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We used to have a lot of hopper flights in the area. Those have declined and in fact our local airport does not even have service anymore and the FAA delisted it and the tower closed down. The reason for this is because many of the airlines had mandentory retirements taking place and needed to feed as many trained pilots into the system as they could. What I see is pilots moving up faster toward the better routes. Smaller routes are shutting down. In Santa Barbara they cut the amount of flights and most that are left are the in demand routes. With a lack of pilots in the system the smaller feeder lines had no choice but to cut the amount of flights available. I wish I had multi engine time. Then again I am almost 50 and by the time I were to build my hours up, find a job, and move thru the system I would be too old to fly. LOL
I have an attorney friend who retired in his 50's. Over the past 20 odd years, he acquired around 4,000 hours flying, and has his ratings up through the ATP. On a lark, at age 57, he applied to Skywest, not thinking he had a snowball's chance of getting hired. Skywest hired him, and he's currently in ground school for the CRJ.
I guess even though he only has 8 years of Part 121 flying until age 65, Skywest figures it's worth the investment.
Because of the 1500 hour rule, the regionals are desperate. Anyone with the hours stands a good chance of being hired.
There's also a retired surgeon who writes for Flying Magazine, who has a second career flying business jets for a Part 135 charter operator. I think he's close to 70.
I have an attorney friend who retired in his 50's. Over the past 20 odd years, he acquired around 4,000 hours flying, and has his ratings up through the ATP. On a lark, at age 57, he applied to Skywest, not thinking he had a snowball's chance of getting hired. Skywest hired him, and he's currently in ground school for the CRJ.
I guess even though he only has 8 years of Part 121 flying until age 65, Skywest figures it's worth the investment.
Because of the 1500 hour rule, the regionals are desperate. Anyone with the hours stands a good chance of being hired.
There's also a retired surgeon who writes for Flying Magazine, who has a second career flying business jets for a Part 135 charter operator. I think he's close to 70.
And the thing is, these guys are not flying for the money, they are flying because they like it. Damn hard to compete with guys like this and still make any money.
And the thing is, these guys are not flying for the money, they are flying because they like it. Damn hard to compete with guys like this and still make any money.
A good supplemental income to whatever they acquired during their non-flying, professional career years.
With "doable retirement" quickly becoming a myth nowadays, I wouldn't be too shocked any more when it comes to encountering older folks still doing some sort of work.
If they could perform just as well as some young hot-shot chasing skirts, then they should keep doing what they're doing by all means.
Didn't have the money and wasn't really close to any aircraft related instruction(flying or maintenance) schools where I lived when I was 17-27.
Now I'm 31 and making enough bread to be able to make some of this a reality.
Whether it's saving up money through the current job and getting the ratings when you hit the mark, or working and paying off a loan taken out, make it happen if you want it bad enough.
As far as the original question goes, I'll just go with what some of the other posters mentioned.
Either surviving like a poverty-stricken college kid, or doing the flying thing as a part-time gig in complement to a higher paying, non flying gig.
Are you telling me the guy in charge of keeping my and my family's asses safely 30,000-40,000 ft in the air traveling 400-500 mph is making 15 freaking thousand dollars a year?!?! Please tell me I'm confused about something. Pretty please cause otherwise I can never fly again.
As far as the original question goes, I'll just go with what some of the other posters mentioned.
Either surviving like a poverty-stricken college kid, or doing the flying thing as a part-time gig in complement to a higher paying, non flying gig.
If only they'd let them fly part time. Not many days home on a regional schedule, and most have a baseline they won't let them go under due to inadequate staffing these days.
Quote:
Originally Posted by NaleyRocks
Are you telling me the guy in charge of keeping my and my family's asses safely 30,000-40,000 ft in the air traveling 400-500 mph is making 15 freaking thousand dollars a year?!?! Please tell me I'm confused about something. Pretty please cause otherwise I can never fly again.
If you are on a 76 seat or less airplane, the guy in the right seat could very well be making around $25k or less. There you have it. Left seat will be making $60k and above normally. That's what cheap tickets gets ya.
Are you telling me the guy in charge of keeping my and my family's asses safely 30,000-40,000 ft in the air traveling 400-500 mph is making 15 freaking thousand dollars a year?!?! Please tell me I'm confused about something. Pretty please cause otherwise I can never fly again.
What you say is true but it's also irrelevant. They fly because they like it, and crashing sucks for them more than for you.
Ever go flying with a hobby pilot? They are not getting any money and are paying their own expenses. But they don't want to crash either.
If the airlines offered up part-time (true part-time, not just bidding reserve as a senior guy, or dropping trips) they'd get this ATP rated pilot back in the cockpit.
I love flying, but make to much money sitting at a desk to just up and quit.
If the airlines offered up part-time (true part-time, not just bidding reserve as a senior guy, or dropping trips) they'd get this ATP rated pilot back in the cockpit.
I love flying, but make to much money sitting at a desk to just up and quit.
That's what I'm typically debating when it comes to getting into the financial struggle of becoming a commercial helicopter pilot.
It cost me about $4000 to get my CDL commercial license and now I'm bringing in between $40,000 and $60,000 a year just toting around the white gold.
While flying seems like an awesome job, the length of time to deal with the sudden pay-cut is just one of those things that keeps myself and others from making the "big leap".
$50,000/year and little-to-no-debt, to $24,000/year and possibly $80,000+ in heavy debt after getting training and getting by with whatever low-time gig pops up makes the pill a bit too hard to swallow.
And so much for the part-time gig being an option to supplement ones other, non-flying job.
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