How to become a pilot
Well this kid sure has figured it out! But seriously, most pilots didn’t choose their carreer path for monetary reasons. If you want to get rich quick this way, you might want to reconsider your options.
You might want to consider the path I took. I chose my life of being a cartoonist solely for the filthy riches this profession provides! The hardships of having to draw funny chickens are easily forgotten every time I enter my Money Bin to roll around in cash.
Sorry for the slight delay with todays comic, but I just got back from a weekend trip to Berlin!
I’ve read it on an italian magazine JP4!!! Man, that’s the real pilot’s condition!
So true lol!
This story went down almost exactly as it was drawn. It was the mid 1990’s and I was showing a kid around the hangar who was interested in becoming a mechanic. He asked me how much an A&P mechanic would be making after he had his license and completed his training. When I told him he said he was making that amount already in his second year working for an escalator and elevator company and if he stuck with it he would be making almost double that in another 4 years. Kinda crushed me in a way….
But I also knew I wasn’t gonna be rich going into the aviation business. I loved anything that had to do with flying and especially with helicopters. But I am actually making a little more than I was planning which I believe comes from the fact that the Vietnam aera pilots are retiring and the next generation is asking for more money to fly helos.
Of course it could be more 😉
But I still feel lucky to have a job I enjoy and the awesome people who share this profession (obsession?) with me!
I see this scene at the airclub on a regular basis, although here in Brazil, most people give up usually because the training is harder than originally thought – although a whole lot of promissing pilots never even try it, exactly because of monetary constraints. And of the ones who try but give up, most were just thinking they would get their licenses with one year of school, and be making 80k a year after a year and a half.
Since I got into this business, I knew very well that I wouldn’t have a giant paycheck. I’m in it because I love airplanes, and for me, that’s more than enough. Aviation is one of those rare occupations that are really hard and expensive to get into, yet offer a kinda small monetary incentive afterwards.