Anyone here a PILOT? Considering a career change........

[UT-Longhorn]

Any pilots here? I am currently in the corporate world and work by DFW airport and catch myself staring out the window alot at the big airliners flying overhead. Im considering a career change and going and getting my wings--anyone here have them? Anyone recommend a good flight school that can take me from private to ATP?

Another thing I was considering was the Military and going that route to get my wings and time built up. Would you go the military route or stay the civilian route? Anyone know the outlook for pilots in the future? Will it be saturated with pilots or will we need more? Just looking for thoughts on this career........

 

[rc conditioner]

my girlfriend works for alaska airlines and the company is asking the pilots to take a 30% paycut

business not doing so well.

Don't let this discourage you though, I'm just sharing some info with you.


hope that helps.

 

[fletcher]

WELL I HEAR THE TRAPPING AND FUR TRADING BUSINESS IS GETTING TO HIT THE DOW, SO IF YOU GET UP THERE QUICK THEY WILL EVEN THROW IN BUSH FLYING LESSONS AND THEY WILL EVEN GIVE YOU A NICE PAIR OF BOOTS WITH THE FUR AROUND THE TOP, MIGHT WANT TO LOOK INTO THAT ALSO ALL THE STERNO YOU CAN DRINK. HEY FUR BOY WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN YOUR HOUSE AND MINE BESIDES YOUR STICK ROOF, YOU HAVE THE LITTLE FADED GREEN PLASTIC BATHROOM WITH THE BLUE WATER THAT THEY CHANGE ONCE A MONTH AND MINE IS CONNECTED TO THE HOUSE:lol: :lol: :lol: NICE SMILE I THOUGHT YOU HAD 3 TEETH MUST HAVE THEM SOAKING IN THE JAR:thefinger

 

[marine]

If youwant to know about military pilots I am the man you need to talk to.

Age?
Education level?

those are the two big factors for you right now to be a pilot in the military. If you want to seriously consider it, drop me a note here and I can give you my number to call me and I will tell you everything you need to know and then some.

 

[dawgball]

My bother-in-law graduated from Emory-Riddle, probably the best flight school in the world, last year. He has completed his mandatory hours and taken the additional 737 training. He graduated very high in his class. The bad news is that he is not even getting sniffed for a job. There are so many out of work pilots that someone trying to get in the industry is out of luck. There are pilots who have 10 years experiece out there who are basically flying for free just to maintain their hours capacity.

The industry is bound to improve but right now it is one of the worst industries to be in.

The military is probably the safest way financially to go right now.

 

[dawgball]

To add: He completed his mandatory hours through a FEdEx subsidary in Puerto Rico--bascially an internship. Once he completed his internship and the company would have to pay him full salary, he was gone.

His girlfriend also graduated from Emory-Riddle, but she focused on flight instruction. She has a very nice paying starter job right now in the upper eastern portion of the US.

 

[marine]

Navy Air:

Schooling: 18-24 months in duration depending on the platform type you fly. Anything from helos, to patrol/surveillance, to fighter/attack/strike jets.

Committment: 8 years upon completion of school

Starting salary: ~$40,000
Salary at 4 years: $62,000
Salary at 8 years: $72,000

Perks:
-FREE Medical and Dental insurance for you and immediate family
-30 days PAID vacation each year. If you dont use it, it rolls over to the next year
-Tuition assistance for higher education, 12 credits per year are paid for in full by the Navy.
-LOW cost life insurance
-Worldwide travel
-Tax benefits, approx 70% of your pay is taxable
-Leadership experience
-Promotions and pay raises
-Pride
-Chance to be stationed anywhere in the world
-When you move, the military picks up the costs associated with moving your household and family.
-Job Security

- Training at the world's best aviation facilities and schoolhouses. What separates Navy Air from the rest of the pilots in the world?
We land on carriers.

 

[UT-Longhorn]

If youwant to know about military pilots I am the man you need to talk to.

Age?
Education level?

those are the two big factors for you right now to be a pilot in the military. If you want to seriously consider it, drop me a note here and I can give you my number to call me and I will tell you everything you need to know and then some.

Age--25 (just turned it)

Education- 4 yr bachelor degree

shoot me an email and ill get you my #........

uthustler@yahoo.com

 

[marine]

you have mail.

call me or shoot me your number and i will call you.

 

[Stuman]

My brother in law is training to be a pilot right now. He is in the flight program at Ohio State. Good Program? :shrug: All I know is that it is a four year degree...

He is concentrating on the private pilot sector. He is gaining a lot of good connections and he hopes to land a good private pilot job eventually. (corporate jet pilot, celebrity jet pilot, etc.) Maybe that is another angle you can consider, instead of being a commercial pilot. :shrug: The military is a good way to go too, if they are honest with you. I've heard of some recruiters lying to get you, then you don't get the career you asked for. Better get that in writing buddy... :nono:

Stuman

 

[marine]

The military is a good way to go too, if they are honest with you. I've heard of some recruiters lying to get you, then you don't get the career you asked for. Better get that in writing buddy... :nono:

Stuman

No offense, but that is one of the most ridiculous statements that I hear on a not so often basis. 99.9% of the time the reason that the line comes into play is because little Johnny who signs up does not pay attention to what the recruiter is telling him and only hears what he wants to hear. All to often, someone walks in and says "Hey, what can i do in the military?" We tell them a few career paths and this and that about what COULD happen with their careers. So they hear that they COULD be a Seal or they COULD fly jets if they do this and that and do well in it. So they walk out thinking it is a guarantee. Everything is in writing as to what they do. Its when they get out there and dont get what they WANT, vs what they signed up for and did get. Thats when the bullsh*t stories start flying.

 

[Stuman]

I hear what you are saying marine, but you cannot speak for ALL recruiters. Recruiters are out there to sell the military to young men, period. The FACT is, they can sometimes be misleading and tell a naive young man what he wants to hear. The FACT is that not all young men who sign up for the military are going to sit down and read the mounds of paperwork they are given. Some are going to be somewhat intimidated by the uniformed man and believe everything that comes out of his mouth. If you don't think some recruiters bend the facts to help their own agendas -

Marine I understand your defensive stance on this issue, but not everyone is a top quality, honest person. A roomate of mine has already been through this. He did his four years as Marine Corps infantry. (great career move! ) I can assure you (and so can he) that his recruiter never mentioned the word 'infantry' in their negotiations. You can candy coat this all you want, but I stand strongly by my sentiment that Longhorn had better make DAMNED CERTAIN that he is getting EVERYTHING he is promised. Longhorn be careful and read ALL of your paperwork. Just because it comes out of a recruiter's mouth, doesn't neccessarily mean its going to happen. I hope no one takes what I am saying as a shot against the military. I think the military is an outstanding choice for career advancement, whether you are going to be a military man for life or not. Just use extreme caution on the frontside, that is my only point.

 

[Stuman]

99.9% of the time the reason that the line comes into play is because little Johnny...

The fact that your % is not 100% tells me that what I said earlier DOES HAPPEN. No?

Stuman

 

[Munson]

UTL,

My best advice would be to not to make any long-term plans or commitments until you have gotten your private license. I got mine in 1990 and then went and did some wild things like working on cruise ships. I went back and got my instrument rating and commercial and CFI licenses in 1995. I plunked out some major dough for that and then decided that I did not want to pursue a career in flying. Plus, I stupidly attended Comair Aviation Academy near Orlando and that place was a huge ripoff. I moved to Miami to finish up my hours at a small flight school and was much happier there.

As far as the job market, there was supposed to be a pilot shortage in the early 2000's due to many retirements. Of course, 9/11 changed all that and the industry has not been the same. Dawgball is right...pilots are suffering right now. I would not advise setting a commercial pilot as a goal. Private sector--maybe if you have some contacts.

So, I would say get in the cockpit and get your private license at a school in Dallas. The number one thing is that you have a good relationship with your instructor. Some are there to teach and some are there just to build hours solely at your expense. Or, if you happen out to Vegas, maybe we could go up for a spin...that is if I procrastinating ass out and get my licenses current!

Any questions or followups, let 'er rip,
M

 

[marine]

Stuman,

The reason I say there is a percentage that that is the case with is because it is true.
On rare occasion there are kids who are put in the military under "fraudelent" terms.

You know what happens to those recruiters?
They are discharged and possible face time in the brig for fraudulent enlistments.
As for your buddy who never heard the term "infantry" before he signed up the Corps... I truly find that hard to believe as he, at one point when signing the papers would have had to make the decision (both oral and written) if he wanted a specific job or to come in under an "open contract" where he would be tested and would be given a job that suited his intelligence level. I know this for a fact, because I did the same thing when I enlisted in the Marine Corps.

On another note, in today's marketplace, believe it or not, it is VERY VERY difficult to get into the military. Gone are the days when you had the choice of going to jail or joining the services. There simply is not room for bottom of the barrel people in the military these days. Enlisted or Officer side of the house.

To give you an idea... the first things I ask a potential recruit are:
Medical problems?
Police problems?
Whats your GPA at school?
-If its anything less than a 3.2 GPA they can forget about a shot with us.

But yes, I understand where you are coming from and it upsets me dearly that the stigma about recruiters from the Cold war era are still around and being passed on. Sign here buddy, yadda yadda yadda.
Those days are GONE.

And the paperwork is very simple these days. Its actually only 3-4 pages of your actual contract that you are looking at. If someone chooses not to read it, or the large bold print directly above your signature that says
"ANY PROMISES, ORAL OR WRITTEN, NOT INCLUDED IN THIS CONTRACT ARE NULL AND VOID" they have no one to blame but themselves.

Sorry to be off on a tirade it may seem, but I HATE to see that stigma still floating around when for the last 10+ years the recruiting world has drastically changed and checks and balances have been put in place to completely prevent things like that from happening.

 

[marine]

and as for that "great career move" comment about the infantry in the usmc...


Name one job in America that a young man can get that level of leadership at.

How he chooses to use it now is on his own accord, but he has the tools he needs to succeed in life after those 4 years.

 

[Stuman]

the last 10+ years the recruiting world has drastically changed and checks and balances have been put in place to completely prevent things like that from happening.

I'm glad to hear this. My buddy enlisted in 94 and I'm glad to see that our military has enough quality people that it can afford to raise the GPA requirement to 3.2. My buddy's GPA was in the 2's when he enlisted, so it truely sounds like things are improving.

Longhorn sorry that I turned this thread into a shitpile. I hope I haven't swayed you away from considering the military route.

Stuman

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JACK THANKS TO YOUR GOOD BUDDY BEANTOWNJIM NONE OF US WILL EVER HAVE THE PLEASURE OF FORGETTING ABOUT THE GREAT CASCADE ROBBERY OF 2003.:moon: