Airline Pilot or Engineer? 10 points?

2) --The engineer job.

You already consider being a nonpilot to be an option.

That is not the case with someone who wants to be a pilot.

You would not be happy as a professional pilot.

1

First of all, your description of choice (1) doesn't sound completely based on facts. You need to review the information about the cadet program you mention, and the questionable idea of a "frozen" ATPL. You need to get these things straight and make sure you have not taken some bad advice or gotten some of the facts confused.

At the same time, if you do in fact have a degree in EE, you are set up for an excellent career in a rewarding field in which you will have some genuine control over the exigencies of your life, and will not face the potentially diminishing future of the aviation industry.

Your ideas of a professional piloting career are not necessarily very realistic, and it is a field that does not necessarily have a good future. The engineering career sounds more solid.

Not even a choice. Definitely the Engineering profession. Why? Just look at what the skyrocketing price of fuel is doing to the airline industry. Some airlines have gone bankrupt, others are looking for someone to merge with. Those that are surviving are drastically looking for ways to compensate for the added costs of fuel. They are cutting routes or service. They are laying off employees, and putting less fuel efficient aircraft in storage. They are now charging for services that were once offered for free.Soon they will be requesting wage concessions from the various labor unions. It's an industry that is in a rapid state of decline. The need for airline pilots in the future will be very limited. On the other hand there will always be a need for Electrical Engineers.

Please note that if you audit the "questions" asked by all those who are telling you to "go for the piloting career" you can deduce that they are probably young kids whose total knowledge of aircraft is what they learn by playing Flight Simulator on their computer.

Get the engineering job. With the education, you can go anywhere. Try to get a job with an oil company.......or anything that doesn't involve aviation. I have 29 years with my aviation job. I have been a mechanic, lead mechanic, corporate rep, and inspector.......and now I don't know if my job will last to the end of the year. Many of our experienced pilots are looking for other jobs, too. (a lot of competition there) Flight Engineers will soon be a thing of the past. Oil companies don't seem to lose money. Utility companies don't seem to lose money, either.

Ask yourself this:

Do I want to work as an engineer and have a stable home life,or

work as a pilot and be away from home a lot?

Both of these are excellent career fields. Only you can decide what you want to do.

Before you decide, I suggest that you talk to someone or several people in those career fields.

Regards,

Dan

There aren't that many airplanes out there with engineers anymore. Most of their functions can and are being automated and since people are one of an airlines most expensive items, airlines are getting rid of aircraft with engineers.

Besides, the best seat on any airplane is the one facing forward in the cockpit.

surely you're not going to base such a life decision on answers you get here are you? you're 23 and need to ask others what you should do? take the engineering job. it's safe in an office cubicle. an atp, what the hell is a frozen atpl anyway, will not make you a pilot.

air line pilot

Go for (1) if you feel keen enough and are confident that you will make it.