Donttakeittoheart, that's a new take on getting out of aviation. You seem to still have the passion for flying, so you will probably be back. There are a lot better places to work in this industry than stuck in some remote corner of the country where the nearest large city is actually in Indonesia.

Your career hasn't let you down. Flying is still the same as it always has been, but the ground hassles to deal with seem to get worse. Perhaps you just need a change of scenery.

if you have the hours, get an RAAus endorsement, then instructor rating, and get your paid flying fix that way, everyone knows theres a shortage of EXPERIENCED instructors. its a cheaper way into a paid flying job. sure it wont be enough to live in if you have responsibilites such as a mortgage etc, but its still flying you get, and a bit of pocket money to continue your passion.

And RAA-Aus could do with an injection of GA experience. Good idea :ok:

For every pilot that chucks it in, there's another out there for whom this fuels their fire to keep plugging away towards their goals or just to be thankful for the opportunities they've been given.

Someone said madness is doing the same thing many times expecting a different result. GA is just the same thing over and over and the result stays the same. GA is madness. Nobody needs to feel bad for bowing out. Especially if you had a good crack at it.

Aviation is like a crack habit... only more expensive

Can also ruin you for years after you have given it up.

Whentostop,
Thought about a career from the other side of the mic? Brisbane and Melbourne centre always need more good people, especially those who've seen a bit of the real world...

Air traffic controller | Airservices

ATC is something I would love to do but I don't have what it takes I would say.

Those guys and girls are under the pump 24/7 and I take my hat off to them.

Maybe CASA would be a little less stressful!

No, you're not under the pump 24/7. You don't know whether you've got the aptitude til you have a crack :ok: It's not a career that has a specified entry criteria (well, it sorta has, but if you've got a CPL). Year 10 & proud :ok:

Whentostop,

Second Jack Rangas' remarks. Don't sell yourself short.

The knowledge you have acquired is invaluable to ATC.

I highly recommend giving it a crack.:}

And in a tower you get to spend your day criticizing everyone else' s landing.

KeepitRolling (700 hrs)

That's if u can pass the aptitude test

That's it. I wouldn't pass the aptitude test now, guaranteed. In fact several current ATC's have failed it recently. It is a crock of you know what. There are ways of preparing for it though :ok:

Don't want to change the thread topic, but... Having spent a bit of time in 2 different control towers, I'm 100% certain I couldn't do it. Way to much going on for my stress meter

Stress
 

Stress?

I've seen the guy working at the Maccas register 'stressed out'.

Different people find different things stressful. I'm sure ATC to some people wouldn't find it as stressful as some other things in life.

It's all about how you manage it :ok:

Good luck in whichever career path you take! :ok:

Chucking it in?

Yeah i did that back before Xmas last year. After 45 years of trying to make a living, and nearly 15,000 hrs of flight time, I had found that the fire had gone out. So I gave up hope of ever making my fortune.

Now in a new job, I am working on my second million dollars.







Given up on ever making the first million, so I am going straight for the second.:8

Chuck
 

I also think about it (throw'n it in) every so often. Sometimes it helps me when I think about a refueler who found out that I hadn't finished my atpls and then offered to pay for me to finish them with Nathan. I think he was sincere, and I truly had only known (R) for a few weeks. There is a lot of passion through aviation. It is a one-of-a-kind job. Good luck with your decision.

Oh, so you retired then?

It's not the career it used to be. It's heading in one direction only. People simply don't want to pay to fly and we don't have oil fields to fill our airplanes up.

Once upon a time if you made it to an airline you would eventually fly a widebody and have overnights around the world. This is no longer the case. If you want to do that you will have to leave Australia full stop. Even that however is a debacle with licences and medicals etc. Plenty of great expat stories getting around! Not overly keen on the desert or inland China for that matter.

Compounding this is that these days, not even the guy in the left seat gets any respect (Australia). Many a time I've watched Cabin Crew, Refuellers, Middle Management publically (*cringe*) speak to Captains as thought they were beneath them or some bogan that wandered in wearing flip flops. It's out of control. CRINGEWORTHY.

If I personally was in GA, regionals..whatever (lowish paying) I'd be looking to change industries. For me, I'm counting down the days til I can hand my sh!t back.

People are stunned when I say this, it's nearly considered blasphemy in a cockpit! I clarify to friends that I love the machine and the guys I fly with but what the industry has become is not something I desire to be involved in forever anymore (you know like the guys that could retire but just do it for the love).

There is no way in hell, if I had my time over, that I would do it again.

Parts were fun, parts were terrifying and soul destroying but if you think the aviation path and career are privileged or great these days you need to get out more or get a different circle of friends.

In the end, Air Asia and all these cheap sh!t outfits will dominate the skies and people will sit smugly in the back thinking it's not that much different from Qantas happy with the fact they saved $20. Good luck to them but that's not what will save them from their mortgage troubles in the end. Good career selection at 18 years of age on the other hand will.

Good luck with it.

I did 30 odd years in what arguably was the best time in GA. From new Barons, Chieftains, Islanders, Queenairs, Kingairs to Challengers. Thrown in was Chief Pilot and C&T.

The fire did not go out, the money in GA dried up. Airlines did not appeal. I was told that I was too experienced in one informal chat over a beer with an AOC holder!!

So I have spent the last 20 odd years helping others start their dream in GA.

I could talk to my peers in CASA without any them and us mentality.

But last year was time to quit. I enjoyed my 50 odd years in GA, but would dread starting out now with the forever changing goal posts.

I did miss the flying, but not the times when I had to descend from clear blue skies down through the red and yellow.

But I can still fly as SLF and critique the flight with my First Mate.