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Disclaimer: This is the story of my aviation career as seen through my eyes. The opinions expressed here are my own and not those of my current or former employers.….
My head was leaning against the cold glass of the backseat window. It was warm in the car, but outside was a typical crisp late December evening in eastern Massachusetts. I was home from my first semester of college and we were returning from an automobile show just south of Boston.
In the distance, I could see planes lined up for landing at Logan. It was so impressive that all the bright white lights were evenly spaced for landing. “I wonder how they get it so perfect?” I thought to myself. That thought would become one of the most defining moments of my life.
*Added by SwayneIt hit me like a ton of bricks. A voice screamed in my head: “If you're that curious, why don't you follow your childhood dream and become a pilot?” It wasn't a new thought... but, it was one that had laid dormant for about five years.
Growing up, I was obsessed with anything with wings. I was positive I would become an astronaut or an airline pilot. After the Challenger exploded, I was sure I would become an airline pilot. That space stuff suddenly seemed too dangerous.By my freshman year of high school, I had completely dismissed the thought of being a pilot. It seemed like a boring profession with all the sitting around during long flights. I also attended a very good Catholic high school that stressed traditional academics and career paths. My guidance counselor wouldn't have had a clue how to steer me into aviation. I was good with a computer, but in the days before the internet, that also seemed like an unexciting career.After high school, I set out to the University of Miami to earn a degree in Business Administration. After successfully balancing academics and social activities, I returned home for that first winter break with a very high GPA. My high school had over-prepared me for college. It was going very well... but, I felt a bit empty when I thought about my future in the business world.
That's why that moment in the car was so important. I had all but forgotten about a career in aviation. Sitting there in the back seat, I smiled and felt excited about my future for the first time as a young adult. I was suddenly determined to learn everything I needed to know about becoming a professional airline pilot.
Two days later, some family friends put me in touch with an American Airlines captain who lived in our city. I called him up and he graciously spent thirty minutes on the phone explaining the typical career path of a pilot. All the terms were new to me... student pilot certificate, solo flight, private pilot, instrument pilot, commercial pilot, ATP. He suggested I take a few flight lessons before I made any drastic life decisions.After returning to Miami for the second semester, I called one of the small FBOs at the Tamiami Airport. I explained I was a local college student who wanted to take a few flight lessons to see if I enjoyed it. They were very happy to help and setup a lesson for the next weekend.
That Saturday in South Florida was the first time I'd flown in anything other than an airliner. I was hooked from the moment the Cessna 172 rotated off runway 9R. I signed up for more lessons the next two weekends. On the second flight, with the instructor talking me through it, I landed the plane myself. By the third lesson, I'd made up my mind.
I was twelve years old again... positive that I was going to be an airline pilot.A friend from my dorm was dating a guy who was enrolled in the aviation program at the Florida Institute of Technology. We became friends and he invited me up to Melbourne to tour the campus. I drove three hours north of Coral Gables and was very impressed with what I saw. The structured program, campus and facility at MLB appealed to me.Shortly thereafter, I applied and was accepted to the program. Miraculously, all my Miami courses transferred for credit into Florida Tech's program. My grades in those courses helped earn a little bit of a scholarship. I was still on track to complete college in four years.That summer, I prepared for the private pilot course I was scheduled to take my first semester. I bought the Jeppesen Private Pilot manual and memorized it. I had no practical clue about some of the material I was memorizing. But, I figured it couldn't hurt to have the knowledge in my head as I started to correlate it with actual operations. When I arrived in Melbourne, I was clearly much more prepared than many of my classmates.
When I returned to Florida, I earned my CFI and was hired by the school to teach during my final semester. After the holidays, I began teaching a few primary students and earned my CFII and MEI. Upon graduation, I had all the tools I needed to begin building flight time. The school hired me as a full time instructor. The salary was $1000 a month.
Fortunately, my newlywed bride's modest income helped keep our head above water. I worked long hours teaching many students each semester. Although instructing wasn't my ultimate goal, I figured I may as well do it to the best of my ability. My students deserved the same quality instruction I'd received.In those days, my peers and I needed to log 1,200 total time and 200 multi-engine to interview with the regional airlines. When I'd filled up enough pages in my logbook, I started rapidly firing off resumes.During my days off, I started flying out to interviews. The first was an absolute disaster but good learning experience. Subsequent interviews were much more professional.I received two job offers... one with a large regional airline that required that I pay for the training. (It was popular during the 90's... there were so many pilots looking for jobs that the regional carriers were charging pilots $10k for training.) The other job was with a small regional airline flying Saab 340s in the Northeast.After much deliberation, we loaded everything we owned in a small rental truck and headed up I-95. My wife stayed with her parents in Virginia while I attended Saab 340 training at La Guardia airport in New York. For weeks, four of us shared (and paid for!) a hotel room close to the airport. My savings drained and debt started to build. Although there was no up-front training fee, the job didn't start to pay until I passed the check-ride. Even then, it was only $17 a flight hour.I consider that part of my career the equivalent of earning a master's degree. Many people graduate school and pay a ton of money to earn the higher degree. My pay may have ranged from zero to meager, but I was having fun and building time in a turbine aircraft. That turbine time was the ticket to where I wanted to spend the rest of my aviation career.
*Added by Swayne
September 11, 2001 changed everything. (I wrote a blog post about this time in my life in more detail... you can read it at http://renewedpilot.com/2010/08/28/where-were-you-when-it-happened/ )
Soon after September 11, the downsizing began. Senior pilots took my position on the A320. I took a bid on the 737. In early 2002, I spent six long weeks training on the 737 just to be rewarded with a cut in pay.
The downsizing continued. Although we had a no-furlough clause in our contract, 2,172 pilots were laid off from the company. My phone call came the day after the Superbowl in 2003 while driving home from lunch. I was informed my furlough was effective April 1. I was devastated.
With a young family to support and no flying jobs available, I was forced to take a job as an aviation consultant in Washington, D.C. That job was an eye opener. I quickly learned that commuting five days a week in rush hour to play office politics with consultants and government employees was not for me. I was miserable.
Six months later, I drove my Honda to Connecticut to interview with a fractional jet company. During the five hour drive, I mentally prepared for the interview. After I met with several managers, they offered me a flying job. I spent the five hour drive home contemplating how I was going to explain to my wife that I was going back to flying for half of what they were paying me as a consultant. I was thankful for the opportunity and excited to try a different style of flying... but, I was still in a very dark and bitter place.For the next few years, I flew Citations on a seven day on / seven day off rotation. I quickly worked up to captain and then standard's captain. I enjoyed the flying and earned about two thirds of what United was paying me when I got furloughed. We moved the family to Nashville and enjoyed the southern lifestyle and low cost of living.
I bid Denver as a base soon after returning. I didn't want to leave Nashville, but we moved to Colorado so I could drive to work. They were good years... it didn't feel like I was living my dream, but in some ways, we did settle back into our “old life.” Everything was looking good... United even started hiring some “new hires” off the street.
Then, the price of jet fuel skyrocketed.In late 2008, the management made the decision to park a hundred jets in the desert. While the true motivation behind the move can be debated, they blamed it on high fuel prices.
The “new hires” were furloughed immediately. Many of those men and women left good jobs to join our airline. Within their first year, they found themselves applying for unemployment benefits.
In October 2009, after another fast and furious cycle of bumping and training, I was furloughed from United Airlines for the second time. Unlike the first time, there were no tears. Was I angry? Yes. Worried or sad? No. I had complete confidence it would all work out. I reminded myself that my life just took another unexpected turn. Just like the first time, anything that happened from that point forward wouldn't have normally occurred.My confidence started to wane about three months into the furlough. The last severance check had arrived and I still had no leads on a full time job. The “family time” was fantastic, but I didn't want to completely drain our savings. I knew deep down it would work out like the first time, but I really started to feel some pressure.In late April, I received an email from Virgin America asking for some follow-up information for the resume I sent. After a few emails and an on-line assessment, I earned an interview.
Weeks later, after absolutely no preparation, I found myself in the middle of a group interview. I'd flown to San Francisco the previous afternoon. I was advised to dress business casual with no tie and “be myself” during the interview. How does one prepare for that except get a good night's sleep?
Right from the very beginning, I was intrigued by the culture of the company. I listened to their speeches, answered all their questions and even shared a few good laughs throughout the day. The next morning, I received an email requesting I complete a pre-employment drug test. It was followed up by the background check and finally an official job offer.*Added by Swayne- Virgin America A320 Sunset Landing LAX
A few weeks before I attended training, I decided to start a blog. I wanted to tell my story and document my experiences in training and first year at a new, innovative airline. My goal was to bring family, friends and any up-and-coming pilots along for the ride. After everything I'd been through, I felt my pilot career was about to be renewed. Hence, www.renewedpilot.com was born. If you want to see what's been happening since 2010, come visit me on my site.
Please follow @RenewedPilot on Twitter or visit www.renewedpilot.com for other contact information. Do not hesitate to get in touch with me if you ever have any questions about being a pilot. I will jump through hoops to help anyone who has their sights set on this career. As a group, I believe we've come over the hump and our best days are ahead of us.
Thank you so much Brian for writing in and sharing your incredible story. It's really motivating for me to see a guy who's gone through so many hardships and furloughs, yet manages to keep his head up. Going into aviation certainly isn't the easiest or most stable of career paths, but like you said, "As a group, I believe we've come over the hump and our best days are ahead of us."
It's good to know that you'll be out there for me or any up and coming pilot that might need some advice. I really appreciate that!Thanks again for writing in and participating in the Share Your Story section of the blog,
Swayne Martin
Martins Aviation / From Private to Professional Pilot
Twitter: @MartinsAviationYoutube: MartinsAviation1
