Is it even worth it?

[1kris007 0]

Is it even worth it to spend tons of money on flight training (+university) only to struggle on low pay for years with bad job security, low chances of getting hired, and not so good conditions when hired?Or is it more sensible to get a degree, and try and find an office job and work up the ladder from here? I'm curious to see the point of views on this.

[WotanUK 289]

Is it even worth it to spend tons of money on flight training (+university) only to struggle on low pay for years with bad job security, low chances of getting hired, and not so good conditions when hired?

Whoo there, have you watched the last episode of South Park per chance?You could try and learn Mandarin, i imagine in years to come it will be very much an in demand skill

[Chock 17,769]

Depends on what you want to fly. If you only want to fly, rather than fly airliners, it is smarter to get a well paid job, so you can afford to fly at your leisure and retire early, but if you want to fly the heavy metal, you'll need to join the rat race for that right and then left seat.Keep in mind however, that there is a projected need for 3,000 new turboprops in the next 25-30 years, with 60 percent of that being growth, the remaining 40 percent being replacements of existing types. That increase in turboprops is owing to their lower fuel burn, which airlines are starting to take notice of big time, in the face of rising fuel costs, since turboprops use far less fuel than jets.Several Middle Eastern airlines have said they will be doubling their pilot numbers in the next five years, and some, including Fly Dubai, will go further than that. Fly Dubai recently announced that they will be hiring an additional 600 pilots in the next five years, which will quadruple their pilot numbers. South East and East Asia will also be growth areas in aviation, with China and the Tiger Economies exhibiting similar if not greater growth than the Middle East.So the opportunities will be there, but you'll have to really want to do the job, because the pay is crap compared to other endeavours, although you may of course get better tax breaks in the Middle East.Al

[michal 44]

Worth for whom?Everyone has different opinions on 'worthiness'.I love aviation but strictly for pleasure, I would never want to be a professional pilot not only because of the crummy job market at the moment but because of the nature of the job itself - highly repetitive. I prefer what I am doing right now, I think it is more creative, stimulating (btw, it is aviation related), pays well so I can afford to fly for pleasure, I absolutely have no desire or dream to pilot Boeings or any aircraft approaching that size. If I could only afford to fly say something like TBM850 I would be in aviation heaven - this is as far as my dream for some left seat stretches.

[StevenHPerry 20]

Is it even worth it to spend tons of money on flight training (+university) only to struggle on low pay for years with bad job security, low chances of getting hired, and not so good conditions when hired?Or is it more sensible to get a degree, and try and find an office job and work up the ladder from here? I'm curious to see the point of views on this.

Don't put all your eggs in one basket. It's more common to become a professional pilot with an engineering degree, but less common to become an engineer with a pilot's degree.Like it or not, most aviation programs are on the vo-tech side of university education.

[ahsmatt7 1,199]

Www.jetcareers.com and www.airlinepilotcentral.com are your friends. Register in their forums and ask this exact question. You will get some great viewpoints which will be from the corporate world to the regional airline world and the major airline world.....along with all other walks of life in aviation. It looks like you have already done some research or else you would have never known how crappy the pay and work rules CAN be. The pilots who rrally complain are the ones who expected to be at a major in 4 yrs and are the onea who ate living well beyond thier means. If you know what to expect going into the career, you will know how to appriciate the good parts and roll with the punches of the bad parts. Dont go for the first jet job just because you get to fly a jet. Go with the first job that offers the best work rules and pay and can really offer you something in the long run. Thats another reason some pilots hate their job. They go to the first job with a jet and then realize they are getting subpar wages for the type they fly and on top of that, their contract sucks as well.

[wanabflyer 53]

There's a much simpler way. Just get a job in the movies like that guy in 'Grease'. John...... you know, and buy your own Airliner

[B3ryz 0]

This is something I ask myself all the time. I am currently an 18 year old that is working part-time while attending college full-time. I've been saving up all my moneyto hopefully start flight training at a local FBO one of these days but sometimes I feel that it might not be worth trying to turn flying into a career. After doing a report on low pay and fatigue in the regional airlines, it has really been giving me a lot to think about. On top of this, my parents pressure me into getting a more stable,professional job down the line and fly as a hobby. I am getting a B.S. in Business Informatics, and while it would be nice flying for a hobby, I am afraid of not pursuing a flying career and regretting my decision later on in life.

[Chock 17,769]

You also have to seriously ask yourself what it is you like about flying. Because it can sometimes be a disappointing thing to turn a hobby into a job.There are different things to be gained from different types of flying. For example, I found that the challenge of flying gliders appealed to me more than flying powered aircraft, because I liked the fact that it was skill which determined how long you stayed up in the air (not to mention that it is very much cheaper to do as well). But not everyone feels that way and there is plenty of skill and enjoyment to be had in flying IFR and VFR accurately, and you can certainly go wherever you like with that, which is not always an option in a glider, so I know that what appeals to me might not necessarily be everyone's cup of tea.Having said that, there are quite a few airliner pilots whom I know that fly gliders because it gets them back to the stick and rudder freedom that they feel is lacking in handling a big jet (and not that I know him, but it's worth noting that a certain Mr Sullenberger is among that type too). That's not to say there are no challenges to be had from flying big jets, there are many - something Mr Sullenberger is also aware of - but if you like glancing over at a nice set of clouds somewhere on the horizon from your cockpit and thinking 'I'll go over there', then either military or airliner flying is probably not for you, since you will almost always be flying where you are told to go when at work, and very often the same route repeatedly, since it is a job. That's why airliner pilots often refer to themselves as 'operators' among their peers rather than pilots, because that job is operating a complex machine safely, as part of a team, where the responsibility is high. So being an airliner pilot is still regarded as glamourous by the average person in spite of the shine having worn off the career a little bit because of the wages not being what they were. Nevertheless, if that level of kudos and the challenges of operating something big and complex in a safe fashion appeals to you, then that too might be an attraction, as might the fact that airline pilots do still get the girls!So if you do want to really do it, then don't let the pay stop you, because there is no job better than a job which you enjoy, and money isn't everything.Al

[ZachLW 37]

Worth it to me. It's no dead end career... And as a few others mentioned, it depends. I, on one hand, am in love with flight in general. Others do it because daddy did. Still other's do it on a whim. Which are you?

[Avi8tor1 1]

Is it even worth it to spend tons of money on flight training (+university) only to struggle on low pay for years with bad job security, low chances of getting hired, and not so good conditions when hired?Or is it more sensible to get a degree, and try and find an office job and work up the ladder from here? I'm curious to see the point of views on this.

A close friend of mine went into software development, made good money, bought a 172 and flew that for his hours. Now he is a PIC for a 350i in Nova Scotia. He is only 25. I would say try to get into the military if you don't have glasses, have a great physical and good grades. I'm staying an extra year at my highschool to try to get my marks up to par with the Canadian Air Force.Whatever you choose I wish you the best!Regards,

[antic81 57]

Hi there,Another thing to be aware of if you are going into flying as a profession is your health. You can spend a lot on training and still be limited to one day losing your class 1.I was unlucky enough to be put into this position very recently (only 3 months ago) and am currently unsure if I will ever fly again.All just because I was very unlucky - getting an amoeba in my cornea through contact lens wear - which has left me minus most vision in my #1 eyeball and the prospect of 6 more months of treatment before we can assess the permenent damage the little ###### has done.So understand also that you will always have to bear that in mind - its the thing that frightens most professional pilots out there - the thought of suddenly being grounded - not a lot of fun!Having said all that - if you'd asked me about this 4 months ago I'd probably not have even thought about the medical.It certainly is a concern that you are already sounding a little cynical and you havent started yet - you need to really want it - when I was 18 nobody could talk me out of it (abd they certainly did try) all I wanted to do was fly professionally.The other option is going out and getting a good qualification and then by your mid-twenties you may have a great income that will allow you to pay a lot in towards your flying. Stupidly I didnt do that and thats why its taken me so long - the further you get into it - the more the cost increases per hour.God it all sounds so depressing - someone get me a drink! haha!Damn you Southpark!

[LZaman 0]

ok: everybody... being a pilot sucks big time, everybody REFRAIN from training to be a pilot. This way, maybe the market will become less saturated and the companies will be forced to pay us what we deserve!REALLLY!!!!!! :((though some part of me really like the idea of being payed correctly...)in reality to become a pilot one must be passionate about it. otherwise you won't make the sacrifices, nor keep the motivation to keep doing it. And don't forget, it's teamwork... it's always great to have a completely disillusioned colleague next to you...So really, if you wanna be a pilot ,make sure it's the only thing you really want!