That's about it. Seems like a nice job. See the world. Work with interesting machinery. Flight attendants. A few cons of course but seems like a job I should have done.

...and you?

I don't think being an airline pilot is as good as it used to be. Most airlines are either low cost, low budget airlines with planes that are buses with wings, or they are going broke. Sometimes they are both. Pilots are a cost and like all costs, struggling companies are trying to reduce them. I've heard in America airline pilots are really lowly paid and are not respected.

A friend of mine's grandfather was a QANTAS pilot and he was treated almost like royalty. Unfortunatly he became a crazy hippy when he retired.

Imagine you were back in 1993 and you had $10K to invest in a government corporation that was being privatised. You put your $10K into QANTAS, its worth bugger all now. You put $10K into the Commonwealth Bank. You could probably have paid off your 1993 mortgage with what its worth now.

There is probably a huge difference between the wages and conditions of a QANTAS pilot and a Jetstar pilot. They probably are not hiring many QANTAS pilots anymore.

I was going to get my license a few years back - the local aero club was looking for new members and had offered a discounted rate so that they could make sure their plane kept up regular hours of use...would've been cool! I've had an introductory lesson & flown for about 40mins, did everything from taxiing up the runway, take-off, flew over mountains, did some banked turns & landed it at the airport (with a pilot sitting next to me talking me through it) - loved it & recommend that experience to anyone!

As for pilots - the husband of a girl I used to work with (he's a chopper pilot) got a job on a private cruiser of a gazillionaire...he spends half the year flying his boss & guests to & from the boat, the rest of the year off doing some tourist contract work - lucky bugger!

It was all I wanted as a kid. Almost got into the air force as a pilot when I was 17, made shortlist of 6 and they picked 3. I missed out because I hadn't done anything towards getting licence even though I could have started at 16 - ie couldn't prove I wanted it enough. Which to be honest I didn't. And 99 of 100 air force pilots spend their time studying or flying hercules, not jets.

General idea was train in air force, retire in 30's become qantas pilot.

Glad I didn't do it now, I reckon it'd be a terribly boring job. How boring is it on a flight? Well news flash, pilots do sweet FA in between take off and landing. Autopilot on, chat up hostess, sleep, etc. Sit in seat getting fat. B-o-r-i-n-g.

Yeah but an analysis of flight data recorders showed that 75% of pilots around the world have uttered the same last words: What's that mountain goat doing up here?

I always dreamed about flying and now own a fleet of four hang gliders. Nothing like having the wind in your face comming in on final then ploughing into the ground, na that doesn't happen too often, but thermaling at 8 grand or having a Wedgetail hitch a ride or the nose cone is magic.
I fly with stunt pilots, airline pilots and even one who's landed an F14 Tomcat on an aircraft carrier who now flys Hornets and turboprops in Perth and they choose to fly HGs for fun, what better endorsement is there?

southace said...
I would like to be a porn star!

Most honest answer so far.

I've heard the Jetstar pilots landing your (late) flight are on about ~50K? Complete hearsay but I wouldn't be surprised.

How do you know if there's a pilot at a party?

Don't worry... they'll tell you.

(from another failed, ex-wannabe-pilot who had bought the books and done a couple of demo flights )

Toph said...
Smart people dont become airline pilots anymore (dying industry with reducing conditions). They become Lawyers, doctors, engineers or FIFO on the mines and fly for the FUN of it.....

No offence to you Toph.....but there is nothing smart about a job that you don't love
and if you have a LOVE of flying ... do it! ....and you will enjoy going to work every day...

If you have a job you want to do..set your life up accordingly ... gone are the days were you have to do a job or stay in a job that you are not happy with...there is plenty of training out there if you want to change jobs...

Fear is what holds us back....
(and I am not talking from my rear end...this is what I have done my whole life)

So... If I wanted to change careers to a helicopter pilot...? /dream

GypsyDrifter, you are of course correct. But 20 years on the attitude can change a little bit. If you want to get into flying these days than it needs to be for the love of it because the rest of the 'fantasy of flight' no longer exists.

While I am sure evlPanda's original post was tongue in cheek, it is no longer about the sun, surf girls and good pay (80k for a Jetstar co-pilot and that's after spending $45k on learning to fly the A320). Sure it's a good job, but it does become a job.

Jackfa, you may have "personally witnessed this", while I have personally done it. Single pilot IFR at night is NOT DANGEROUS... It is very procedural as I said earlier. If you are competent, kept current and do not stray from, miss interpret or bend the rules or succumb to commercial pressure to 'get in' then it is SAFE. So by all means send me a PM or give me a call. I am not bitter and twisted about the industry and I will give you all the GOOD bits, but I will also tell you all the warts as well.

Panda, chopper pilots are a different breed of people. That in my opinion, would be fun...

Mr. No-one said...
I always dreamed about flying and now own a fleet of four hang gliders. Nothing like having the wind in your face comming in on final then ploughing into the ground, na that doesn't happen too often, but thermaling at 8 grand or having a Wedgetail hitch a ride or the nose cone is magic.
I fly with stunt pilots, airline pilots and even one who's landed an F14 Tomcat on an aircraft carrier who now flys Hornets and turboprops in Perth and they choose to fly HGs for fun, what better endorsement is there?

Solid 100% with U on that ...
I loved my HG era but when a wedgie (on heat / terretorial bicep test) attacked realy P iss ed me off -- Like the next door neighbour's cat testing its claws on your leather lounge suite.... The rest of the time they were awesome company and often g8 thermal markers...
Some real magic - making a goal in an XCountry comp' (in my day they still set down-winders = 120 - 140 Kms - the bladder was the weak link)
Trying to fly to the pub (County Donnegal - Ireland) - late pm thermals with a circular rainbow forming around my shadow on the cloud I was running in/out of - totally the reverse when I landed in a paddock with a live electric cow fence

The essence of flying is (4me) either challenging nature - i.e no power - gliding or the total opposite sitting on top of a totally over powered (stunt plane/fighter jet etc) and being able to use the energy at a whim...(I wish)
But the ducks nuts of thrills has to go to the flying wing suite - flying with your body...

Mix that up with a no thrills aerial bus driver job = 75-80% of Pilots - naaaaah - it is exotic to the outsider but the reality - naaaah...

cheers
AP

I think you'll find that Ronny RAAF is, overall, the highest paying airline in Oz now. By far the best aircraft and the best type of flying. There is also a career structure as a pilot instead of as an officer, so they try really hard to get as many young blokes into fast jets as possible, and allow them to progress into more sedate aircraft as they grow older and more sensible. As long as you can keep passing the medicals you can continue flying. When I was in the RAAF there were very few 40 year old pilots not flying desks. That was the main reason why they mostly ended up flying buses for the airlines. During the '70s and '80s Cathay's crew room was 36 and 37 sqn's crew rooms 5 to10 years before. All the RAAF aircrew I ever knew (LOTS of 'em) would have much preferred to stay in military aviation. They only flew buses because it was marginally better than becoming a desk jockey.

Spent my whole child hood wanting to join the merchant navy as a ships captain.

Same thing attracted me, the ocean, travel, work half the year and get paid a crap load.

I had cadetships lined up, had the marks and subjects from school (the only rugby league forward pack player doing physics and chemistry) and went to do a month of work experience.

Most boring month of my life and could not wait to get off those ships.

Changed tack, went to Uni did a marketing degree and have worked in this field ever since.

Toph said...
(80k for a Jetstar co-pilot and that's after spending $45k on learning to fly the A320). Sure it's a good job, but it does become a job.

Yes Jetstar pilots, the prostitutes of Australian aviation. The only ones screwed harder are Jetstar NZ pilots.
Any FIFO jet operation is paying more than $80 now for a FO and they don't have to pay their own endorsement, plus they only having to work half as much.
Still the best job if you can keep away from the LCC's

how do you know when theres a pilot in a room full of people?





he will tell you.