Airline Pilot <-> ATC

Windsor · Posted: 02-04-2009, 10:48 AM

Hey guys,

I'm in the same boat as you guys. The airline career has been in decline for the last 10 years or so. The light at the end of the tunnel has been getting dimmer with every passing year. Now that my dream jobs are currently getting ready to furlough, I'd be stuck at my regional for much longer that I had planned. With two small kids at home, I'm getting sick of being gone 5-6 days at a time sitting reserve.

I applied for the ATC job on a whim. If I can get either ORD or MKE, I'll gladly leave flying for a living behind and do what I should have done all along, Fly for fun.

archie_league · Posted: 02-04-2009, 04:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Windsor

Hey guys,

I'm in the same boat as you guys. The airline career has been in decline for the last 10 years or so. The light at the end of the tunnel has been getting dimmer with every passing year. Now that my dream jobs are currently getting ready to furlough, I'd be stuck at my regional for much longer that I had planned. With two small kids at home, I'm getting sick of being gone 5-6 days at a time sitting reserve.

I applied for the ATC job on a whim. If I can get either ORD or MKE, I'll gladly leave flying for a living behind and do what I should have done all along, Fly for fun.

I definitely wasn't an RJ captain or anything but I did the CFI thing and was a corporate pilot for a company in ATL working up to the airlines. Back in 2002 a CFI buddy and I had interviews scheduled with ASA. He did the interview and is still with them. I decided to take the ATC route (Air Force at the time was the best route...4 years in FL). I have been at ORD since 2006. I make way more money, have more job satisfaction, great benefits, job security, I sleep in my bed every night, I am here for my son every day, etc, etc.

I made my decision because I saw what was happening to my dream job (Airline Pilot at the time) after 9-11 and I was tired of being away from home all the time with a flying job. It has been one of the best decisions of my life. And as you mentioned, I now fly for fun.

Good luck. Hope it works out for you.

strykr · Posted: 02-04-2009, 07:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by archie_league

I made my decision because I saw what was happening to my dream job (Airline Pilot at the time) after 9-11 and I was tired of being away from home all the time with a flying job. It has been one of the best decisions of my life. And as you mentioned, I now fly for fun.

Good luck. Hope it works out for you.

Yeah! A Sucess story! theres hope for us pilot used-to-be's

DLconnection · Posted: 02-15-2009, 08:46 AM

Would you go from jetBlue to working as a controller?

archie_league · Posted: 02-15-2009, 10:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DLconnection

Would you go from jetBlue to working as a controller?

Yes .

Windsor · Posted: 02-16-2009, 09:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DLconnection

Would you go from jetBlue to working as a controller?

That depends on what you think of Jet Blue. If thats your "dream job" at an airline then no, I wouldnt. If you are thinking of leaving flying anyway, maby you should make the leap.

Personally if i were at my dream job of fedex or ups, i would not leave for atc. But seeing as how most people are stuck where they are for the forseeable future, its time for a change.

atcMegIAD · Posted: 03-07-2009, 07:21 PM

hey pilots! anyone fly into IAD? Im a controller there, and was curious if anyone was interested in doing a "pilot day" was gonna get the union to maybe sponsor something like that, tour of the tour, meet with the controllers...that kinda thing...anyone interested?

strykr · Posted: 03-11-2009, 08:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by atcMegIAD

hey pilots! anyone fly into IAD? Im a controller there, and was curious if anyone was interested in doing a "pilot day" was gonna get the union to maybe sponsor something like that, tour of the tour, meet with the controllers...that kinda thing...anyone interested?

I know pilots that fly in there all the time, but they are charter so its mostly quick turns...