You Can Be an Airline Pilot.

I left around 8 years ago maybe... it’s all a blur right now. I know shortly after I left there there were sign on bonuses approaching 100k paid out over a period of years at a regional. Starting pay has gone up considerably since I started in 1997. I never flew with anyone on food stamps, even in the early days. I haven’t been following the industry closely but I know my buddies who have moved on to delta, southwest and fed ex are making an extremely comfortable living that cannot be mirrored in its benefits, time off, and perks in any aspect by a job in the trucking industry, period. And you never have to pee in a bottle.

 

From what I read, those who can stick it out do make very good money, but it's getting increasingly hard to even get that entry level job and then make it financially.

I'm in a similar situation where I went to college for Computer Security. The high end jobs in that field pay very well and they also always whining about a shortage of qualified people. It's insanely hard to break into that field however and I ran out of time and money to do it.

Now I'm back in trucking trying to make the best of my situation now with debt which really sucks.

 

I hear your frustration but it sounds like through it all you are doing a good job of trying to keep a positive attitude. I sincerely hope you can find both success, happiness and an avenue to become debt free.

 

Airlines won't accept new entrants that are my age.

And truck drivers earn more than airline pilots. With less responsibility.

 

I wish I would've had enough years left (51 y.o.) to pursue a career in aviation after deciding to put an end to my tech career - so I went with truck driving instead. I know...not sure how the two existed in the same decision analysis, but they did and I'm ok with my current journey.

 

No ... wrong ... drivers have more responsibility.

I don't see pilots dodging four wheelers to avoid accidents or having to deal with other idiot pilots trying to park their airbus in the spot next to another truck and take out the hood and a tire on the truck next to them.

 

Airline pilots have an easy job, until the SHTF. It's not easy to be ready to respond appropriately when the SHTF. Especially when it only happens to one in ten thousand pilots. And 40+ people trust their lives to only two people who have never had to deal with that problem before in real life.

For reference:

Colgan Air Flight 3407 - Wikipedia

 

Pilot training is intense. Captains go every 6 months for recurrent training in a level D full motion simulator and are run through numerous failures and scenarios. The SHTF daily in airline operations to some degree but we never hear about it thanks to the professionalism and in depth training and experience of those at the controls. Colgan was an unfortunate exception to this general rule. The captain on that flight had a questionable training history and slipped through the cracks. Fatigue also was an issue. I think captain Sully would agree as would the crew of that recent southwest flight that handled a catastrophic inflight engine failure with the highest degree of professionalism.

 

Colgan 3407 was pilot error, pure and simple.

 

The only reason he even quit..
He makes $350,000 at CRE Training 2 Students at a time.