I often wonder what its like to be in this profession.. specially when one is on international flights every other day ..
got any pilots in your family? Does their work affect their personal life? is this is a good profession?
Re: Being a Pilot ..
My husband is a pilot. In fact, he's a FAA Certified Flight Instructor. Even though he has his multi engine/instrument rating, he did not pursue commercial airline positions, for 2 reasons a) the beginning pay scale for a pilot on a commercial airlines is less than $30,000 yr and b) the scheduling can be crazy.
Once you get your leg in though, and pay your dues, pilots (like first officers, before reaching captain status) usually land regular routes that have them on a week and off a week, or going back and forth on the same leg
We have friends of his who did get into commercial airline careers and their families seem to be doing ok. It's hard in the beginning but once you get "tenured" it's alright.
Before we got married, my husband flew charter services for private companies so the schedule was pretty mundane. After graduating with his bachelors though (while still pursuing flying) he ultimately decided to stay in engineering and now teaches/trains pilots part time on the weekends only
Re: Being a Pilot ..
Great insight ,Khatti ..
A friend's husband is also a pilot and it seems he's always away from home .. his kids are starting to feel his absence. Though the family does get an added benefit of being very well travelled and enjoying the different parts of the world ..
Re: Being a Pilot ..
i would have loved to be a pilot...i LOVE flying and i flying is my passion. i wish i had access to info about how to become a pilot when i was growing up. i'd have surely picked flying as my profession and not dealing and killing plants in a lab lol.
i think a lot of prestige and glamour comes with the job...some say, pilots are like bus drivers and flight attendants as waitresses "in the air". i think those folks are just jealous.
i still look at them when they walk by the gates to start flight pre-checks.
i must tell you this:
i was flying from Ontario, California to LAX [60 miles; 12 minute actual flight time] on a SAAB 9-seater turbo-prop commuter plane. this was putting some of the the luggage in the nose bin of the aircraft and some in the rear of the plane, then he started boarding us...poor guy had a hard work and paid very little. i think Commuter airlines in early 2000 paid around $18 K per annum...it's just a stepping stone...soon you climb the ladder and reach the top scale of pay which is around $130 K for long haul pilots.
one of my cousin's son was hired by Air India but unfortunately he developed some kinda ear infection and he was let go. he was flying Delhi - Bombay - Kolcutta - Delhi trunk route. he flew Airbus A320
Re: Being a Pilot ..
Getting up to the those long haul flights/captains status and big salaries is not as easy as it seems...it's typically ex military/retired Air Force pilots who have segued to commercial aviation who make the 6 digit salaries.
Re: Being a Pilot ..
One of my cousins is a pilot. He has been flying for about 2-3 years and is always away from home. But he can afford to do that as he is young and doesn't have a family and I think this is the time he can get as my flight hours in as he can.