Going for Private License!

[jordan]

on page 2 was that THE ACUTUAL matt chapman??

[Big J]

Countless hours?

[jordan]

well my grandpa has been flying me around in his planes since i was 2 so quite a bit of hours...

[Huckeneer]

Same here, Looking at late May of 2006.

[falconpilot]

Get your ticket! You'll never regret it, and once you have your private, you can decide if you love and have the drive for full scale aviation as a career. I am a 37 year old corporate pilot, and when not flying the Falcon Jet that I fly for a living, I'm flying our Cessan 180 or 172 from our farm with my dad, or brother. If not flying with them, then you will find me at the R/C field doing my thing!!

As for a living, you've got to love it to do it. It's in my blood, and all that I ever want to do or have ever wanted to do! It's a pure passion, sometimes duluted with the problems of furlows, layoff's, but a pilot who truely loves it and lives it, WILL always end up back in the same place - The best office view in the world at FL350!!

Sure, there are always problems to face, as with any job! I don't really see that supply and demand thing being a real problem with all the forced retirements coming in the future due to age. The fracts along are hiring over 1000 pilots this year! Yes, the airline guys are having a bad way of it due to management mishandling, and skyrocketing fuel prices. I feel for them and hope that things will come full cycle before all of them lose their jobs and pensions. But it all boils down to this - You have to make a sacrifices, work hard, and have a good attitude above all things!, and you can make it in avaition!

To Leardriver, and the others that are currently pilots considering getting out. I've been there, and done that. I PROMISE you, you'll be miserable walking around, looking up everytime an airplanes fly's over wondering what the hell did I do? I truely hope you'll all refind the passion for the best job in the world!!

Oh yeh, before anyone jumps on the band wagon of branding me in one way or the other, I'm currently just getting by, making about half of what I should(due to where I live, and market demands), spending lots of night away from home, and flying with a person that has the personality of a stop sign, but I still Love what I do!!!

[falconpilot]

After rereading the post's again, I'd like to add a few things. I 100% agree with 73avtor. You should never dash the flames of someone else's dream!! Just becasue yours has not worked out, does not mean that someone esle won't!

Leardriver, alot of what you speak is the 100% truth that is truely, professional avaitions dark secert! I have felt, and thought all the things you have more than once! I've had to cancel vacations for the last two years in a row at the last minute because the boss had a last minute trip.(Trying and explain that to the wife and kids - I'm lucky, the wife understands who writes my pay check - the one I will need to pay for the kids head doctor!!). Joe Nall 2004?? I was suppose to go with my buddy in his motor home. We were leaving on Sat. before. Guess what, had a trip on Sat., so I ended up driving myself, 13 hrs, paying all my cost's plus half my buddys since I ditched him! HEY, it's all just part of life...Everyone goes thur these things. True, maybe we in avaition put up with alot more of it, but LOOK AT WHAT WE DO FOR A LIVING>>AND WE GET PAID TO DO IT...sometimes...

Leardriver, I agree with you on alot of points. You need to be teaching a class called the hard truths of avaition are the local colleges, flight school and etc. Class first, then take them on their first flight..Bet that 98% of them keeping flying!!!!!!!!!

[backroadrider69]

Congratulations! Flying is one of the most fun things in life that you can do. I started in 1969 and got all of the ratings using my VA benefits. I was fortunate to fly as a flight instructor, aerobatic instructor, charter pilot & aircraft owner (Beech Baron & Piper Navajo) until 1992. 8000+ hours in most single and multi engine aircraft including Piper Aerostar, Mitsubishi MU-2 and Learjet 24, 25 & 35. I sold my planes when I quit making money with them...but it was a great ride while it lasted...Have fun and good luck!!!

Butch

[73drvr]

Falconpilot: It's so refreshing to see the enthusiasm that I have for flying and will always have. I too used to fly corporate here on the east coast until I went to Continental in 1997. It's a great ride and we are currently hiring 60+ pilots per month! Life is good.

[todhog]

A few weeks ago I typed out a long message very close to what falcon is saying but it never appeared after I posted it. I haven't felt like sitting down and typing it again till now. I know Kevin personally and I figured I'd just talk to him at the feild the next time I saw him there.

I agree that the first thing he should do is get his private pilot license and then go from there. Especially since someone else is going to pay for it. It will take him about five minutes to learn to fly, I just hope he's not disappointed when he can't do a rolling harrier!

I agree also that you can't get into this bussines looking for a big pay check. If you don't love the challenge of flying the plane and learing new aircraft types you will never be happy, unless you just happen to get paid a lot. I am one of those senior guys (but not at a big name airline) that has it really good and I've been really lucky but I do have to put up with a lot of BS in the process. The thing is I don't focus on it the way a lot of my coworkers do. I work through it and focus on flying that perfect appraoch to a nice landing (especially in bad conditions). I take pride in getting the plane from point A to B and having the rest of the crew be totaly relaxed with me doing it.

All I ever wanted to do in aviation was try to master the next bigger plane and make it to a big jet (and get paid something while doing it). I got lucky and got there one step at a time. I believe that's all there is to it. You get screwed many times along the way but you just have to let it slide and keep on going. If you can't handle that and being away from home a lot and not having total control of your life then you need not apply.

To Leardriver; it sounds like there are some opportunities opening up in the industry. If you don't have a resume out to all these companies you shouldn't be complaining about your situation. Sometimes it isn't worth the money your getting for the time your putting in, then it may be time to look at something else. Unless you just like flying airplanes whatever the pay.

Thanks for listening,

Todd

[falconpilot]

Amen!!! Todd.......Jim

[Leardriver]

Well considering that this thread probably makes me seem like a bad guy.....I have always felt one should follow their dreams...learning to fly is a very unique experience. That is true. If you have the $$$ go for it, but I still maintain my position that it is a poor choice of career. The industry will never again be what it was ...and historically it is a failure. But, since I am in the minority here I will simply say to Sukhoi Kid...good luck. If you do decide to spend your folks money on this endeaver (professionally I mean) than I strongly suggest you have a backup. DO NOT go to an aviation college...go earn your ratings and get a degree in something else. Even a liberal arts degree would be better than a dgree in some kind of avaition related degree. Plus, something else could make you more attractive to prospective employers.

Oh well...before I go and get banned I'm going to just let it go. FalconPilot..I am curious though...what model Falcon do you fly and where do you train?

Leardriver

[falconpilot]

Leardriver,

First all, I don't think you said anything that was untrue, and actually, something that did needed to be said. No one ever wants to talk about the way it really is in the world of avaition, espically when they are taking your hard earned money training you, making that solo at 20-25 hrs instead of the 5-10 needed. Trust me, I understand what you are saying.

I've been thur alot and paid a bunch of dues, and sure I'll pay a bunch more in the future, but I just don't ever see myself doing anything else.

I 100% agree that you should get a degree in another field, computer science, eng., mdeical, anything to fall back on. If for no other reason, a pilotsblood pressure gets high, injurys his eye's , or any number of things, and you've gotten your wings clipped.

I hope that your situation improves, and I also hope that those really looking at avaition as a career will look at both sides of the coin!

Leardriver, I am currently fly a Falcon 100, Serial #226(last 10/100 built),out of Hot Springs, Arkansas. We train yearly at Simuflite, plus in house every six months.....Jim