Some Positivity
 

Hi all,

I know that things are bad at the moment, globally across many industries and that aviation is particularly easily affected by economic fluctuations.

However, as someone who wants to train to be a pilot and believes that regardless of your industry, profession or state of the economy there is always work to be found, I can't let all the negative stories dissuade me from what I want to do.

Don't get me wrong, I know it's not going to be an easy ride, I may have to go several years before I am able to get a job.....nor not.

What I'd really like is a bit of balance - to hear some stories of people who've got jobs recently - how they've got them, what their take on things is. Flying is not just about getting into a 737/A320 - there are loads of other flying jobs out there and I just wondered what people can tell about those.

And to the naysayers: you've had your say, I know that I am entering an industry that's not what it once was, but I'm not a naive wannabee - just someone with a positive outlook and a hope that I'll get what for me, is a dream job:8

If you ask people deliberately, to tell you only what you want to hear, you don't really need to ask, do you? :rolleyes:

Bfisk has a point really doesn't he.

However you state:Sorry to be a naysayer but at the moment if you want to fly as a pilot then with no experience there will not be work to be found - unless you have contacts who will help you find a position that would not necessarily be yours by ability and qualifications alone.

Tread carefully on this. Perhaps those stories may persuade you to wait until the wheel has turned a little? It will turn despite all the naysayers - you just have to pick your time - get the time right and you win - get the time wrong and it will take you years to recover financially whilst never achieving your 'dream' - trust me when I say that for many a dream has turned into a nightmare.

Be very careful.


Regards
Exeng

.............One born every minute. If you think its bad now, wait until next year. The whole of Europe is in dwang as deep as it has ever been since WW II and it is set to get much worse as every single European nation cuts back spending.

Why do people keep on thinking the are somehow better than everyone else and that they will be ok.

Don't do it !!!!

If you do, face a life time of financial ruin.

Go fly a helicopter.

They're great fun, proper flying, difficult, expensive and, unless you have hours of experience no one is going to pay for you to fly them so, start saving.

Positive enough?

responding to this from behind a computer somewhere in the south of Derby working on designing round noisy things....2 years after ME-IR/MCC, with 10 years of Aerospace Engineering Systems experience, Flying Instructor experience and over 400h TT

"regardless of your industry, profession or state of the economy there is always work to be found"

...no there isn't

I was going to write a factual and realist reply but as it's been said a million times before and as you have specifically said you don't wan't to hear it, I won't bother.

Pay your money, do your training, keep taking the disproportionate optimism pills and everything will work out just peachy. How's that for you.

A couple of points of fact:

Not with vacancies, there aren't.

No there isn't. Unless you're including McJobs, but then you could save yourself £70k and do that direct.

hey

when i started my training in 2008, everybody was telling me I shouldn't, that there was no jobs and all. I struggled to get the finances, I had to work full time for months then do a part of my training, work again, come back for training. Result is, I will be done in less than 2 weeks. I have a job opportunity to fly a King Air in July, and last year I was selected as a cadet for an airline, but I refused their offer.

So it's all up to you. I too believe that there is always jobs to be found. You just have to pay attention to what is happening in the industry, make a maximum of contacts, and actively search for a job. Being pessimistic doesn't help.

What I always say to people hesitating to get into aviation is, if it is your passion, think of nothing else and just do it.

Simply put there are jobs out there.

Sadly though mostly they are the ones where you will have to sell your house, your grandmother and your soul to get them if you are a newly minted pilot.

Wait a few years and try again, maybe, just maybe things will be different.

I agree with Jumbo744!

Don't listen to the moaning, constistantly depressing views on here. If people actually listened to you guys about all the doom and gloom there would be no future!

Understand the financial risks and go for it... dont let the b*stards get you down. If you dont get it, who gives a damn, you've probably got less than 50 years to live anyway.

^
Hows that for pessimism PPRuNe!!!??? Am I an accepted member yet?

Pathetic! To categorically say there are no jobs to someone who wants in... Unbelievable, what qualifies you to say that? Do you actually know everything and everyone in aviation?

I think not. Wannabes... do not be deterred! If you want it understand/accept the risks and jump in with both feet flailing.

If nothing comes of it, accept that nothing in life is certain... please, just dont listen to the crap on here! I understand lots of it is good avice, guys... but way to go to put potential pilots off.

I guess its been so long since you've thought whimsically about aviation that you cannot understand how a wannabe feels.

Go for it everyone,

Jobs for everyone, the airways are paved with gold and you will have a bigger bank account than the Maxwell family.

Managers will love you and you will only have to fly twice a month and a maximum of 150 hours a year if you condescend to work at all.

Now, back to the real world.

I know it's tough keeping your chin up when it all looks very gloomy on the job front.

A lot of guys are moving, further up the food chain. This may not mean much for your average low hour pilot now, but it will do. Probably quicker than you might think.

Easy, Aer Lingus, Ryan, Flybe, BMI baby, Thomas Cook will all need pilots within the next 12 mths. Not a guess, but fact.

All have historically taken on low time pilots in the past. The only difference being the pool of experienced pilots waiting to get back in the system.
The jobs will be out there, how you go about getting your CV to the top is a whole different thread.

Good luck to all of you out there waiting on your break.

Rigger Parish
 

Exactly,

Don't listen to anybody on here, that includes you then i suppose. :p

Believe me it's not only the ppl who wants jobs in B737 and A320 that complain.
I've sent my CV to every job I saw (B737, A320 KingAir, even C204 and the likes) and still got no answer. The biggest problem for ppl with low hours is not knowing ppl in the right places. If I knew anyone in the right pplace of course I would have a job already.

Things ARE DIFFICULT at the moment for us, but if this is the dream of anyone... just go for it. It is wonderfull having the controls in your hands. It is addicting though... you'll spend the money you have and more...

Good luck

Good luck servicing those loans!

I'm not going to labour the point because as the opening post demonstrates perfectly, people will only hear what the want to hear. There's a dividing line between realism and optimism - be careful where you draw it.

There are jobs out there, not as many as we'd all like but they are there. Rather than follow the route of the masses and post your CV off to all the same agencies, look around different ones, hang around airfields, if you have the time, and don't forget to talk to as many people as possible.

Remember to stay positive, enjoy life and laugh at 90% of the things that are written on here and you will be OK.

You need to read or ook at OAA website. They tell you the story of whats really happening on the recruitment front. also if you look at 2009 they say they got 16 pilots into netjets. however they did not, because netjet cut 300 pilots and they are not flying for them currently.

OAA.com - Oxford Aviation Academy

On the front of pilot jobs. I know one pilot who got a lucky break as an instructor to air south west this year on the q400. type rating was paid for him as well. I know an another instructor who is still an instructor but doing some aerial photography work on a pa31. another lucky break.

so not much....

flyhighspeed300
 

I wish you would talk to scheduling for me to tell them I shouldn't be flying - would make watching the footie that much easier.

Honestly, some wannabes are deluded.

Jumbo744/RiggerParish

You really think that there are jobs out there ? You really think that by telling wannabes that they should go for it and remain positive then it'll all come out in the wash? So let me get this right, if every wannabe took your advice and trained then they'd all find jobs? In the good times when wannabes were being hired it was estimated that there were about 1200 - 1300 wannabes coming out of the sausage factories every year available for employment at any one time, now that there are "no jobs" do you really think there is a job for all those wannabes? Because essentially that is what you are saying.

If you think this is true then you are seriously deluded and anyone taking that advice needs locking up :ugh: