Btw, I didn't fly for the USMC. I started flying as a civillian. It's about 13-15k to get your license. Choppers are maintenance animals, and that's where most of the expenses come into play. BUT, you only live once, and what a blast these machines are! I won't be able to sleep tonight hoping I can get a four seater for about four hours Saturday or Sunday!
Perhaps it is because I am male. But since pilots don't need to know all that much it might escape you.
Let me help you out here Mav. There are two ways to get paid. 1. for what you do. 2. for what you know. Knowledge workers are paid much more than category one. Is there a reason for that? That is your homework for tonight.
My brother-in-law owns Sun Aero, and he has a contract with NASCAR to chopper in and out the drivers to the tracks. They tow the choppers to the track on a flatbed trailer - too expensive to fly them when they are not carrying a client.
Semantics.... Nice try. First year means first year behind an airplane of any kind, but you knew that.
That is total bullshit. I know tenured professors that make half as much money as an airline captain. Come on man, where do you come up with this shit? I know analysts at Goldman Sachs with economic degrees from Princeton that make 1/20th of what some of the daytraders I use to work with. Your statement could not be more false. I have found in my life that people who have knowledge (on anything) are simply a commodity. In other words, anyone can attain it. But people who can execute, they are very rare. Whether they be a trader, a star quarterback or even a top salesman. Very few people can execute in life, especially in very competitive environments.
I'll have to admit, one of my top 5 Clients is a retired Pilot from American in Dallas. He had made over 200k/year with American before retiring. He told me some guys make 300k if they're on the move more than he was. Last, it's always been something of a "closet dream" of mine to be a Life Flight chopper Pilot. What a great job that would be! Dreams, dreams...
I wanted to check in and see if Michele Bachmann is still purdy and all of a sudden I'm on the flight thread.