Are Pilots Ever Going To Be Happy

[MMike]

This is not unique to pilots......it's pretty much any field....finding what you like and what you're good and people you like to work with and and and.....

[Lunchbox]

I've come to the conclusion (after doing a bit of the switching companies game myself), that all companies and all lines of work have their politics and sh** to deal with. Go to another company and it's just the same sh** but a different pile (or different sh** of the same pile?). So it's just a matter of finding the sh** that you're willing to deal with. I don't mean that to sound negative because I really do enjoy my career. Life and work sometimes sucks, but it's gonna sometimes suck no matter what you do or where you go.

 

Just my perspective...

[Whisky Creek]

Looking for work for the 2012 season? Have 2000 hours of vertical line and mountain experience? AStar, 206 and / or 500? www.tntaheli.com

Talk to the Chief Pilot, Stephen Soubliere.

Also looking for a permanent pilot wishing to live in the Whitehorse area year round.

[Grasshopper]

After fifty years in the industry and as many companies as types in my logbook, I have to echo 412 Driver and KiloMike. I've even been involved in ownership of a handful of companies, and the experience is not for everyone (and not for me ever again!). The responsibility for people's families adds too much to those for passengers and workers below.

 

By the way - what's greed? The desire to have enough, or even more? Let's walk in the other's shoes before we criticize. Usually they don't know enough about 'reasonable' limits. ASfter all - how many parents teach them?

 

Anyway, the grass will always be greener until you're walking on it, and there's nothing wrong with that. Life would be pretty boring if everyone was satisfied with the status quo.

[pilot5]

Looking for work for the 2012 season? Have 2000 hours of vertical line and mountain experience? AStar, 206 and / or 500? www.tntaheli.com

Talk to the Chief Pilot, Stephen Soubliere.

Also looking for a permanent pilot wishing to live in the Whitehorse area year round.

 

Ohhh TNTA is looking! A good opportunity. The Yukon is absolutely beautiful. Memories of moose meat and good fishing yummy!

 

Agree with most of the posts here and for me at least it was many years to find a company that suited me and a 6 and 6.. Can't say didnt have a good time on the journey and learned a bunch for better or for worse. Sometimes, and in my case its a combination of 2 jobs, aviation related. 1 that keeps me airborn and the other one that stimulates my brain, which most of the time is running +5 Ng.

 

p5

[hawthorn]

I would concur with Kilo Mike and 412Driver. I have great tours(2 and 2), good quality equipment, and good work. After 20 years in helicopters I honestly couldn't be happier. Sometimes it's a conscious decision to try and be satisfied with your present gig regardles of the flaws and sometimes you fall into a really good gig. I have the latter. Good luck finding your sweet spot.

[Elvis]

Bottom line,if people what to be unhappy they will find an excuse to justify it.

[350B3]

Well seeing we are getting to that time of year when the ads for work start to flow I am looking for some of the veterans in the Industry (guys in the industry with 20+ years) to stand up and give me some feedback on If they have ever found the grass to be greener with another company.

 

In the last 4-5 years I have seen many experienced guys in my company slowly get pulled away for promises of better tours, medium time or just more money or just for the fact that they are sick of the "SAME OLD #### SHOW"

In most cases the guys I have talked to seem to come to the same conclusion that the new job isn't quite what they were promised and the new company might not have the same problem as the old company but a whole new set of issues.

And in most cases the guys spend the next 5 years jumping between companies looking for that perfect job.....which I am coming to the conclusion might or might not exist

 

At what point in your career do you finally decide that you are actually happy where you are at,and the problems and issues you know are better than the new unknown issues you are walking into at a new company

 

To be honest I was scouring all the job ads last year and sending out resumes. And in most cases was offered jobs within a few days of sending out resumes. Yada Yada in the long run management put in the time to find out what i was missing at my current company and decided to make me a good offer which I was happy with and decided to give them another summer of blood and sweat hahaha. Now at the end of the year I am more than happy with my year and looks like to be a busy winter..... and some very good change in the company to come.

 

 

But as always I still find myself always drawn to check aero ads or vertical for that next golden job.........

 

 

Is there any real way to be completely happy with your flying job?

 

[350B3]

Well guys I stuck it out with one company for 26 years now, I thought they were the best employer then and I still do now. Thats not to say there weren't stretches of time I wasn't happy or even some times angry, and lots of time we didn't always agree, however hanging in there and not running at the first sign of discourse has benefitted me in the end. As a matter of fact we just recieved a raise, a bonus and an Ipad from our employer! No strings attached. This goes along with a steady pay check for the last 26 years.

[Three_Per]

AME here. I left one of the "big" companies in Canada and went to a small outfit (4 machines) and it was the best thing I could have done. I have nothing to complain about now except maybe the machines aren't as pretty looking, #firstworldproblem. I was fed up with almost everything at my old outfit. Tours were insane 2 weeks here 6 weeks there, and 240+ days to make a good living. Now I'm working 180 days and I never have to worry about getting on a good tour to pay the bills. Best of all I can plan vacations more than 1 week in advance. People at both outfits were all good, and that was the hardest part about leaving, I had a lot of good friends at the other company. Bonus, they are all still my friends