As a person who was in the right place at the right time way more than they deserved in their aviation career.
Also one who has too many friends who are no longer with us.
Sure the cool stories of dark nights with NVGs and brownout landings at places likely no one here has even heard of. And by cool stories I mean really scary and stupid stories at the limits of my skills and the performance of the machine and if I told you otherwise I know at least two other Warrants that would punch me as hard as they could with no regrets. Then we'd both smile and say "That was some **** wasn't it?"
But to go back and be 26 with $450,000 invested Making 200-300K a year with possibility of 600K in 5 years and possibly 1M 10- 15 years. No way!
As a Check Airmen and a relief pilot for one of the largest heavy helicopter firefighting and aerial construction companies in the US. I never made what you currently make.
A good friend recently made captain in a 747 for UPS. He was near the top of the seniority list for first officers and was reluctant to upgrade to captain due to dropping near the bottom of the captain bid list. He, after a Air Force career in tankers and nearly 15 years of commercial aviation now makes a little more than your current salary. But he's spending the next few nights sick in a hotel in Mumbai waiting to dead head home. He cant wait to retire.
Another lifelong friend flies for Lifeflight and cant pay his ex-wives enough to retire. Aviation has a horrible divorce rate.
The list goes on. Friend at United flies FO 787's makes about the same as you and absolutely hates it. Bored to the point where im concerned. cant stand the guys sitting next to him. wishes he stayed in law school. Cant retire soon enough. Refers to the 787 as a Everett sewer pipe. Yea! Fly United.
Army friend. Most natural aviator I ever flew with, easily the best pilot Ive ever known. Now runs a fly fishing outfit and rarely even speaks of flying.
How foolish you ask? Pretty foolish in my opinion. In a couple of years or even less you can buy a nice to great plane like a Cirrus or a Bonanza. Or in 5 years you'll have enough for a Jetranger or a 407 if your crazy enough to fly a helicopter. If you hate it and its not for you sell the machine and buy a wake boat.... and a lake house to go with it!
But seriously. I had the bug too. And when it calls its hard to put it aside. If you finish your private, and then add a instrument rating, why not hammer out a commercial while your at it. While still working finance. Then if your still bitten you'll know the realities of aviation and can make a more informed decision. -Good Luck
Also one who has too many friends who are no longer with us.
Sure the cool stories of dark nights with NVGs and brownout landings at places likely no one here has even heard of. And by cool stories I mean really scary and stupid stories at the limits of my skills and the performance of the machine and if I told you otherwise I know at least two other Warrants that would punch me as hard as they could with no regrets. Then we'd both smile and say "That was some **** wasn't it?"
But to go back and be 26 with $450,000 invested Making 200-300K a year with possibility of 600K in 5 years and possibly 1M 10- 15 years. No way!
As a Check Airmen and a relief pilot for one of the largest heavy helicopter firefighting and aerial construction companies in the US. I never made what you currently make.
A good friend recently made captain in a 747 for UPS. He was near the top of the seniority list for first officers and was reluctant to upgrade to captain due to dropping near the bottom of the captain bid list. He, after a Air Force career in tankers and nearly 15 years of commercial aviation now makes a little more than your current salary. But he's spending the next few nights sick in a hotel in Mumbai waiting to dead head home. He cant wait to retire.
Another lifelong friend flies for Lifeflight and cant pay his ex-wives enough to retire. Aviation has a horrible divorce rate.
The list goes on. Friend at United flies FO 787's makes about the same as you and absolutely hates it. Bored to the point where im concerned. cant stand the guys sitting next to him. wishes he stayed in law school. Cant retire soon enough. Refers to the 787 as a Everett sewer pipe. Yea! Fly United.
Army friend. Most natural aviator I ever flew with, easily the best pilot Ive ever known. Now runs a fly fishing outfit and rarely even speaks of flying.
How foolish you ask? Pretty foolish in my opinion. In a couple of years or even less you can buy a nice to great plane like a Cirrus or a Bonanza. Or in 5 years you'll have enough for a Jetranger or a 407 if your crazy enough to fly a helicopter. If you hate it and its not for you sell the machine and buy a wake boat.... and a lake house to go with it!
But seriously. I had the bug too. And when it calls its hard to put it aside. If you finish your private, and then add a instrument rating, why not hammer out a commercial while your at it. While still working finance. Then if your still bitten you'll know the realities of aviation and can make a more informed decision. -Good Luck
Statistics: Posted by Helodriver — Mon Apr 01, 2024 11:29 pm — Replies 22 — Views 1047