Thank you gentleman for the congrats, I appreciate all the sentiment.
Bagrat: I started flying at the age of 16 in 1995, washing planes pumping gas, etc,. Was supposed to start at another Regional Airline in September 24th, 2001. Obviously, there was a "major" downturn in the industry beginning that month all new hire classes where canceled and we were told to re-apply in 6 months. The regionals didn't really start hiring again until 2003 with minimum time requirements "through the roof" ,3,000 - 4,000 hours,then as the demand for pilots started increasing and the minimums came down to 1500 hours total time I was hired in 2004. It took me 6 years at American Eagle before I was awarded a captain bid and I'm 31 now, still with 34 years left to go in the Airline Industry. For anyone interested, there will be a huge sucking sound in the airline industry, barring another major catastrophe. The demand for Pilots starting well...now is starting to soar amongst the regionals and the major/legacy carriers will follow soon here in the US due to the massive amounts of retirements expected. According to the FAA, they haven't issued nearly enough new "student" pilot certificates to offset the projected amount of retirements forecast to begin here in the near future. The military is not training and releasing pilots into the major airlines like they once were and with the implementation of new more strict experience requirements imposed upon 121 air carriers the pool of available pilots is shrinking quite rapidly. The industry is going to suffer a huge "labor shortage" here in the near future and those that are already qualified will be in great demand.
Swoops, first I want to say congratulations! That is flat out awesome news and I am so freakin' jealous of you right now I just want to shake your hand. (Great Missions too BTW I'll try to talk the LCA into joining more of them).
I had a huge passion for flying as a kid, but I grew up in a family that was less than... encouraging... for anything. Growing up I was told constantly that I would be the first of our family to ever see the inside of a college, but in my Senior year after waiving my right to a social life in order to work full time and maintain reasonably well grades, all I got from my parents was a 'You're on your own.. we can't help. If you go away to college I don't know what we'd ever do!' I guess in a way a sense of 'Thank God for what you have, but don't ever expect anything better' was instilled in me.
I took the easy way out... I turned my back on college to work full time.. I followed my dad's footsteps in the Auto Repair industry despite his multiple warnings otherwise and here I am about to go back to work after a long stint of unemployment to once again work my butt off for a fraction of what I used to make.. just to have a job. After watching him get Fired for getting too old to keep up, with no savings or retirement to fall back on I have become extremely weary of any future this industry might offer for me. Basically, it's just a paycheck to me anymore... and having to get up every morning for the sake of only a paycheck is increasingly disturbing to me.
Even if I HAD the connections or the ability to pursue a career in flying today, at the age of 35 I can't help but to feel that by the time I was able to make a career out of it, it would be time to retire. With no money, extremely poor credit (ex-wife issues).. and a lack of motivation I just see it never happening.
Looking back I would have done a LOT of things differently.. but that's easy to say but not so easy to do at the time. When you're a teenager going into unknown territory and scared out of your mind at what the future has to hold, it really does help a LOT to have a family that supports you... who will encourage you to take that first step... who will NOT let you back down... and who will offer you open arms should you ever need it. Without this, it becomes EXTREMELY EASY to just turn around and run away, and settle for a life of mediocrity like I did.
Let Swoops' story of success motivate you guys! Especially you kids! If you're interested in flying professionally, *NOW* is the time to start... and regardless as to where your passion leads you, do NOT give up.. do NOT be afraid and don't EVER settle. Life's too short.
