What's your occupation

Thirty years as a Wildlife Biologist/Pilot in Alaska, now retired from that job, and teaching in the aviation program at the University of Minnesota.

MTV

Commercial Apiarist, part time CFI.
Tom

Airline Pilot, 737 Captain

Interesting how few people here make their living flying airplanes.

Keith

Past 11 years owner and operator of a commercial weed control company where I get to design, build and test new sprayer equipment. Part time rancher. In my youthfull years I commercial fished in South central Alaska for haring, salmon and halibut.
My definition of retired: I get up in the morning feeling some what rested but by mid afternoon I feel retired !!!!

Dirt Farmer in Maine, grow potatoes under contract for Frito Lay, supplying 3 northeast plants. A food product nobody needs to eat, but eat a lot of.


Jim

Retired from USPS in 2003 after 35 years in postal automation R&D, took the weekend off and went to work as a systems engineer for a defense contractor near Baltimore that makes postal automation equipment.
Prior parallel life: Chief Pilot of primary training for a large school in Oklahoma and then one based at Dulles Airport, VA, both FAA and VA approved; research pilot for University of Maryland, flying an Aztec with 10 foot long pipe on top taking real-time air sample data for power plant and chemical plant smoke stack emissions analysis.

Never made a living flying but flying has kept me living.
Chuck Shaw

Farmer,

spring wheat, winter wheat, durum
corn, peas, garbonzo beans, lentils
canola, mustard, sunflowers, flax

Bill

Corporate Pilot 22 years, NOT counting down the days to retirement.
A&P IA rebuilding Super Cub and Vagabond and maintaining other fabric Pipers, building kayaks now and then.

Lessee... Most of my semi-adult life I fronted my own band. Singer, songwriter... Blues with a country twist, soul and rock and roll... "Americana" is the term used to describe the mixture of styles and influences. To support my musical habits, I did all kinds of jobs to keep my head above water. I worked in restaurants and ran the kitchen at the old Heartbreak Hotel in Providence, RI for awhile. All kinds of odd jobs... Did some hysterical restoration work (my first restoration and painting job the oldest house in RI according to genealogical records circa 1650). Did that for awhile then became a parent (single Mom) and had to find something more compatible with raising a small child. I became a professional seamstress and built props for the local repertory theater. I sewed many miles of seams and eventually earned enough to move to Nashville, TN. I had been working with a famous drummer in New England who urged me to move to Nashville (he'd recently been re-located there). Unfortunately, the night I did my last gig in New England, he passed away quite suddenly from a brain aneurysm. Instead of singing at his wedding and putting together a band with some of Nashville's finest, I sang at his funeral on Christmas Eve. That was a very sad year. I was adrift in a new place without a band for the first time in many years and trying to start over again from scratch. A fine songwriter by he name of Walter Hyatt took me under his wing and gave me my first gig in town. Things were starting to look up for awhile, then he was killed when the Valuejet he was on crashed into the Florida Everglades. I continued doing stage work and started learning how to play the guitar. Met some very fine people over the years and eventually got an offer to move to Florida to help start up a new record company (in a fly-in neighborhood of all places!). A levee on the river broke, flooding the entire property and that dream went out the window. I've got one recording project of original songs I hope to finish up someday if this airplane thing doesn't get in the way. :roll: I stayed on to clean up and caretake the property and when the property eventually sold, moved to some rundown living quarters built into the end of an old hangar on the neighborhood runway. I am restoring the apartment and caretaking the rest of the property in exchange for a place to live (I love it!). I earn extra income taking care of horses and watching other places when the owners are away. Watching all the airplanes take off and land outside my windows re-ignited an old dream of learning to fly. I started training in an old SUPERcub at the field and eventually got my private flying ALL kinds of different airplanes. Flying acro now and writing the occasional magazine article. Hope to keep earning new ratings and someday teach, ferry airplanes, tow gliders or drop jumpers to help support my new habit


Lynne

AP/IA...21 years working for the airlines, and counting down like so many others in the industry, January 09. They took our pension so I'm working toward the 65 point plan...age and years of service for free flight.

Started a maintenance shop at our local airport 4 years ago, then bought another this past spring. They are doing well. I enjoy the work and continued challenges.

One of the coolest thing I got to do this past year was, signing off an annual on a J3 and the airworthiness, ETOPS check on an A330 all in the same day. There's an awful lot of aviation between those planes.

A&P/IA, CFI and business owner of a small maintenance shop and aircraft parts store.

I am also one of the luckiest people in Alaska because I work with a great group of people, most of my customers are really interesting people, and I wake up early every morning excited about each day!

Vickie

Own my on business selling Industrial Supplies (Hydraulic Fluid Connectors, Fasteners and anything else related to maintenance.) Spend most of my income on AV gas and Cub Projects :lol: Have 2 J5's and a Cessna 182.

kg said:

Interesting how few people here make their living flying airplanes.

Keith

Click to expand...

Occupation:

turning shiny new airplanes into old beaters so I can have some restoration projects when I retire. Via cropspraying, predator control, and wildlife surveys.

Retired - 35 yrs at Caterpillar as an Engineer and later Engrg Mgr.

Air traffic controller in Kotzebue, Alaska, card carrying union (NATCA) member.

Local fuel&oil driver marc

Well I liked to say I made a living flying airplanes but I am in the majority of those who now don't. I was a 20 + year maintenance supervisor and decided to put my AP/IA to work and turned my hobby into a full time job for 10 years.Due to varying issues with fuel cost,insurance,and other related cost,GA has definitely slowed down in our community so when I was offered my old job back I took it. I still get nights and weekends to work on customers airplanes. I am working on my PA-12 which I have been working on for over 4 years and can see a light at the end of the tunnel and hope to fly it this winter..... Thanks to all the great info here on SC.org I have had alot of questions answered without posting. I will try to post pictures of my project.......Don

Now: Semi retired RN doing hospice & doing what Cajun Joe & Old Cubby do-----making mum her breakfast, packing her lunch, holding open the screen door, walking her down to the car---and sending her off to the salt mines!

Then: Retired RN Nurse Manager

Retired State Police Officer

Retired US Marine Corps

I didn't get a lot of sleep for thirty years.

Cranberry Grower

Commercial Pilot flying 207 in the Alaskan Bush. Trying to save my way towards a cub.

job

Talent scout for shotgun willies!
Dave

Corporate pilot for the last 19 years and a boss who says he would like to go to "every" country.........

job

Started life on a small farm Minn. worked for local farmers.
always loved fixing cars and machinery,went to school for automotive mechanic ,specialized in auto electronics,married my sweet heart and best friend when I was 18 and she was nineteen (silver anniversary in October) two boys along the way Jon 20 in college Blake 16 on the dive team and soccer,Both recently have said they want to get there pilots ticket,worked as mechanic for a few years than started in the local Taconite iron mine as a equipment operator first 10 yrs then took a job as a supervisor for mine operations and maintenance last ten yrs ,along the way I work part time as a aircraft rescue and fire fighter and fueler at the local airport .Always wanted to fly for a living but I dont think I would like it as much as I do now,its my release,things start getting alittle to tense I take the cub up for an hour and Im back on track.10 more yrs of work than I plan on building and flying planes full time.Pat

PS:float flying used to be my favorate until I started flying with my 29 abw..

Constable On Patrol...15 years, 10 to go until I can fish and hunt and fly whenever I want.

I was a corporate pilot for 30 years, flight instructing on the side for fun. Switched to EMS helicopter flying in a Bell 407 for the local Level I Trauma Center 2 years ago. Very challenging but also very rewarding. Now I have a life with time off to fly Super Cubs. I work a 7 day on/7 day off schedule and live 10 minutes from the base. I get to sleep in my own bed every night or day. My wife and I own a horse-drawn carriage business in Tennessee's oldest town, Jonesborough. She also has a wedding chapel there, doing 120 weddings a year. 60 now, plan to fly professionally another 6-7 years.

Retired firefighter after 31 years of putting them out in Kelowna, BC.
In 2003 we lost some!
Now great just having the floatplane at my own dock. Life is good.

Rice and Walnut Farmer

I own a small air taxi service in Montana. Wildlife tracking, charters, fire flying for the guvmint (detection & air attack), filming and photo flying, scattering cremains, scouting for game, etc. Sold the PA18 in June. Still have a 182, Turbo 210 and Pilatus PC-12. It's me and 2 very part time guys. Way too much to do, but it's fun!

I`m an architect, garage and parking building, Moscow, Russia. Aircraft is based in Vladimir-city. While I the student, fly only with the instructor.

occupation

Airline pilot for last 22 years. Corporate pilot before that and flight instructor before that. This aviation thing is a real addiction. Someday hope to spent full time working on planes, hunting and flying for fun.