Your Profession and GA

What is your profession/job

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    238
AdamZ

AdamZ

Touchdown! Greaser!
Joined
Feb 24, 2005
Messages
14,866
Location
Montgomery County PA
Display Name
Display name:
Adam Zucker
I am curious as to what professions are represented here at POA and whether your profession uses or is impacted by aviation , GA in particular, at all, or whether it is just a wonderful obsession.

For example you could be in the medical field and be an AME, you could be a business owner and use your 182 to entertain customers. You could be an attorney who represents airports or aircraft manufacturers or represents airmen in enforcement actions. You could be a funeral director that flies bodies or a medic who flies on a medevac helicopter or a IT person who uses a Cherokee to fly to a clients or a meeting. Poll is attached but post how if at all your chosen profession is impacted or interacts with aviation.
 
I'm a farmer, which isn't one of the poll choices (though I could have checked "business owner").

It's ironic that farmer isn't in the poll, as agriculture is one career field which is a particularly good fit with GA. In flyover country, where farms are most numerous, there are usually more planes and pilots per capita than in urban areas. Here in MT there are more than 4K aircraft registered in a state with barely 1MM people. Is there a metro are of 1MM with more than 4K planes down at the local airplane rink? I'm inclined to think not.

Mark
 
GrampaMark said:
I'm a farmer, which isn't one of the poll choices (though I could have checked "business owner").

It's ironic that farmer isn't in the poll, as agriculture is one career field which is a particularly good fit with GA. In flyover country, where farms are most numerous, there are usually more planes and pilots per capita than in urban areas. Here in MT there are more than 4K aircraft registered in a state with barely 1MM people. Is there a metro are of 1MM with more than 4K planes down at the local airplane rink? I'm inclined to think not.

Mark
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2007 and you've only posted 53 times!? Bryan posts more than that in one day. You've got to get on that Mark.
 
We develop and sell a wide variety of test systems for various aerospace components, from jet engines to avionics circuit cards.
 
GrampaMark said:
I'm a farmer, which isn't one of the poll choices (though I could have checked "business owner").

It's ironic that farmer isn't in the poll, as agriculture is one career field which is a particularly good fit with GA. In flyover country, where farms are most numerous, there are usually more planes and pilots per capita than in urban areas. Here in MT there are more than 4K aircraft registered in a state with barely 1MM people. Is there a metro are of 1MM with more than 4K planes down at the local airplane rink? I'm inclined to think not.

Mark
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Mark, certainly some excellent points! Thank you for bringing it to my attention. Agriculture would be a good career to include in the poll and there are most definitely a lot of uses for aviation in Agriculture from aerial application, to live stock tracking etc. I wish I could add that category but don't think I can edit the poll. I do think of a farmer as a business owner or other which is why I expected people to give more definition in a follow up in a post.
 
As an attorney, I have flown myself GA to Courts in distant Counties for hearings and trials. I've also reviewed and drafted aircraft purchase agreements, hangar leases, represented parties in disputes with aircraft painters.
 
You overlooked the retired population in your poll.i was a fire chief in a major city,and also did some 135 time.
 
Business owner is a good fit for flying in any direction for any reason. The alternative is to drink all the time....
 
I've worked on military ATC and landing systems, as well as CNS/ATM avionics
 
My signature says it all, retired medevac pilot. :heli::D
 
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AdamZ said:
Mark, certainly some excellent points! Thank you for bringing it to my attention. Agriculture would be a good career to include in the poll and there are most definitely a lot of uses for aviation in Agriculture from aerial application, to live stock tracking etc. I wish I could add that category but don't think I can edit the poll. I do think of a farmer as a business owner or other which is why I expected people to give more definition in a follow up in a post.
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Adam, I realize that a poll such as this can't include every possible option. I was only pointing put that agriculture, as an occupation, makes up a share of the pilot population that is disproportionately large relative to the number of farmers in the general population.

The best part of being a flying farmer is having the airplane, and my own runway, in my backyard.

Mark
 
You also forgot to include Higher Ed in your poll... so I marked Other. ;)

(And in my case, it's definitely no more than a wonderful obsession. Though I think it impressed my current department chair enough when I interviewed that it was a factor in my getting the position.)
 
I just graduated this May with my degree Economics. I'm currently a full time instructor. If the airlines don't work out for me I'd love to do something with the business side of aviation. I'm debating whether or not to get my Master's. I don't know if I can take anymore school. Perhaps an online degree will be the best option.
 
I have basically had two careers. I started out selling auto parts and wound up as Parts/Service director at an auto dealership. I left that to start my own one man contracting business. When the economy tanked, so did my business. (Well, it's a little more complicated than that. ) I fell back on my management background and I am a parts manager at a dealership again. GA has no bearing on my job, I fly strictly for fun. I would love to have a job related to aviation, but at 50 it's late in the game to change as I have no skills in that field. However, I keep my eyes open for opportunity.
 
I'm a massage therapist. I cater exclusively to women in the adult movie industry. I'm not sure which category to place myself in so am going to go with "medical".
 
Engineering is close enough! Work for one of those mean, nasty, multi-national oil companies. Absolutely, positively cannot use my airplane for business purposes, although it would make life a lot easier. :(

Do appreciate y'all keeping your tanks topped off! :yes:

Gary
 
I am a business owner who owns an IT company, so I chose IT. Most of my current travel, The last few years, is east coast and I live on the west coast, so GA doesn't work (at least with the planes I fly). The first couple of years I had my plane I flew it probably 50% for work, up and down the valley in CA and I did take to OR once to a client site. I probably have another 6 months of the east coast stuff and then hopefully I can fly more for work.
 
Working on a second life! Former life: police officer (25 years). Now a business owner and our business is aviation related. We offer aviation detailing services and take care of 100+ aircraft a year. Most are return customers or under service agreement. Business is good and we like that! :yes:
 
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I would give just about anything to do what I do but for an aviation related business.
I manage software engineers for medical supply chain... BOOOORING!!

If some company that makes planes needs IT guys, That would be nifty.
 
Seems like GA is chock full of IT types.
 
dans2992 said:
Seems like GA is chock full of IT types.
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We like buttons and digits.

and well...

radio_stack.jpg
 
Deputy sheriff/pilot. We use GA for search and rescue, suspect searches, patrol support, transportation of detectives out of town for time-critical investigations plus other missions. We aren't a full-time unit but that's only due to our staffing levels. GA has become nearly essential for us. Big-city agencies, it is essential.
 
Another IT geek here. I manage the production team and infrastructure for the company I work for.

-Brian
 
dans2992 said:
Seems like GA is chock full of IT types.
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And engineers.

Back when I belonged to the college flying club I noticed that many of the members were studying or teaching things like computer science, physics, engineering and astronomy. I was the odd one.
 
dans2992 said:
Seems like GA is chock full of IT types.
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IT pays pretty well for some and this isn't a cheap hobby. Most of the pilots I know own or owned businesses, often IT or software related. This is aside from professional pilots, who make their living off aviation. I know a few in the medical professions, as well. Even my primary CFI, while I was training had a day job in IT.
 
Gas Processing Plant Operator. Flying has nothing to do with my career. Just a fun hobby that I probably shouldn't be involved in on a plant operator's salary. But it's mighty fun.
 
GrampaMark said:
GA message boards are. Not sure if message board participants are a representative cross section of the pilot population.



Mark
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Based on the members of my local flying club, I'd say it's actually pretty representative!
 
dans2992 said:
Seems like GA is chock full of IT types.
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Can't say I have met any IT guys that fly, but I suppose rural Oklahoma isn't a big slice of the pie. Docs, Lawyers, Oil & Gas guys, and Farmers mostly.
 
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OkieFlyer said:
Can't say I have met any IT guys that fly, but I suppose rural Oklahoma isn't a big slice of the pie. Docs, Lawyers, Oil & Gas guys, and Farmers mostly.
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Yes, IT lends itself to larger population bases or I would have moved to the sticks ages ago. Some developers can get away with being isolated, but infrastructure requires, well... Infrastructure.
 
John221us said:
Yes, IT lends itself to larger population bases or I would have moved to the sticks ages ago. Some developers can get away with being isolated, but infrastructure requires, well... Infrastructure.
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I'm a member of that "some" group.

I spent most of my career as an independent software developer, so when my wife and I had established our credentials and a network of software colleagues while working in the SF Bay area, we moved to rural Oregon and have been able to maintain a better than average income working from home. (Of course we really didn't plan it at all like how it turned out, but in retrospect that is effectively what happened.)

Totally off subject - did you ever buy another plane with more power to replace your Cherokee?
 
Seems like 4 biggies missing from the list that dont really fit elsewhere
Educator
Clergy
Military
Civil servent
 
I'm other.

Actually two - military (non-aviation) and business owner

I have been able to utilize GA for some military work related travel (really nice to avoid the drive back and forth to DC) and I also use GA to for business trips home to AZ where we own some commercial real estate.

When I transition out of the military next year, I'll be full time aviation (instructing and should have the biplane business going by then).
 
OkieFlyer said:
Can't say I have met any IT guys that fly, but I suppose rural Oklahoma isn't a big slice of the pie. Docs, Lawyers, Oil & Gas guys, and Farmers mostly.
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Hey! I resemble that remark! Although I'm more of a manufacturing accountant/analyst than oil & gas, but we're tied at the hip since we make frac pumps and other well stimulation equipment. Flying is just a hobby, and one I don't get to enjoy often enough at that.

I have taken the head of our IT department up for a burger run though, does that count? :lol:
 
IT here. I was a consultant for 20+ years and anticipated flying to client engagements, but those clients all ended up either being local, or beyond time and economic justification to fly GA.

Now that I've become an employee again, I'm not traveling for work, but as the sole Database guy here, my work has become the reason I don't fly enough any more... or a whole lot of other recreational pursuits that I love. That's gotta change soon ... somehow.
 
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