What would you tell your younger self before deciding to start a career in aviation?

[acroav8r]

Saw this in another aviation forum, figured I would copy it in the helicopter forum. I'm definitely interested to hear what you guys have to say. This is just a copy and paste from a fixed wing forum lol.

 

Let's say you had a chance to meet your younger you when at that time you decided you wanted to have a career in aviation.

 

What is one advice or warning you give your younger self who wants to start a career in aviation (not just the pro-pilot careers but any kind of aviation related career)? If you had been working in aviation for a long time, what piece of advice or warning would you give your younger self that your younger self didn't know about or expect when deciding on an aviation career?

[RagMan]

Start working out at the airport during high school. That was my first job for me that began my aviation career. Though I was working at a utility helicopter company at the time. Best job in high school to ever have! That's a good way to get them around flying, aircraft, the atmosphere revolving around aviation and to see how they react and feel about the career paths available.

[adam32]

Get your private in high school. Become a warrant officer after graduation. Put in your time or make it a career.

[r22butters]

Don't do it!

Don't do it!!

For the love of God...

DON'T DO IT!!!!!

 

Just get your Private and do something else for a living!

 

...and ask out that red-head who lives at the other end of the hall, a blind man could tell she likes you!

 

Merry Christmas/Happy New Year

Butters

 

 

 

Younger r22butters likes this

Edited December 29, 2014 by vertrefadmin

[Little Bird]

Patience. Have a bit more money than you thought. Patience. Network, or if you can't do that, be friendly to everyone you meet because you never know who your next Boss might be. Patience. Don't post stupid s$)t on Facebook. Patience. And save a little more money...

[Spike]

*****CAUTION******

 

 

Some of the responses will be from folks who have never had a career in the aviation industry. Sadly, their opinions will be obvious and probably why they will never work a day in the industry……

Edited December 27, 2014 by Spike

[Flying Pig]

We have a high school program affiliated with Embry Riddle that comes through with about 30 kids every couple of months. The A&Ps do their brief, then I do mine. One of the things I try to convey is that I tell them "If you want a career in aviation, you need to go home tonight, sit for a while, and decide now to go 100% towards it, or decide to do something else. If you decide you want it, from today forward, everything about you needs to compliment you reaching that goal. This is not a career path for late comers."

 

Oh... and yeah.... and as a helicopter pilot, the red head will be kicking down your door.

 

 

EDIT: Let me clarify, because I received a PM asking me. I did not mean to imply that age had anything to do with it. Age 17 with nothing holding you back is a much better age to start this journey than at age 30 with a spouse, kids in school and a mortgage. If I was asked this by a group of older people who have already started their lives, I would tailor my response to meet what they need to hear.

Edited December 27, 2014 by Flying Pig

[r22butters]

*****CAUTION******

 

 

Some of the responses will be from folks who have never had a career in the aviation industry. Sadly, their opinions will be obvious and probably why they will never work a day in the industry……

 

So this is the advice you would give to your younger self?

 

...interesting.

[Flying Pig]

No, he was talking about you

[HighCountry]

Stop and think about it, but if you can't imagine doing anything else, commit 100%, lean forward and enjoy the ride.

[Pohi]

This probably doesn't apply to most people, but I would tell myself to not worry so much about what's next and to really enjoy where you are.

 

Don't get me wrong, I had a blast wherever I was and with whatever I was flying, but I also spent a lot of wasted time and anxiety worrying about how I was going to get into the next airframe.

 

Since I've stopped worrying about that, life is much less stressful.

 

I still plan ahead and set myself up for other opportunities and challenges, but I don't make that process an obsession.

 

That used to drive my ex wife nuts, it was a relief for her when I was on hitch because her boyfriend didn't talk so much about what they wanted to fly next.

 

Which brings me to another thing I would tell myself... don't marry a pilot.

[r22butters]

No, he was talking about you

 

Then I suggest he re-read the topic sentence!

[Spike]

 

Then I suggest he re-read the topic sentence!

 

 

What would I tell myself?

 

For starters;

 

-Never be a poser wannabe…..

-Listen to those who came before you…..

-Never talk about anything you have no clue about…..

-When a question is asked, read the question carefully and understand what is being asked….

-Never read into questions….

-Understand the definition of “career”……

-When you archive your goals, give back to help others and caution them about folks who fail……

-Gain CFII certification and find a job ASA-f’n-P…..

-Have fun…..

 

Any questions?

Edited December 27, 2014 by Spike

[r22butters]

[Fred0311]

I'd tell younger me not to enlist but to do better in high school and then go to a good college. And then commission and fly as an officer. But he wouldn't listen... Instead he'd go enlist in the marines and gain the life experience and discipline neccesary to atleast achieve initial success in aviation.

 

Edit: and I'd tell him not to be so hung up on that one redhead. There'll be plenty more...

Edited December 27, 2014 by Fred0311

[Spike]

Seriously…..

 

I say the same thing I’ve said here about 1000 other times. To simplify, follow the path most frequently taken by those who’ve succeeded….

 

However, when considering where I am today and where I’d like to be, I’d suggest this; join the military and fly heavies. After a good amount of experience, go IP then, IP in light singles. Once discharged, go seek heavy positions and through your career, work backwards to light singles or light twins….. This simply means, when you’re young, you can easy accept chasing heavy contracts wherever they may go. While flying heavies, bank some coin while bouncing from place-to-place on the company dime. As you age, life changes and planting roots becomes a necessity. If you can root-up while working a .Gov job flying mediums, even better.

 

Lastly, marry the girl at the hair solon because without her, none of it will be possible.

Edited December 27, 2014 by Spike

[Flying Pig]

I find that dancers make great wives. They can find work most anywhere a helicopter pilot could.

[avbug]

I started flying in high school, and have been actively engaged in the industry ever since. Looking back to the young self who got me here, I'd say don't change a thing. Thanks. Fly safe. Eat. Breathe. It all works out.

[Flying Pig]

I started flying Gliders in HS. I would ask girls if they wanted to go flying on a Saturday. Most didnt believe me until we ended up at the airport. Only one yacked

[Wally]

Get the degree.

[Nearly Retired]

Let's say you had a chance to meet your younger you when at that time you decided you wanted to have a career in aviation.

 

What is one advice or warning you give your younger self who wants to start a career in aviation (not just the pro-pilot careers but any kind of aviation related career)? If you had been working in aviation for a long time, what piece of advice or warning would you give your younger self that your younger self didn't know about or expect when deciding on an aviation career?

 

 

I think it would be that the "fun" wears off - that it becomes a job. Oh, it's okay when you're young and you're happy-go-lucky, I'm-getting-paid-to-fly, isn't-this-great! You think that life cannot get any better than this! But you can get blinded by that. You don't realize - or don't care - that employers really do take advantage of the fact that we love to fly.

 

You don't realize the significance of the fact that there is NO "retirement" in our industry, that YOU have to be responsible for your own retirement plan. Things don't magically take care of themselves. And if you're only making "just enough" money to get by on, it's pretty damn hard to put money away for the future. But you have to. One day you'll go for your flight physical and the AME will come into the exam room with a bad expression on his face, telling you that either your flying days are *over* - OR - you face a long and expensive battle to get your privileges back. "Oh, but Bob, that won't happen to *me*!" That's right, not you, oh no.

 

Or maybe I'd tell myself about the lack of job stability in this industry. And how every time you change jobs you zero-out your sick leave and vacation time. And you WILL change jobs. A lot. The company will go under, or they'll sell the helicopter, or they'll dissolve the flight department, or change vendors, or they'll lose the contract...you name it, the list goes on.

 

Or maybe I'd tell myself about the wacky schedules we maintain, and about how missing Thanksgiving and birthdays and anniversaries and other important holidays might not seem so important *now* but absolutely will when we have a wife and kids at home wondering where daddy is while they're opening presents on Christmas morning. Or the pain of hearing from your wife how your child took his/her first steps or said their first word while you were off at work in some godforsaken place because you put flying above everything else - certainly above...you know...people.

 

I'd tell myself to think long and hard about the sacrifices you have to make in this industry, and the toll they will take on your family and your relationships.

[eagle5]

Finish the degree!

 

On second thought.

 

First change majors to something that's actually marketable, then finish the degree.

 

Helicopters will always be there, but the window of opportunity to go to college is a lot shorter than it seems.

Edited December 28, 2014 by eagle5

[Azhigher]

Not a darn thing.

[rotormandan]

 

Get all ratings at school. Private through Cfii. Get atp if possible while still teaching if possible.

 

Explain that you will be gone a lot.

 

Suggest if you have any interest in utility to persue that from the beginning. Such as go to flight school near mountains in the NW or the Rockies and continue networking from there. Also get a job as ground crew for a utility company while working on ratings and be over ambitious. Do more then required. Old guys like when young guys aren't scared to work.

 

That way you can put up with the schedule (or lack of) while young and by the time you have a family and actually want to be home most nights, you can move on to a more "boring" job for the family life that's more important.

 

It's hard to be motivated to persue utility work with a family, even if it's the type of flying you want to do.

 

Listen to the old guys. They're alive and have suceeded for a reason.

 

Have fun. If you don't have fun flying then get an office job for more money and a better schedule.

[Spike]

Degree?........

Then I’d just tell myself, instead of helicopter training, take the 20K and invest it a little upstart called Microsoft…….