Woohoo!

[Platapus]

Just remember that gravity is a cruel mistress.....and she always has the last word

Nice to hear that Steel Tomb. I know of some people who have gone through pilot training. Some have done it specifically to become commercial pilots which, as I've heard, pays quite well.

Periscope Depth,

are you sure about that, although I've heard that too. Not to discourage anyone who is becoming a pilot.

[PeriscopeDepth]

Originally Posted by OneToughHerring

Periscope Depth,

are you sure about that, although I've heard that too. Not to discourage anyone who is becoming a pilot.

To start this gloomy segment, some context:
http://www.reuters.com/article/rbssA...27962220080623

I am speaking from a perspective of US airlines and what I know. It may be different in the UK. I am not a part of the industry, but know several people who are. This isn't meant to discourage people who want to be a professional pilot, it is meant to inform people with what is happening in the industry right now. Granted, the industry is very cyclical and could get better tommorow, but it looks like the extraordinarily high cost of oil has permanently changed the structure of the industry, and there is no light at the end of the tunnel just yet.

Getting all your licenses and getting to the point where you can get hired by a regional airline costs roughly $50K here. And that gets you (assuming you are able to be hired by a regional airline, not many are hiring anymore. The hiring boom that occured ~2005 is largely over now.) an FO job at a regional. You are now making ~$20K a year, hopefully you haven't taken a big loan out to pay for your training expenses. You will work long days and only get paid for the time you actually spend in the airplane. You will likely be furloughed a few times, and furlouging in the US is rough as you start at the bottom of the ladder again making ~$20K a year once you are able to find another airline hiring.

Reading Internet forums that are supposed to help newbies into the industry (jetcareers being one of them) is getting depressing. It is a bunch of newer pilots working long hours at regionals, not getting paid squat, and in constant fear of having to find a new job and if they will be able to. It's a lot worse if you have debt from flight training they need to pay at the same. A lot of them are saying stuff like, "I love flying, but hate commercial aviation." They do not recommend anyone taking the plunge into the industry without a college degree and real world job experience (~2 years) to fall back on if it doesn't work out.

Granted, it's a great job once you get to the heavy metal making a decent salary and working 2 weeks out of 4. But it's a long way to the top if you want to rock and roll. I guess it's deciding if you think a poor quality of life and being poor for 2-10 years before you can get picked up by a major airline is worth it.

And like I said, you live in the UK so this might not even apply to you. I would talk to people who are in the commercial aviation industry in that country now (NOT flight schools, they are trying to sell you a product when you get down to it).

Edit: Or do you live in the UK Herring?

PD

[mrbeast]

Good for you Steel_Tomb, and good luck with the pilot training

[SUBMAN1]

Originally Posted by PeriscopeDepth

Use airnav.com and it'll tell you prices at your local airport, providing its not some small dirt runway.

PD

Thanks for the link. I'm going to bookmark that one!

-S

PeriscopeDepth,

I live in Finland. Here if one gets into the right school I guess it's at least cheaper to become a pilot although I guess in order to find work one has to be ready to go abroad. And work is sparce, I know of one guy who flies somewhat shoddy planes in South America. So getting a foothold in the industry is tough. Not that it's necessarily that more easier in any line of business, one has to, as they say, pay the dues.

At least in UK if you have the needed money they will train you to be a pilot. No application, passing of entrance examination needed, just cash. Although I guess it helps to know stuff about flying and pass the tests in the training etc.

[Steel_Tomb]

Well I went down to visit Conington airfield today, loved it. Just been around aviation is intoxicating makes you feel like a two year old. If I could afford it this month I'd have gone for a flight there and then. Instead I sat down in the public seating chatting to a few pilots and eating a bacon sarnie with a brew... life don't get much better than that lol.

There was a nasty crosswind over the active runway too, so all the student pilots who came in got caught out by it, the lads next to me were taking the piss lol evil people. "Oh oh oh... oh! Made a right balls up of that one!":rotfl::rotfl:

...

In a few months they will probably be saying that about my flying! lol!

[Jimbuna]

Good luck...I'll be sure to duck my head the next time a small prop passes over the garden

[Steel_Tomb]

"The altantic waters were strangely calm as Balz climbed up to the conning tower. Out of the clouds a Cessna 152 screams down flying over the boat at speed before disappearing once again into the clouds. "ALLLAARMM! Verr dammit!" shouted Balz "I'll shoot that Steel_Tomb myself when I get back to Brest!"

:rotfl::rotfl:

"Radio message recieved...."

From: BDU
Message follows: All U-Boats in the North Atlantic theatre of operations, be aware a small aircraft has been sighted buzzing U-Boats off the English coast, you are to seek out and destroy this aircraft"

Lol...