What is your 2nd career?
 

It seems having a backup career, or a career to help build capital to fund training is very important...

What do you guys do?

Magician - certainly has something in common with flying -
Money vanishes - YouTube - Johnny Alexander Magic Show Productions PART 4

:ugh:

Photographer.....not as much fun as flying tho :ooh:

I would say in the instructing world for a significant number of people the instructing is their 2nd job. Else they would have no house nor food to eat.

It seems having a backup career, or a career to help build capital to fund training is very important...

Sherlock,

If you have no funds to pay for you fATPL, then I would hardly call your ONLY career a back up?

If you want some advice, some concrete advice, then tell us a little bit more about yourself. I can't really see where this question is going. If you get replies back saying "accountants", "doctors" etc, then would you really go to UNI to get a degree so you get a well paid professional career to then fund your flight training?

On the other hand, during ATPLs, I've read that security work is the best option. 12 hours a day of reading your books - probably more than full time ATPLs do.

I do Security 12 hours a day and door work on the weekend. Good money and it gives me plenty of time to study during the 12 hour shift :ok::ok:

A lot of flight crew have had previous careers, some professional, and you could say they were a 'back up' in as much as you could fall back on them in hard times in the flying world. But they started out on a different career path and changed to flying later on.

These days, it doesn't make sense to go to uni and run up debts just to have a back up career, then go and run up even more debt on flying training.

If I was 18 and looking to finance flying training, it consider something like the armed forces/emergency services for a few years. Training and back-up skills for free, half decent pay and something that future aviation employers would look favourably on.

Professional Gamer :ok:

(Make a search for Epsilon Eps Vaz on Google).

Says you paid $70,000 for some virtual real estate. I can offer you a virtual PPL, CPL, ATPL for $100,000 and I'll chuck in a virtual plane as well.

Technology Manager for one of the UK Mobile Telco's, pays the bills and gives me plenty of time to study when in the back seats of the 737/RJ100 on way to Bonn each week :-)

Blimey! that was very impressive, As much as i like tigers i wish the lady had stayed:ok:

Contract Manager.

No I wont go into specifics! :cool:

Also have a small web design company that I started during down time when training due bad WX etc.

The Contract Manager thing should never have happened, I'm just one of those many many low houred guys constantly sniffing around for the first flying job! The web design is a bit of a hobbie that can make some money occasionally

P206

Army helicopter pilot. I fancy the change to civvie fixed wing and my knees are knackered from too much marching.

Hi Floater AAC,
Hope you dont mind me asking. Are the Army recruiting pilots?? Does a F/ATPL count for much if trying to join?? I`m ex-Fleet Air Arm ground crew and 32 yrs:confused:

Hi,

Yes the Army need more pilots, but they are rather inflexible about the way they join, regardless of civilian experience. You are at or slightly above the maximum age to begin normal flying training even before you joined. That said your previous service might help. The best way to be sure is through a recruiting office and getting them to speak directly to AAC MCM in Glasgow. What ever happens, good luck. I have had some amazing flying experiences in military flying but its time for me to move on.:ok:

My second career is in recruitment... That is, trying to find my first career :}

IT consultant... have worked with one of the UK's mobile telcos (west Berkshire not Hertfordshire) but probably not the same one as 122.85!

Quacksalver and purveyor of tonics :}

JR

I did a degree, then worked in shipping for nearly 15 years before escaping to an airline. Boring as hell, but it paid the bills while I trained.

Really, any steady job that pays reasonable money and gives you enough free time to study and/or fly would be fine. Even better would be a trade that you could fall back on if the flying didn't work out.

I.T Manager at yet another Telecomms company (Swedish one though).
Gave it up last year to concentrate fully on ATPL's.

Professional Football Player - League 2

I work in a school. This means plenty of holidays ;)

Thanks Floater AAC very interesting:ok:

IT Contractor

Professional Football Player - League 2

BSmuppet...please tell me its Aldershot Town!!!

Aeronautical engineer...

Just want to point out something about the loans, which i am looking into atm to fund my training.
Your job/degree affects how much loan you can take out. Even though the loans available are a straight equity exchange on your parents home, if you dont have a high earning potential or your parents dont have enough disposable income to pay the loan payments you may be refused on the loan or be offered a lower amount to what you requested.

So i would bare that in mind when you look towards a secondary career.

aero engineer
 

Same as above poster ak224, full time job as engineer.

Good money which lets me fly regularly and keep current, good holiday allowance and also flexitime which means plenty time off for studying/brush ups and exams, working towards gaining chartership in the next few years so I have a solid career to fall back on should I ever lose my Class 1, also saving hard so unlikely to ever need to get into much debt through loans (perhaps CDL though if needed)

You'll find quite a few pilots have other forms of income other than the pilot salary. A number of pilots in my airline (F/Os and Captns) have fingers in other pies.

Often, those who have had previous careers can keep their hand in, and others go on to start other businesses.

For one thing it assists in the relatively low salary that pilots now take home, keeps up the standard of living, and second, it is always good to have another career if the airline you are in ceases to be.

Thought I haven't started flying yet, I'm currently a teacher in Korea. I've got great benefits and I love working with kids. If the flying thing doesnt work out later, I've always got a job here to fall back on