Are you ready to take off? We all believe that being a Pilot is the best job one can have. This job is assumed to have perks such as getting to see the world for free, handling a multi-millionaire aircraft, and son. However, there are several downsides to this job.
Some of the most appealing truths about being a pilot are listed as follows:
THE DAY-TO-DAY LIFE OF A PILOT IS NOT YOURS TO PLAN!
The day-to-day life of a pilot is not yours to plan, while most people have a fixed schedule of 9 to 5 it is not the same for Pilots. The schedule of a Pilot keeps on evolving and changing. When people sleep pilots work. The pressurizations and depressurizations make a pilot tired.
NO FESTIVALS AND PUBLIC HOLIDAYS
One misses out on festivities and holidays as a Pilot. Airlines generate most of the revenue during a time of Holidays and that is the time when more flights are being mounted. The life of a Pilot is controlled by a guy sitting behind a computer who formulates the Roster. Waking up at 2 am and going to sleep at 5 am is normal in the life of a pilot. One has to force themselves to be adaptable even if they are tired.
LIMITED TIME FOR FAMILY
The family life of a Pilot can sometimes be hugely impaired due to the ever-changing schedule. The issue is more common among pilots operating in Long-haul sectors. They are out of home for an extended duration and miss hugely on family time!
ENDLESS TESTS
Endless tests are one of the biggest truths of being a pilot. Unless a pilot is grounded permanently or 65 years old a Pilot has to appear for several exams such as base check, line check, safety emergency procedure training, exam line oriented flight simulator, medical exams, English exams, and so on. The list is never-ending and regulator authorities continuously make things more and more stringent.
LIMITED CAREER GROWTH AND EARNING POTENTIAL
The earnings of a pilot are limited. A pilot can only fly for 100 hours in 28 days and he/she can only trade-off time for money. Hours look less but no accounting is done for additional time spent on activities like training, layover, transit time, and traveling time to the airport.
This article is not to demean the profession but just to show some ground realities of the job. Yes! At last, being a commercial pilot is a job.
