Roll Call - Who's joining their first turbine job soon?

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aviationluver

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Slumdawg_FO
If so, is it P135 or P121? Corporate. Sightseeing tours? Regional? Fractional? Major?

Just curious.
 
"Joining soon" kind of limits the field. Many of us are "already in".
 
Recently Joined. P121 Regional, Saab 340B
 
Done it before. Looking at a part time pt 91 job in a king air just to stay busy and current.
 
CL-65 in 2000, B-727 in 2005, P180 in 2006, A-320 in 2015.
 
Probably never. No need to take a pay cut.
 
I hope to be, but as of right now I'm just handing out resumes to anyone who will take one. Did get paid to sit in the right seat of a Citation Friday and yesterday though. Does that count?
 
I started flying sky divers, then CFI. Then I flew checks in 310's and Navajos. After that I went to a commuter airline flying a Dornier 228 for several years. After that I flew 135 charter for a few years (everything from Seneca to Hawker), before I moved to the fractional world. I flew a Citation Bravo, Excel, Soveriegn, and X (typed in all). Once the company shutdown I went to the airlines and currently fly the A320 family (typed).

Aviation is a great hobby, but I would never recommend it as a career.
 
T-6 Texan II for 6 months, Beechjet for 6 months, KC-10 for two years now.
 
This is unbelievable.... People putting down salaries for "a first turbine job". Somehow they equate a young guy getting a first real job to their salary. Heck they are probably 20 years older. Give the young 21 year old guys a break. After 20 years they may be a captain at a major doing quite well. Compare apples to apples.
 
Always a downer to see how many posters are quick to crap on young guys willing to tough it out as a FO at a regional carrier. Not so much in this thread so far, but there are quite a few examples in the archives.

My nephew took a FO job at a carrier flying under American Eagle livery in 2005. I think he had 500 hours at the time. He became an A320 captain in 2013.

That's a relatively quick rise from greenhorn to respectability in any vocation. Kinda like going from a salesman to a junior VP.

A bit of encouragement to these youngsters instead of telling them they will be poorly paid lackeys for years would be nice.
 
Kritchlow said:
This is unbelievable.... People putting down salaries for "a first turbine job". Somehow they equate a young guy getting a first real job to their salary. Heck they are probably 20 years older. Give the young 21 year old guys a break. After 20 years they may be a captain at a major doing quite well. Compare apples to apples.
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I know it will suck in the beginning but in reality, 2nd year pay is liveable. A lot of people only think short term. I'm a 22 year old who will hopefully be at a regional in a few months. My goal is to end up at a legacy before I'm 30!
 
EdFred said:
Probably never. No need to take a pay cut.
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This has been the most fun "pay cut" I've ever taken! (Although, the "cut" hasn't been that bad since I still have my other "job" and two other business interests.)
 
jordane93 said:
I know it will suck in the beginning but in reality, 2nd year pay is liveable. A lot of people only think short term. I'm a 22 year old who will hopefully be at a regional in a few months. My goal is to end up at a legacy before I'm 30!
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Even first year is "livable" provided you don't wrack up too much debt getting there. I know lots of young guys living just fine on it....frugal doesn't not necessarily mean bad. There are some good life lessons to be gained.

One of my check airmen came out of school with lots of debt, but through discipline he and his wife paid off their student loans and saved for a house down payment all within the first 8 years of regional flying. He's early 30s and just now transitioned to Delta for the next step up the ladder in his flying career.
 
Kritchlow said:
This is unbelievable.... People putting down salaries for "a first turbine job". Somehow they equate a young guy getting a first real job to their salary. Heck they are probably 20 years older. Give the young 21 year old guys a break. After 20 years they may be a captain at a major doing quite well. Compare apples to apples.
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I'm not talking first year pay. I'm talking well down the line pay. For me at least. Why would I go significantly backwards in pay at this point in my life?
 
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EdFred said:
I'm not talking first year pay. I'm talking well down the line pay.
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I finished up as CRJ 700/900 Captain making low six figures, 15-18 days off, good commute schedule. Either Regionals are going away or the pay and bennies will be going up. Enjoyed it too, great group of fellow pilots.

I don't think anyone is trying to get you to change jobs/careers, or cares. :dunno:
 
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Been flying turbines for a while now, currently in a PC12 pt135.
 
EdFred said:
I'm not talking first year pay. I'm talking well down the line pay. For me at least. Why would I go significantly backwards in pay at this point in my life?
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Just make sure your life is as enjoyable as your bank account.

Everyone is wired differently, and life is short.
 
Just because it's not worth the change for you doesn't mean it's not a great gig for someone. From your responses I feel like you're just trying to stroke your own ego, or maybe brag about how much money you make. For many pilots it's about the quality of life. I personally cannot sit at a desk, I just can't, for any amount of money. I've done it before and was miserable. I love to fly, regardless of the money, so for me it's about enjoying life. If I can pay my bills and love doing my job then I feel that I'm light years ahead of that passenger in back who is paying my check but spends all his time stressing about money and the job.
 
I think for those of us that have made the transition, it'd be more fun to talk about which airplane popped our turbine cherry. :D

For me it was the mighty Piper Cheyenne II. The K-Mart King Air!
 
StinkBug said:
Just because it's not worth the change for you doesn't mean it's not a great gig for someone. From your responses I feel like you're just trying to stroke your own ego, or maybe brag about how much money you make. For many pilots it's about the quality of life. I personally cannot sit at a desk, I just can't, for any amount of money. I've done it before and was miserable. I love to fly, regardless of the money, so for me it's about enjoying life. If I can pay my bills and love doing my job then I feel that I'm light years ahead of that passenger in back who is paying my check but spends all his time stressing about money and the job.
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Never said it wasn't. There was a question asked, I answered. Then horse's ass chews everyone out who says it's not a good financial decision for them by saying we aren't comparing apples to apples. I point out that it is apples to apples, and then you chime in.

As far as bragging and ego stroking? Hardly. I have never stated on this board how much I do or don't make. Is it more than 1st year regional pay? Yes. Am I a 1%'er? No. So there's your evidence for me bragging, I make somewhere between $20k and $400k.

Hey I like to fly too, and I get to do it on my own schedule, where I want to go without having to deal with furloughs or strikes, bitchy stewardesses, complaining passengers, etc...And I can enjoy life by doing other things I like to do, like play in multiple softball leagues each week without having to miss games because I'm sitting in Tulsa. I don't have to worry about getting a dog sitter because I know I'm going to be home every night. I like knowing what my schedule is 6 months out. I like structure, so when I decide to be spontaneous last minute, I can without having to work around some bid that I wish I wouldn't have done. I like never having to get up at 4am, or 5am, or 6am, or getting to the hotel or home at 3am. Hey, some people like that. Good for them.

My QOL would suck for me if I wasn't home every single night, or unable to participate in leagues, or had to worry about my dog or about my house sitting empty for multiple days at a time every month, or not having the ability to last minute decide to do whatever. And the best part is, I still get to fly. I mean actually fly, not just go through a checklist and flip on an autopilot, and if I want to change my destination while enroute, I can - and have - done that. Try doing that while flying for a 121 or 135.
 
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EdFred said:
Never said it wasn't. There was a question asked, I answered. Then horse's ass chews everyone out who says it's not a good financial decision for them by saying we aren't comparing apples to apples. I point out that it is apples to apples, and then you chime in.

As far as bragging and ego stroking? Hardly. I have never stated on this board how much I do or don't make. Is it more than 1st year regional pay? Yes. Am I a 1%'er? No. So there's your evidence for me bragging, I make somewhere between $20k and $400k.

Hey I like to fly too, and I get to do it on my own schedule, where I want to go without having to deal with furloughs or strikes, bitchy stewardesses, complaining passengers, etc...And I can enjoy life by doing other things I like to do, like play in multiple softball leagues each week without having to miss games because I'm sitting in Tulsa. I don't have to worry about getting a dog sitter because I know I'm going to be home every night. I like knowing what my schedule is 6 months out. I like structure, so when I decide to be spontaneous last minute, I can without having to work around some bid that I wish I wouldn't have done. I like never having to get up at 4am, or 5am, or 6am, or getting to the hotel or home at 3am. Hey, some people like that. Good for them.

My QOL would suck for me if I wasn't home every single night, or unable to participate in leagues, or had to worry about my dog or about my house sitting empty for multiple days at a time every month, or not having the ability to last minute decide to do whatever. And the best part is, I still get to fly. I mean actually fly, not just go through a checklist and flip on an autopilot, and if I want to change my destination while enroute, I can - and have - done that. Try doing that while flying for a 121 or 135.
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Home every night, no strikes or furloughs, time off and I fly my stuff on my own time too.

There are many facets of aviation which offers plenty of different options.
 
James331 said:
Home every night, no strikes or furloughs, time off and I fly my stuff on my own time too.

There are many facets of aviation which offers plenty of different options.
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I know, but I was specifically referring to the 121 gig. Pretty sure you can't change your destination to someplace you want to go while enroute though. Same goes for 91 corporate. :)
 
EdFred said:
And the best part is, I still get to fly. I mean actually fly, not just go through a checklist and flip on an autopilot, and if I want to change my destination while enroute, I can - and have - done that. Try doing that while flying for a 121 or 135.
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So wait, am I not allowed to rent or own an airplane? Nobody told me that - I better stop all my GA flying now before someone finds out and turns me in! Why do so many of you think we do this job as some sort of replacement for flying for fun?

Glad you're really happy with your job Ed. But it's okay for us to be happy with ours. So many people on this board seem to have a huge problem with that.
 
kayoh190 said:
So wait, am I not allowed to rent or own an airplane? Nobody told me that - I better stop all my GA flying now before someone finds out and turns me in! Why do so many of you think we do this job as some sort of replacement for flying for fun?

Glad you're really happy with your job Ed. But it's okay for us to be happy with ours. So many people on this board seem to have a huge problem with that.
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I never said you (or anyone) shouldn't be happy with yours. In fact we need people like you (and people like me) to fill job niches. For me, at this point in my life it's about finances. Years ago I looked at doing the airline thing. I don't regret that I didn't go that route, and I don't not regret it either. 20 years later, I might be at about the same point financially, then again depending who I went to work for, I might not be.

I wasn't even the one to bring up the QOL part of it. QOL , QOL, QOL, that's all the airline guys yammer on about. That's different for everyone, but somehow, any person who has a 8-5 has some really ****ty QOL if you ask the 121 people. Some people like never being home, some people like always being home, some people like it somewhere in the middle. But apparently if you aren't getting paid to fly on this board, your life sucks.

As far as the replacement for flying goes. For me, I burn out on a lot of things. I love softball, and I love golf. But if I was doing either as a full-time job there's no way in hell I would be doing it as a hobby as well. (Yes, there are guys that get paid to play softball). So for me, if it's my job I don't want to do it when I'm away from the office.
 
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EdFred said:
There was a question asked, I answered.
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You're right, a question was asked, a question that doesn't seem to apply to you. Instead of ignoring it or just saying "no" you decided to basically **** on anyone answering yes by saying "No need to take a pay cut." like that somehow makes you better than us. You're obviously happy with your job, which has nothing to do with the discussion, so rather than acting like you're above all of us who are working in aviation maybe you should just stop being an a$$ and go read another thread that actually does apply to you.
 
StinkBug said:
You're right, a question was asked, a question that doesn't seem to apply to you. Instead of ignoring it or just saying "no" you decided to basically **** on anyone answering yes by saying "No need to take a pay cut." like that somehow makes you better than us. You're obviously happy with your job, which has nothing to do with the discussion, so rather than acting like you're above all of us who are working in aviation maybe you should just stop being an a$$ and go read another thread that actually does apply to you.
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You're the one that brought up being happy or not happy with their job, so don't put that on me. If you feel like you've been **** on, maybe you need to reanalyze how happy you *really* are with your job choice, rather than lash out. And the question does somewhat apply, as I CFI on the side.
 
Engines are overrated.

CH_sunset.jpg
 
There are two types of people in the world. Those who are airline pilots and those who want to be airline pilots:D
 
EdFred said:
I never said you (or anyone) shouldn't be happy with yours. In fact we need people like you (and people like me) to fill job niches. For me, at this point in my life it's about finances. Years ago I looked at doing the airline thing. I don't regret that I didn't go that route, and I don't not regret it either. 20 years later, I might be at about the same point financially, then again depending who I went to work for, I might not be.

I wasn't even the one to bring up the QOL part of it. QOL , QOL, QOL, that's all the airline guys yammer on about. That's different for everyone, but somehow, any person who has a 8-5 has some really ****ty QOL if you ask the 121 people. Some people like never being home, some people like always being home, some people like it somewhere in the middle. But apparently if you aren't getting paid to fly on this board, your life sucks.
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I'm glad you don't regret it - this job certainly isn't for everyone. It's not even for most people. But for some of us, the positives outweigh the negatives, and here we are. As you said, it's a good thing that people fill niches. And I'll never argue that my 121 gig is anything but a niche job.

And sorry, I just don't see the chest thumping on this board from 121 guys. At least not outside of responding to someone crapping all over our job. I like my job, but I'll never tell James331 that it's better than his, or Everskyward that it's better than hers, and I have at least some idea of what their jobs entail. So why would I presume to think that my job is somehow better than <insert non-aviation job here>, when I have *no* idea what that job is all about?

So I don't, and I really don't think the other 121 guys on here do either. But the reverse doesn't seem to be true. This isn't necessarily directed at you, but some people on this board that have never done our jobs seem to think they know everything about it. Perhaps because we all fly airplanes. But I won't wander into an IT job thread and start running my mouth just because I run a Slackware distro at home. :)
 
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