[quote=svelte][quote=flyer]
I retired from American before 60 thanks to real estate. Another reason to have a “Plan B.”[/quote]

Well that explains how you’ve done it – pilots make a great living. If you’ve got perfect eyesight and are over 6 feet tall, you’re eligible to attempt a career as a pilot.

I would have never been eligible.

Many of my current and former neighbors are pilots. One of them, an American pilot, rarely ever worked. He always opted for the standby slots and was home almost all the time. Downside: he could never drink because he didn’t know if he’d be called in. Sometimes us neighbors would watch their kids overnight for them (his wife was a nurse). They were great people so we didn’t mind, but he sure made a lot of money for not much work.[/quote]

Other than the fact that I have loved flying since I was a kid, one of the main reasons I chose the profession after college was the reserve system.

As you mentioned with your friends, due to seniority, I bid reserve (standby) for many years, and was rarely called to fly, and still maintained the same income, which allowed lots of time to build the real estate portfolio, etc., spend time with the kids growing up, etc.

Many of the pilots I’ve known have done similar things–invested in franchises, real estate, car dealerships etc.–since it allows you to have another life apart from the job.

I’m grateful to have enjoyed the profession during the more golden years of traveling all over the world (I met my wife when I was flying to Paris from NYC), but wouldn’t recommend it to anyone now. It has devolved over the years, and, especially now, the airlines and their employees are fighting for their lives through no fault of their own. CEO’s met with Meadows in DC this past week, so we’ll see if the possibility of another bailout changes the current bleak scenario.