Is a being a pilot a good job?

Question

i am looking for all the gods and bads of being a pilot. whats hard? whats easy? what is the best part? is it a good living over all ? is it a rewarding job? does it ussually pay well? and remember this is for atp pilots.

Answer 1

You should be in love with flying to begin with,,all of the other stuff,like pay and benifits should be secondary....I would suggest looking into something else if flying is NOT your passion.....

Answer 2

My son , Allen was in the Air Force for 8 years . I was scared at first , what with us being at war , but , thank God , he made it home ok , and now is a full time pilot for American Airlines , making very good money

Answer 3

There is nothing bad if you really Love to fly! In first it might seem little stressful as you are entered in to very much new environment but then it gets the job as any other yet very enjoyable, adventureous and the respect you gain the community.

I LOVE the feeling of taking off. It is the feeling like no other. I have always liked talking on TwoWay radios so, no doubt, controller remembers me every time I read back.

Good Luck to you. I hope to see in the air someday.

Answer 4

The first thing that I want to say, is that if you do not truly enjoy flying, then it is not for you.  Becoming a pilot is quite expensive, so make sure that it is something that you want to do.

The best parts are takeoff, landing, busting out on top when its a cr8ppy day below, and a whole bunch more that I can't think of right now.

Starting out, living kinda sucks, but it gets better.  Pay is quite mediocre at the start (McDonald's manager makes more).  With the ATP, it generally gets better, but it all depends on who you work for.  But remember, it's not all about the pay, work for someone who treats you like the human being that you are over the person who pays better but couldn't care less about you.  It will make your flying much more enjoyable.

Tough parts are probably working with some crew members who can make a long flight quite unenjoyable.

Best part is getting paid to fly.

If you enjoy what you do, no matter what profession, it will never seem like a job.

Answer 5

Pros:

You get a lots of money as you start accumulating experience and keep moving the ladder.

However, the Cons list is bit lengthy:

(a) In case you are injured in the leg or hand, you cannot fly until you return to normalcy. So you have to take care of your limbs with extra precaution. Pilots have to avoid tougher physical games which may cause serious injuries.

(b) You cannot fight on the street. If somebody breaks your kneecap with a baseball bat then your flying career is over.

(c) If you are homesick, then staying away from your family for longer duration will be very tough.

(d) You cannot drink beer or whiskey plentiful if next early morning you have fly.

(e) You cannot stay awake for long if there is flight next morning but an old pal met you after 10 years staying at your home. Excusing yourself will be not easy.

(f) If working with a corporate, you cannot take leaves as per your wish. You have to be on 'alert' all the times depending on your boss's plans.

(g) You have to be away from your wife & kids for longer durations sometimes.

(h) If your flying career is over what will you do....especially if you don't have extra qualifications.

(i) Above all if you have a family history of serious illnesses then you have to be very very careful to keep yourself fit.

(j) Bad performances during exams & during simulator trainings means slow promotions in the career. So you have to keep on studying and moving on...

Summary: Exciting but risky career, needing precautions most of the times.

But above all, if you don't have the passion for flying then this is not the right job for you.

Answer 6

some good things of being a pilot are you can see the really awesome views from the sky, the bad things is that if you forget to do something like your pre flight inspection you may be screwed!!! teh best part of it is the experiance... i just think that... it is a good living, very good living... and if ur going to be a instructor pilot it is a great pay and have lots of exp. with people and working with them.. hope this has helped you out and  if u have any more questions you can email me at

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