� Q: I am in management for a Fortune 100 company, and I’m currently in line for a promotion that would likely guarantee me to make more than $100,000 per year. I like what I do, but I’ve always said that flying is the only job I could have that doesn’t feel like work. I am approaching 1,500 hours, passed the ATP knowledge test, and I’m 32 years old. I have a friend who is a check airman at a regional and can get me a job there. But is there any job that starts something closer to $50,000 to $60,000 instead of $25,000?—J.D.
� A: Welcome to the aviation career conundrum: a desire to trade a corporate career for flying while facing the prospect of a seismic change in lifestyle. There actually are a few ways to make it work.
The first possibility for the transition is to understand that the meager wages are for a finite period. If you can upgrade to captain within three to five years and a reasonable salary approaching $50,000, you will need to accumulate a nest egg of $100,000 to augment the entry-level salary. You would need to take $20,000 out of the bank annually to supplement the $25,000 or so that you would earn as a regional first officer. However, you may need to be a regional captain for a decade before you can see that $100,000 again.
The other option is to have a sideline business. Many professional pilots have outside businesses. At a recent AOPA ASI Flight Instructor Refresher Course, I met a major airline chief pilot who owns a brew pub in Colorado. The former manager of flight training at United was a physician. Developing an income stream outside of the airlines is a good plan B.
The view outside the front window is pretty much the same from a Baron, King Air, CRJ, or Boeing 777. With your management expertise, why not investigate starting your own business? You might consider developing an aircraft leasing firm; airplane management enterprise; Part 135 charter business; or aircraft brokerage. There are many ways to get a slice of the sky without the airline career route. Remember that those airlines can keep you in a uniform for 16 hours a day and stick you in hotels night after night after night. Once your seniority improves, airline life can be quite enjoyable, but the price of admission is daunting for some.
I cannot however envision any entry-level airline position that will earn you that $50,000 to $60,000 annual pay.
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