Perks of Being a Pilot

Most people will urge you to follow your passion rather than toil away for a mere paycheck. As the popular saying goes, “If you love what you do, you’ll never work a day in your life,” which implies there must be a vocation out there that continuously inspires you and will enable you to support yourself. However, that may not be the entire message. The reality is you should pursue a career because you’ll inevitably end up with some level of financial obligation to live a relatively comfortable life. However, your quest shouldn’t be guided solely by dollar signs. There’s a balance you have to strike to reach a happy medium.

If you break into a field only focused on the earning potential, then you’ll likely be miserable in that profession. Take the example of a commercial pilot. The road to becoming a pilot isn’t an easy one, and once a position is secured in the industry, quite a bit of time is spent away from home. Also, the pilots are responsible for the safety of dozens of passengers on every flight. Rarely will a generous salary alone be enough to compensate someone for that kind of stress unless the job is rewarding.

When asked about the benefits associated with being a commercial pilot, more individuals highlighted the perks rather than the pay. In the end, it’s the journey that keeps them in their roles for the long haul.

Travel

Aside from the love of flying, travel is one of the key reasons people decide to become pilots. Travel is the nature of the job. The potential for adventure is always looming depending on the destination and how much time the crew has between routes. More often than not, there are opportunities to fly to new locales, both domestic and international. A change in scenery is always energizing, and that’s the very definition of the pilots’ circumstances once they step outside the cockpit. One drawback may be that pilots are on the road so often for work. It’s harder for their family to get them to travel in their free time.

Discounts and Free Time

If you’re not interested in becoming a pilot yourself, becoming friends with one couldn’t hurt. Pilots can typically get travel discounts for their friends and family, which translate into great deals on vacations and spontaneous trips.

When your day job involves flying a plane, you’re truly working in the moment. Once the shift has ended, a pilot can leave the aircraft behind and not bring the job home. There are thousands of maintenance workers and other airline personnel that keep the fleet running until his or her next route begins.

If you believe becoming a pilot is a potential career path that will keep you motivated and energized, it might be overwhelming to figure out where to begin. Many pilots first attend flight schools like Aeroguard Flight Training Center, which you can check out online, or visit this flight school in Phoenix, Arizona for more information regarding the training and qualifications required to become a licensed pilot. Make no mistake; flight school will be tough and challenging. But then, if flying and the desire to become a pilot is your dream, it will be a worthwhile undertaking.