice was worth a few good memories.
What I really want to say is, don’t worry about regretting not doing something, as justification for doing it. You’re much more likely to regret something you did in life, than all the things you didn’t.
I’d like to wish good luck to anybody starting out in this, or any other career, but be careful what you wish for
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 332
Likes: 0
From: UK
What I really want to say is, don’t worry about regretting not doing something, as justification for doing it.
I've often heard the integrated schools such as OAA use this emotive play on insecurity as a means of closing the deal with those poor chumps who go to their sales seminars. "Its no good looking back on your life and saying I'd wish I'd done it...."
Its not enought to get into aviation just to want to say that you've done it or because you want to enjoy the thrill of the ride. And unfortuantely its not easy for some of the guys parting with money to decipher between true intent and the ideal built up by some of the very canny schools....
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 359
Likes: 0
From: europe
lot of opportunities in aviation, ahahah, you need a reallity check my little kid...
let s see:
-fly in africa and log 2000h of piston engine that nobody cares
- pay a company to fly a jet for 6 months, and pay again for a new rating.
-become a flight instructor and be out of job and money for years( thousand of piston thst nobody care).
there is no opportunities anymore... if you want stay positive, attack a bank, or place all you money on the 0 in a casino, you may win.
most of my friends in aviation have no job
and still need money (and ask dady:" please daddy, send me 50'000 euro so i can fly a B737 for 6 months", "here my son, you will be the best pilot in the world, I believe in you")
, or a bad paid job in aviation, and they dont like it. they don't know to do anything else in their life, so they stick with their low paid job.
I know only 1 who got a good paid job in a big company...only 1.
I prefer to look back when i will be old and rich, than look back when poor and with no job!
for me,most pilots are lazy, all they want is to play with planes and have a good time.
go to UNI!!!
let s see:
-fly in africa and log 2000h of piston engine that nobody cares
- pay a company to fly a jet for 6 months, and pay again for a new rating.
-become a flight instructor and be out of job and money for years( thousand of piston thst nobody care).
there is no opportunities anymore... if you want stay positive, attack a bank, or place all you money on the 0 in a casino, you may win.
most of my friends in aviation have no job
and still need money (and ask dady:" please daddy, send me 50'000 euro so i can fly a B737 for 6 months", "here my son, you will be the best pilot in the world, I believe in you")
, or a bad paid job in aviation, and they dont like it. they don't know to do anything else in their life, so they stick with their low paid job.
I know only 1 who got a good paid job in a big company...only 1.
I prefer to look back when i will be old and rich, than look back when poor and with no job!
for me,most pilots are lazy, all they want is to play with planes and have a good time.
go to UNI!!!
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 332
Likes: 0
From: UK
for me,most pilots are lazy, all they want is to play with planes and have a good time.
I say "will" because you seem to be lacking any sense of reality of the industry which suggests to me that you dont have any experience of aviation and have probably never had any kind of flying job. Which given your attitude, wouldn't surprise me.
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 22
Likes: 0
From: Glasgow
I dont understand why various people on this forum are so negative about the airline industry and constantly so doom and gloom about job prospects. Regardless the industry someone will always know someone that didn't make it...that's life!
If you hate the industry, think you are better off pursuing another career, have no interest in aviation...then stay of the forum and stop wasting both your time and the time of people that do actually have an interest in the industry.
If you hate the industry, think you are better off pursuing another career, have no interest in aviation...then stay of the forum and stop wasting both your time and the time of people that do actually have an interest in the industry.
Joined: Mar 2010
Aviation Qualifications: ATP+Mil
Posts: 343
Likes: 65
From: St. John's Wood
for me,most pilots are lazy, all they want is to play with planes and have a good time.
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 359
Likes: 0
From: europe
most of you are still kiddies here...what your mom and dad think about you, when with no job and full of debt you will be soon?. will they continue to give their own cash to pay for your professional HOBBY?
one guy I know told me he will fly small jets when he will get his license. he got his license, and after 18 months, he is has no job, no Uni degree,...dady pays everything, his house, food, and his car.
3 years ago, I met a guy, 23 years old who couldn't pass airlines selection. he had cpl, IR, MCC...now he is cleaning floors in an hospital.Maybe now he makes sandwich cheese at Mac Do? not so bad for a frozen airline pilot!!!
he told me he doesn't know to do anything else except flying his light twins....
again, go UNI! study IT, whatever you want, but do something else than waiting your time and money in aviation.
one guy I know told me he will fly small jets when he will get his license. he got his license, and after 18 months, he is has no job, no Uni degree,...dady pays everything, his house, food, and his car.
3 years ago, I met a guy, 23 years old who couldn't pass airlines selection. he had cpl, IR, MCC...now he is cleaning floors in an hospital.Maybe now he makes sandwich cheese at Mac Do? not so bad for a frozen airline pilot!!!
he told me he doesn't know to do anything else except flying his light twins....
again, go UNI! study IT, whatever you want, but do something else than waiting your time and money in aviation.
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Posts: n/a
although a320 is a long term troll, some of what he says has a ring of truth.
What I am currently mulling over is what % of new CPLs will NEVER get an airline job these days, and NEVER succeed in their aims.
When I qualified in 1995 jobs were hard to come by (pretty much AirUK was the only place to go, and that generally took 2000 hours to fly a F50 !),
we thought we had it bad and it took me 2 and half years to get that first job but there was an expectation you would eventually get one, I,m not sure if the same could be said today
What I am currently mulling over is what % of new CPLs will NEVER get an airline job these days, and NEVER succeed in their aims.
When I qualified in 1995 jobs were hard to come by (pretty much AirUK was the only place to go, and that generally took 2000 hours to fly a F50 !),
we thought we had it bad and it took me 2 and half years to get that first job but there was an expectation you would eventually get one, I,m not sure if the same could be said today
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 613
Likes: 1
From: London
fade to grey
I personally know several CPL/IR MCC holders who have never flown anything outside of training; many returned to a previous occupation to pay the bills with the intent of returning to flying when 'things picked up' however got trapped by the responsibility of family and mortgages etc. When the market improved they simply couldn't afford to leave the security of their current employment. In addition, many are not 'airline material' in my view - they make it through training but have not a snowball's roll in hell of a chance of making it through an application form let alone an interview. I never cease to be amazed by the level of naievity and sheer ignorance demonstrated by many aspiring, student and freshly minted CPL holder's. Truth is those AirUK days are largely gone and the sort of opportunities that existed 15 to 20 years ago for the aspiring low houred pilot no longer exist. Most aren't interested in getting that first rung on the ladder through instructing and rightly so - they may not be suitable as instructors; many consider it to be beneath them (integrated grads that is). The harsh reality is that the large schools are not really training airline pilots these days - at least the selection procedure is not for airline employment, more for suitability to commence training for a CPL on a piston single with a view to obtaining a licence. You're on your own pretty much after that. You could draw an analogy with A320 rider's (Ronchonner?)
the 'sandwich cheese' looks very appetising in the picture and you are hungry; 'Mac Do' can make it and sell it to you but will it satisy your appetite? I doubt they particularly care.
But then those were the halcyon day's I suppose, as you say
I'm not sure most company's would stretch to that amount of training today! It didn't take that long to get to grips with the Citation did it? 
what % of new CPLs will NEVER get an airline job
sandwich cheese at Mac Do
But then those were the halcyon day's I suppose, as you say
generally took 2000 hours to fly a F50 !
Last edited by Reverserbucket; 23rd June 2010 at 23:25.
