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deserteaglle
Feb 15, 2006, 10:16 PM
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Convince me that I need to remain materialistic.(rant)
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So the past two days I've really been having some issues which I should prolly explain first.
As some of you know I have ambitions of making a career out of being a pilot. I am now working on my private pilot license which is only a small part of all the training that I will need before I can be employabe at a decent wage. But I am having problems here...money problems.
It usually costs between 4-7 thousand dollars just to get your private pilot's license, but realistically it is rarely as low as 4,000. A minimum of 40 hours is needed before you can take your private pilot checkride, but once again, to do it in as few as 40 hours is pretty rare.
At $85/hour for the plane, and $35/hour for the instructor this is not a cheap way to go in getting to a steady career. Right now 3400 dollars and 23 hours down the road I am about 99% sure I won't be one of the ones making it in 40 hours and this money shit is pissing me off/killing me.
Once I finish my private I will be going to a school that will cost me 45,000 dollars, but luckily, because my parents paid for all of my other siblings college, food, and rent, they say they will pay for this school for the most part. But because right now I am going through a private instructor they will only offer me a little monetary help, a few hundred a month.
Starting out that was fine because the majority of money was for ground time(only paying the instructor), but now we are spending alot more time in the air, which means more airplane bills.
Now I am working two jobs and paying more and more while my parents still pay the same. I work one full time job every day, and the four days a week that I work the other one I am working from 8 a.m. until 12.30 a.m. with an hour break before starting my second job.
I am tired all the time and have put my climbing on hold...the money's still not enough, especially when I am about to start doing cross-country wwhich is 500 bucks a pop. And now my mom is sounding like she's not wanting to help me anymore.
I was talking with one of my co-workers at job no.2 last night who is a long haired, pot smoking, spaced out, weirdo...basically me two or three years ago. I know from being where he is now that there is nothing I can do now to get him to understand that I've thought the way he does and seen a different path for me to go that fits better with my life plans, but I did try to explain to him how you can have either spiritual rewards or worldly rewards, or neither, but if you have one of those you cannot fully attain the other(for the vast, vast majority of people).
I was like him before and content, but being content with a low paying job and small apartment is not going to get you out of that job and apartment. I am in love and want to get married and have lots of kids with enough time and money to rockclimb every once in a while and fulfill my other desires. I finished my time of worrying about politics, religion, and philosophy that make no difference in the real world.
I don't want to be enlightened and uncaring, and I don't want to be filthy stinking rich, I just want to have my family comfortable, my work enjoyable, and my peace of mind intact.
I just want some kind of words of wisdom and encouragement, because a day like today when my mom bitches about money when I've been working my ass off and footing most of the bill just makes me want to yell, "DO YOU WANT ME TO QUIT??? FINE I QUIT!"
Thanks for listening, and sorry for the rant. :oops:
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wideguy
Feb 15, 2006, 10:33 PM
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Kinda way off the subject but...
when my buddy Matt was going through what you are he had the same issues. After crunching some numbers he and 4 friends decided to go in and buy a plane. They figured how much the 4 of them would pay for plane rentals all the way though their commercial licenses and figured that they could save a significant chunk of that and off set the rest by towing banners and being instructors once they got their commercial licenses. He said it worked out in their favor financially, although barely, but sped the process WAY up by having a plane available whenever and for however long they wanted.
Anyway, point is that it's doable. Don't get down. Sure, you may need to have roomates, you may need to eat ALOT of Raman noodles and you may have to drive a POS car... but you can do it.
Then make sure you focus on private service (Which I think you said you were) because the airlines are pretty sketchy right now and reportedly getting sketchier.
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deserteaglle
Feb 15, 2006, 10:37 PM
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That is probably by far the best thing that you can do...but the problem is that I know one other pilot my age, and he is also the only one that I know who is in a similar position as myself...believe me, I wish that I knew more pilots to both help with all the studying I have to do, and buying a plane would be so much better in the long run.
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wjca
Feb 15, 2006, 10:48 PM
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If you want to transport people, save some money and get a chauffeur's license. A limo is way cheaper than a plane. Once you get good at it, you can trade the limo in for a bus and transport large quantities of people. The world needs bus drivers too, man.
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tradgal
Feb 15, 2006, 11:24 PM
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In reply to: Once I finish my private I will be going to a school that will cost me 45,000 dollars, but luckily, because my parents paid for all of my other siblings college, food, and rent, they say they will pay for this school for the most part. But because right now I am going through a private instructor they will only offer me a little monetary help, a few hundred a month. Starting out that was fine because the majority of money was for ground time(only paying the instructor), but now we are spending alot more time in the air, which means more airplane bills. Now I am working two jobs and paying more and more while my parents still pay the same. I work one full time job every day, and the four days a week that I work the other one I am working from 8 a.m. until 12.30 a.m. with an hour break before starting my second job. I am tired all the time and have put my climbing on hold...the money's still not enough, especially when I am about to start doing cross-country wwhich is 500 bucks a pop. And now my mom is sounding like she's not wanting to help me anymore.
This is going to sound harsh--but, do you want some cheese to go with that wine?
Grand total that MY parents/ family gave me after I graduated from high school--ZERO, nothing, zilch, not a dime. I paid for school, apartments, food, play time, etc ON MY OWN. As have MANY other people in the world and on this site
PLEASE, be THANKFUL for what you are being given by your parents, because not everyone is SO fortunate. Don't focus on the negatives. So what, if it takes you a little longer to get through this because you are working your way to success. So what? You DEFINTIELY would not be the first who had to do a little work and sacrifice a little time for what it is that you want.
I mean, for God's sake...your parents are still helping to support you, they are willing to pay the 45 GRAND for your schooling, and you complain about your climbing having to suffer????
The squirrel my dog caught last week has more to worry about that you do. I mean, God forbid you live in a small apartment for awhile...
I am sorry if that all sounds harsh--but there are worse things that can happen. Trust me, people have done this before with absolutely no help from anyone. You seem to have a foot in the door, people to help support you, a loving significant other but you are lacking a little self sacrifice in my eyes.
Good luck to you. At least you have a plan and are thinking ahead.
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philbox
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Feb 15, 2006, 11:50 PM
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So lemme get this straight, you want it all now mistah.
What is wrong with stretching out the time limit. Do the same with more time and you will have more funds all round to work with.
If you are limited in the time that have i/e you have to start at the $45,000 college on a specified date then is it possible to place your pilots training on hiatus or maybe even continue that training in a limited capacity during college.
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wjca
Feb 16, 2006, 12:07 AM
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Come on people, give him a break. He wants financial security, a wife and kids now!! He's not getting any younger. Shit, in a few years, he's gonna be 25, that almost dead!!
Want some french cries with that Waaaburger?
Now quick, everybody pile on.
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styndall
Feb 16, 2006, 1:43 AM
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I don't know what options are available in terms of student loans for flight school, but you might look into that. Education is the one thing the bank can't repossess, and government subsidized student money is the cheapest funding available these days. It might hurt a bit, but think of it this way. If you rack up 10k in student loans now and find a 40k a year job once you finish school, you'll just need to live off 30k of that your first year, and you'll be debt free. If your lifestyle is anything like mine (crappy student apartment in what passes for a ghetto, cooking all the time, not driving much) you're probably living off way less than 30k a year right now (minus tuition, my rent+bills+food comes in at around 12k per annum), so it won't be too hard to keep it up and extra year.
Get smart. It's worth it.
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dingus
Feb 16, 2006, 1:43 AM
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Finish school, go ROTC, join the air force or navy and do it the AMERICAN way.
DMT
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dingus
Feb 16, 2006, 1:44 AM
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In reply to: I don't know what options are available in terms of student loans for flight school,
One concrete piece of advice... lose the tan and shave the beard BEFORE you head off to jet engine pilot school.
DMT
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happiegrrrl
Feb 16, 2006, 2:45 AM
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I don't really know the details of what my brother-in-law went through, but it took him quite a while to get his pilot's licenses to where he is now. Last I heard he was flying for DHL. His goal is to fly passengers overseas.
I know he started in the Reserves, and think he got licensed to fly helicopters. (I could be wrong about the license).
He then had a job flying a little plane with for some private company, transporting stuff like chemicals, things that weren't "attractive" cargo for people who could get better gigs.
Then he was flying a private plane for a wealthy man for a while.
Then he got the DHL gig.
He barely made any money when he was starting out, and my sister supported things with her job as an x-ray tech. They had 2 kids, and she was still pretty much the breadwinner. They bought a home, and had a 3rd kid - all this before he was flying larger planes.
I always thought that his parents asisted, but lately my sister has told me about helping to pay for THEIR care. I don't know if this was a shift that gradually occurred, or if the parents never helped out after all. I was pretty shocked, I have to admit, because they were of that type that had "the nice house" in a pretty ritzy neighborhood.
Anyway - the sort of pay level jobs you are working might have something to do with your issue. I guess my B-i-L got a jump start with the Reserves training, too. But my sister's job paid decently, and more importantly, had good health benefits. With children, that's a big consideration.
You might get better ideas on what to do by checking out some of the forums related to flying...there must be scads of them. Maybe you could even get some info from the DropZone site. It seems a good number of those people are also pilots.
One suggestion: Instead of getting pegged as one of the "newbie shoe thread guys" (only in pilot lingo)....do a search before blasting off!
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reno
Feb 16, 2006, 4:32 AM
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Move to Arizona, enroll at Arizona State University, attend the aviation program at the ASU East Valley campus (on the grounds of the current Williams-Gateway airport,) and get a Stafford loan to pay for it all. Four years later, you have a commercial multi-engine IFR rating, almost a thousand hours of stick time, and a college degree to boot.
Now, what's the problem again?
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climbinginchico
Feb 16, 2006, 5:00 AM
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In reply to: Move to Arizona, enroll at Arizona State University, attend the aviation program at the ASU East Valley campus (on the grounds of the current Williams-Gateway airport,) and get a Stafford loan to pay for it all. Four years later, you have a commercial multi-engine IFR rating, almost a thousand hours of stick time, and a college degree to boot. Now, what's the problem again?
Well, someone just got told.
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deserteaglle
Feb 16, 2006, 5:02 PM
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Tradgal, I think there were a few things that you need to go back and highlight.
Anyway, I'm not expecting ya'll to get where I'm coming from really, though for the most part ya'll have done a pretty good job, espescially Reno. That's the plan man, but as I'm sure you can understand, I've already got a couple thousand invested in this private pilot thing, as well as 80 hours a week working, plus studying. I can't just quit now and throw away all that cash and time that I've already spent on it.
Phil that's another thing, I do a lesson a week it will not only take more time, but more money spent on re-learning things. I do frequent several pilot forums, and they all say the same thing, "You gotta be in a plane almost everyday or your going to spend more time and money."
I'm not looking for advice on the specifics from non-pilots, I was just kind of looking for encouragement from people who have been pissed and stressed about money (don't act like you haven't been). Besides, the "(rant)" disclaimer was supposed to let you know that this was a pointless thread.
Thanks.
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tradgal
Feb 16, 2006, 5:20 PM
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I knew there were a few things I forgot to highlight. I won't make that mistake again...
Seriously, there are people out there who have it a hell of a lot worse than you do!!! Be thankful for the support you do have and buck-up and do what you have to do to get through this!!!!
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maculated
Feb 16, 2006, 5:29 PM
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Money is a neccessary evil in this world. You can only let it be a little evil by desiring little, but the more you desire, the more evil it can become.
Everytime you create a desire, you cost that much more. If you create desires that you, yourself cannot fund with ease and others offer to pick up the check - they have faith in you and faith in that desire. But, should it come to a time when they no longer can or will have faith in that desire or the means to help you - this should not be complaint, it was an unwarranted gift of love and hope.
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deserteaglle
Feb 16, 2006, 5:30 PM
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double post post post :D
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maculated
Feb 16, 2006, 5:32 PM
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Money is a neccessary evil in this world. You can only let it be a little evil by desiring little, but the more you desire, the more evil it can become.
Everytime you create a desire, you cost that much more. If you create desires that you, yourself, cannot fund with ease and others offer to pick up the check - they have faith in you and faith in that desire. But, should it come to a time when they no longer can or will have faith in that desire or the means to help you - this should not be complaint, it was an unwarranted gift of love and hope.
Asking for support because you complain of the restrictions of your gifts can work with some, but not all.
I had a "friend" who used to catalog her life by how much money her parents spent on her. It turns out they were swindlers and eventually lost all their money and her father went to jail. She complained bitterly over the loss of her fake nails and daily gifts. Her complaint, as well as her previous brags, fell on deaf ears from people who'd never experienced the luxury of fake nails or $1000 daily gifts. I'm sure someone like Paris Hilton would have been sympathetic.
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deserteaglle
Feb 16, 2006, 5:35 PM
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In reply to: I knew there were a few things I forgot to highlight. I won't make that mistake again... Seriously, there are people out there who have it a hell of a lot worse than you do!!! Be thankful for the support you do have and buck-up and do what you have to do to get through this!!!!
Thanks, seriously.
I think you're mistaking my personality a bit, but the advice is appreciated, though I don't know when I'm supposed to "buck up" between my jobs, studying, and flying. :D
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madriver
Feb 16, 2006, 5:58 PM
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...find new parents....doooh!!!!
Love always
S. Dad
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philbox
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Feb 16, 2006, 9:54 PM
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/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\ What madriver said.
Sage advice and one that should definitely be acted on. :lol:
Good on you mate for putting in the hours in your various jobs. Actually instead of changing your parents have you thought about getting better paying work.
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deserteaglle
Feb 16, 2006, 10:03 PM
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In reply to: /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\ What madriver said. Sage advice and one that should definitely be acted on. :lol: Good on you mate for putting in the hours in your various jobs. Actually instead of changing your parents have you thought about getting better paying work.
That's something I've been thinking about alot.
My no.1 job is decent paying, but has a lot of benefits that is the best reason for working here, plus I don't really have a boss, so I figure if I did find a place with a little better pay than this one, I would have to put up with a boss and even if I did get more money, it would have to be quite a bit to offset the benefits.
As far as my second job goes, it is just a little better than minimum wage, but it's actually fun, once again, no real boss, and I get tips.
I really wish that I could find 1 job that had all of the things I need from job 1 with as much pay as I get from 1 & 2 without having any type of degree other than a high school diploma and a TABC certification.lol
I guess I should do like Tradgal says and be thanful for what I have, even though that doesn't really help the situation. I try not to think about it much, but if you saw the luxurious lifestyle my little brother lives you'd wonder how you fucked up to. :lol:
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tradgal
Feb 17, 2006, 4:36 PM
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In reply to: though I don't know when I'm supposed to "buck up" between my jobs, studying, and flying. :D
You can start by spending less time on rc.com, less time watching Lifetime, and stop watching stupid movies like 13 going on 30, Mean Girls and Confessions of a Teen Drama Queen. :lol: :lol: :lol:
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