Q. Hello, Wayne! I can’t remember when I first read one of your articles but I know you have been dispensing your knowledge and insights for quite awhile. I would like to put you on the spot and ask what you would do with your career if you had to do it all over again?
Alex from Ann Arbor
A. It’s hard to believe that my first careers article for Flight Training was in 1992! I have been writing about aviation careers for 20 years this year. The "Career Advisor" monthly feature was launched in July 2007 at the height of the last hiring boom.
First, I would attend a small to mid-level aviation college. I certainly respect the giants of academia such as Embry-Riddle, University of North Dakota, and Purdue, but I favor a more intimate environment such as that offered by Jacksonville University or Bowling Green State University. Although I truly believe that two-year associate degree programs and aviation academies are very much worthwhile, I would rather languish in college life a little longer. I would major in aviation management and minor in business.
Next, if I was blessed with wisdom, good looks, keen eyesight, and an above-average IQ, I would hope and pray that the U.S. Coast Guard would take me. I think that service to the country as a military pilot is a wise plan. Not only is there a sense of personal satisfaction and achievement, but you get lots of quality time in the logbook for that career change 10 years down the road.
One of my true pleasures is as an FAA examiner conducting ATP practical tests for the Coast Guard in its HU-25s. I have seen the Coast Guard lifestyle at bases in Corpus Christi, Texas; Mobile, Alabama; and Miami. Those “Flying Coasties” are treated well, do superb work, and eat like kings. Plus, every pilot and crew that I have met is awesome.
After my stint is up, I would head on over to Columbus and knock on the door of NetJets. The company has had its ups and downs in the volatile economy, but the job offers much. First, there is a predictable schedule: multiple days on followed by multiple days off. With this schedule, pilots are able to plan their vacations and extracurricular activities months in advance. Then, there’s the equipment: big Citations and Gulfstreams. Maybe even a Boeing Business Jet.
The flying itself is diverse. There is no flying into La Guardia or Chicago-O’Hare day after day after day. Ports of call might include Sun Valley or Lake of the Ozarks or San Juan. The clientele is generally professional and respectful of the crew. With CEOs and golf pros in the back, the chance to spend some time with these titans is priceless. Best of all, I would not have to take off my shoes and go through a full body scanner.
After all those years, at age 55 I would hook up with the FAA as an operations inspector. This is a chance to give back to the industry and take that knowledge gained over three decades to point airmen and air carriers in the right direction.
Finally, at age 65, I would retire in the Virgin Islands, live on my boat, and fly contract charter flights in a Twin Otter until called to duty at that Big Airport in the Sky. Sound like a plan? If only (sigh).
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