Is this really a good career choice?

[eagle5]

Just having second thoughts.

[palmfish]

Its not a wise career choice at all....and I wouldn't change a thing :-D

[RagMan]

I think that by posting this poll, you have already answered your own question. There's a huge line between flying as a hobby, and flying as a career. Everybody has a different opinion about flying and we all will tell you that. You have to figure out what YOUR opinion is on flying, and you shouldn't utilize our opinions to figure that out for yourself. Since you felt the need to post this kind of a question, you clearly do not have the desire to fly for a career.

 

I started out working for a utility operator ten years ago back in my senior year of high school. That's what kicked off my desire to want to fly as a career pilot. Washed helicopters, ran the fuel trucks, swept the hanger, and so forth. It was a kick in the ass! I figured the best way to become a pilot was through the Army's warrant program. After 6 months of washing helicopters, i enlisted and started out as a mechanic working on helicopters for about a year. Made it to a flight crew slot in short time and got to fly on the birds for the next four years. Got to the point where i nearly had my flight school packet ready to go, and then i had enough of the Army game. Had a hell of a time, enjoyed the experience and the flying, but i wanted to continue my flying on the civilian side. Left the military, attended college and went to flight school on government benefits. Last year i scored a position at my local flight school working around the hanger while i finished up my flight ratings. I acquired my flight instructor cert in December, and then a couple weeks ago was offered a tentative job flying utility for this summer.

 

Ten years.... Ten years it took me to get where I'm at. Ten years it took me to finally get to the point of being in a position to get a commercial job flying. It hasn't been easy. Its taken a lot of time, energy, effort, studying, motivation, pots of coffee, friends, support and everything else. Its a long and difficult journey, but one that I've enjoyed every second of. I knew that from the start, but i wasn't going to quit because i absolutely knew this is what i wanted to do as a career, and its something i STILL want to do as a career. Yeah, I'll make ok money doing it, but that's not why I'm doing it.

 

I'm doing it because i want to fly helicopters for a living.

[Rotortramp]

http://youtu.be/siu6JYqOZ0g

[JCM5]

Good stuff. I love Alan Watts.

 

http://youtu.be/siu6JYqOZ0g

[Counterrotate]

You have got to be kidding me. Let me tell you something brother. You have to really want to do this, and enjoy doing it more than anything else in the world, or be really rich, or this career is just not going to work for you. H-E-double hockey sticks, it might not work for you anyway. But let me ask you this: are the results of this poll going to influence whether or not you continue to pursue this as a career? Or are you just moping? This and other forums can be a hangout for hung-up aviators. There are lots of them out there. The bitter would-be's that didn't have the luck, the money, or the dedication required to make a career in helicopters happen. I have nothing against any of them as long as they don't blame the industry and don't try and bring anyone else down with them. Either you've got it in you or you don't. But the only person that can decide that is YOU.

[eagle5]

There are times I find myself envying that guy with the helicycle, and I just wanted to see if its just me?

[Counterrotate]

Heck, I envy the guy. I sure wish I had enough $$ to just fly for fun whenever I want. But then again, I also like working. It's cathartic. And enjoying what I do for money is very rewarding. I also like sharing my passion with others. You can't do that with a helicycle (well, youtube, but that hardly counts). There is no substitution for the real thing. And man, do I love what I do. There are definitely crummy sides to it. But it is no worse than most careers as far as money goes, considering the majority of Americans are below the poverty line. It's a bit competitive. And it costs the same as a college degree to get trained to minimum standards. But these days, a college degree is not a job guarantee any more than a CFII rating in helicopters is.

 

Edit: I take it back, the majority of Americans are not below the poverty line. I misread that statistic. The majority of Americans (58%) will spend at least one year below the poverty line sometime between the ages of 25 and 75.

[Azhigher]

I would do the exact same thing all over again. It's a wonderful feeling landing that first turbine job and realizing you made it, you actually made a career out of flying helicopters. Then once you have enough hours and experience to meet the qualifications for just about every operator (Besides utility) it's nice to know you've got plenty of options.

 

Can't imagine doing anything else and being as happy going to work everyday. Maybe you can though, maybe you should be doing something else. Who am I to say, really.

[Sonic04GT]

Its not a wise career choice at all....and I wouldn't change a thing :-D

 

Haha well put. Short and sweet.

[Whistlerpilot]

I'm very glad that I made the choice to become a helicopter pilot. My previous career was outdoor guiding, heliski/mountain guide and river guide. However looking back at how much effort time and money it took to break into this industry I don't think I would do it over again if I had to start from scratch. I love flying and am thankful to be where I am. It was a huge risk that worked for me.

 

I feel it's my responsibility to try to talk anyone out of becoming a pilot. That's what all the pilots I knew did for me. The actual stat is debatable but without doubt many more fail than succeed even with a big investment of money time and effort. I do believe that almost anyone can do it, but you need to really have the fire in your belly. It's worth the effort and I'm glad I did it, but do it all over again? Probably not. So glad it worked the first time.

 

I remember how desperate it feels to be a low timer looking for any break. My only advice is enjoy every stage of the process. I loved almost every minute of the adventure. You may not like the end result if you don't like the steps it takes to get there.

 

A poem from this summer.

 

Arctic tundra so vastly beautiful from helicopter view.

 

palmfish said it best...

[heligirl03]

Like AZ said, going from seemingly no options to "the world is your oyster" is definitely a mind game and something to be greatly appreciated. But so is the whole trip. If you don't have the indomitable fire, and you can picture yourself comfortably doing something else, you've answered your own question. The odds are against you to begin with. Personally, failure just was not an option. Coming up on 6yrs from my first flight on the controls, I never once doubted my path and I wouldn't change a thing.

[THE_COYOTE]

It's the most fun I have ever had with my clothes on! It can also be the most frustrating thing in the world. I wouldn't change a thing!

[Wally]

I feel sorry for the nuggets pulling tens of thousands of dollars in debt out of flight school, struggling for the next seat. But, I respect the guts it takes to get there.

 

If you make the call as a business decision, no, it's not worth it. There's another way to balance the equation- my hobby is my job. What's that worth, Tiger?

[eagle5]

http://youtu.be/siu6JYqOZ0g

 

Perhaps this would have made a better poll topic;

 

If money were no object, would you still persue a career as a pilot, or just fly as a hobby?

[avbug]

It's been said by someone wiser than I that if one does something one loves for one's vocation, one will never work another day in his life.

 

Think through that carefully.

 

I can't afford a multi million dollar aircraft to play with or to go fly. The only way I'm going to get to do that is to have someone pay for it for me. Good luck getting someone to donate several million dollars of aircraft to you as your personal toy, then give you the insurance, fuel, maintenance costs and everything else associated with it. Wouldn't that be a hoot?

 

What if you could get someone to not only do that, but give you spending money on top of that? What if you could get them to give you enough money that you didn't have to do anything else, or go get a job?

 

That would be called flying for a living.

 

When I talk with people about experiences, the comment I most often hear is "I wish I had experiences like that." The truth is that most people do, regardless of their vocation. They just don't see the remarkable in their lives. In aviation, however, it's hard to miss. The other comment I often get is "you should write a book." Working on that...but how often do you hear people saying that to accountants, tax attorneys, and others? Not so much.

 

Life isn't just about getting to the end. I'll tell you how it ends. You die.

 

If the goal is getting to the end, then the goal is to die. Not much of a goal. Everyone gets that anyway. The goal should be the getting there...and you need to ask yourself if you want to be happy getting there, or not.

 

The road to here has been a storybook one, with volumes of adventures, ups, and downs. I wouldn't trade a minute of it. I don't live like a king. I never will. I don't live like a pauper. I have. But that's life. That's also aviation. Most people would kill to have an office view like mine. I feel grateful for it every time I strap into my office. I work in the blazing heat and the freezing cold doing manual labor at my office, and I still feel grateful for it.

 

I've gone a lot of other work, from driving delivery trucks to armed guard to law enforcement to working in a candy factory, a rubber stamp factory, a greenhouse, and scrubbing supermarket floors. I cleaned theaters. I was an accountant. I worked in a stable, and on a farm. I baled hay. I serviced ATM's, taught high school. I was an EMT. None of those things, however, ever compared or had remotely the luster of a flying career. Many of them were supplementary to flying when I needed the supplement. Many were temporary, seasonal, or part time. There's nothing like showing up to work to hear "Why are you here? Why aren't you out doing something you love? I sure would be."

 

Second thoughts about what? The pay? Of course. Second thoughts about the transient nature of aviation? Good. Don't go into it blind. Second thoughts about the safety? Yes, there are hazards, and if you put them in play, they become risks. Learn to avoid that as you go. Second thoughts about whether you really want to be a pilot? Always second guess yourself. Today, ten years from now, three decades down the line.

 

For many years, I arrived out in the field at the start of the fire season and asked myself "What am I doing here? Why did I come do this again?" Then we got a fire, and the first fire of the season, the first time I smelled the smoke in the cockpit, I thought to myself "Oh yeah, I remember." It became crystal-clear again. I was back where I felt most at home, and everything else fell into place.

 

If there are questions, only you can answer them. I've spent a lot of years in aviation largely because I don't consider myself qualified to do anything else. Where else would I go?

 

I have a strong feeling that we have stewardships; we're given talents and opportunities in our lives, for which we're accountable. It would be a sin, if you will, to cast away those opportunities. Millions of others would give their left and right arms to have those opportunities, but they will never have them. We do. Billions of mankind has passed by the wayside over countless millenia, eyes to the sky, wishing they could do what the birds do. You can do that now; you have what billions of others could only wish for. It's in your grasp. Will you throw it away, or nurture it?

 

Your career is not an easy one, and it's choice you will be forced to re-evaluate often. Yes, there is an easier way...almost any way is easier than staying in aviation. Easiest does not mean best, and certainly does not mean best for you. The US Navy SEALs like to say that the only easy day was yesterday. It makes today all the sweeter.

 

30 years from now, would you rather be looking back at your life wishing you'd seen this journey through, or would you rather look back and count the hours, count the miles, and have a life full of memories that couldn't be had any other way, that couldn't be bought, and the experience that came with them indelibly imprinted in your soul? Your choice. Take your time. It's all you've got.

 

It's only life, after all.

[Spike]

I don’t want to arrive in my casket with an aura of regret and a well preserved body. I’d rather slide in sideways beat to crap illuminated by, “holey sh*t, that was an awesome ride!”

 

Some folks are meant to do this and some are not. Those who find the key and unlock their future gain the choice to remain, or leave. For those who cannot find the key will always be searching for it, forever…..

Edited February 1, 2013 by Spike

[JCM5]

“Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside in a cloud of smoke, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming “Wow! What a Ride!”

Hunter S. Thompson 1937-2005

 

^ Charles Bukowski

[eagle5]

Looks like we found the "type A" responses!

[Spike]

“Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside in a cloud of smoke, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming “Wow! What a Ride!”

Hunter S. Thompson 1937-2005

 

As a MX racer, I’d seen variations of this saying over the years but never really thought someone had actually quoted it….. Being it was Hunter Thomson, well…….. But thanks for the enlightenment.....

[heloidaho]

What is a type A response? I saw a lot of responses from people who have a passion about the career, despite its difficulties. Were you expecting a flood of people who had hopes and dreams crushed?

[eagle5]

What is a type A response? I saw a lot of responses from people who have a passion about the career, despite its difficulties. Were you expecting a flood of people who had hopes and dreams crushed?

 

Some of those last ones seemed to be from very focused, driven, people who gave me the impression of a fly for a living, or die trying attitude, which resembles that of a "type A" personality.

 

I wasn't expecting a flood of crushed dreamers (those people probably don't frequent sites like this). I was just wondering if there were many pilots out there that decided that the job flying wasn't what they thought/hoped it would be (since we do have a tendency to build things up in our minds) and wouldn't persue it again, given the opportunity?,...like the girl you put on a pedestal, only to find that she's a narsasistic, psycho, bitch, when you finally get a date!

[Nearly Retired]

Well, Eagle5 if that's who you're looking for, you found 'im! I wish I had quit this business years ago. Years. Before I got trapped into it. Yeah yeah, I know, "You should've done something different with your life then." Yes, I admit that it's my fault.

 

The trouble is, flying for a living is EASY. Despite what anyone tells you, once you've reached a certain level of proficiency it's not really difficult. For the 13 years I worked at PHI, I never once woke up thinking, "I wonder if I'll be able to do the job today?" On the contrary, I *knew* that I could handle whatever got thrown at me. It's the confidence that comes with being an experienced professional. So I stuck at it long after I should have quit and "done something different." Chalk it up to the "emotional momentum" of doing the only thing you're really trained for and good at. Or maybe chalk it up to pure laziness. Whatever.

 

Don't get me wrong- I love to fly. Love it. But it's a crappy career, let's face it. I wish I had quit flying for a living when I was in my 30's. Or 40's. I damn sure wish I hadn't waited until I was in my 50's.

 

And to follow up on something Avbug said: Don't ask anyone else if a certain career is "worth it' or right for you. If you do have to ask, it's probably the wrong one. If you *know* you want to fly, just fly. Find a way to make it work.

 

Just know when to quit

[eagle5]

And to follow up on something Avbug said: Don't ask anyone else if a certain career is "worth it' or right for you.

 

Trust me, I'm not asking that!

[JCM5]

As a MX racer, I’d seen variations of this saying over the years but never really thought someone had actually quoted it….. Being it was Hunter Thomson, well…….. But thanks for the enlightenment.....

 

Hah....yeah, he certainly lived by his words, albeit under different conditions than how we choose to do so.

 

 

As for the OP prompt, I don't think this is a question anyone can answer for you. And it was mentioned that if you have to generate a poll which might tip you to one side of the fence or the other, perhaps your mind is already made? Or maybe it's just thoughts in your head....no big deal either way.

 

I am a rookie in this game. Private pilot working on instrument/commercial with lifelong dreams to fly helicopters for a living. I'm walking away from a world of nepotism, business opportunities and guaranteed income to follow my heart. I quite literally found myself at a fork in the road with one very clear and certain future, and the other....well, here I am.

 

I had to battle setbacks from day one, as the FAA denied my application for medical certification and I went through a roughly 8 month appeal process to get a special issuance. It was a massive pain in the ass, and it was and remains to be very costly - both in financial terms and otherwise, but going forward it will not inhibit my capacity as an able and employable pilot under any application. Water under the bridge, if you will.

 

Short of death or incapacitation, nothing will stop me from achieving my goals. I used to watch helicopters fly over head when I was just a little sh*t not more than 4' tall, dreaming of being in the cockpit. The glow is still bright for me, and sure I might get hardened over the years but I know that even when my love becomes a job, it will still be what I love. I can't imagine going through the amount of hard work and dedication required to be successful in this field without knowing 100% it was where I wanted to be. And for certain, there is nothing else out there for me but this.

 

My future is an unpacked adventure, all the (pick)ups and (set)downs included.