What do you do for a living?

I’m a production test pilot.

How would you describe what you do?

I fly and do a functional test on the aircraft to make sure that everything works.

What does your work entail?

Taking a brand new aircraft, checking everything on it, and flying it for the first time.

What does a typical work week look like?

It’s usually a four day week, ten hours a day. Come in at seven a.m. and go home at 5:30.

I usually fly anywhere from once to ten times a day.

How did you get started in that career?

I always wanted to be a pilot, so I went to college and got a degree in Aeronautical Science and flew as much as possible. And the attraction to be a test pilot was that I got to be home every night.

What do you like about what you do?

I like the fact that it’s usually not the same thing every day. I like that it requires a high level of attention to look for problems and to see if you can find them before they become real problems.

What do you dislike about what you do?

Working for a large company. There’s too much bureaucracy.

How do you make money or how are you compensated in this job?

It’s salary.

How much money do you make as a Test Pilot?

I make $73,000.

How much money did you make starting out in this job?

About $70,000.

What education or skills are needed to do this?

You need a four year degree and you need an airline transport pilot license.  Also it’s really helpful if you have an A&P(Airframe and Powerplant) mechanics license.

What is most rewarding about this job?

Finding issues and getting them stopped before they become a big issue and making sure that you deliver a safe airplane to your customer.

What is most challenging?

The job is to be picky and to find problems. And then to point those problems out to the people that can fix them and usually those people are the same people that worked on the airplane. So, it’s kinda tough to have to always be pointing out the problems to people. A lot of times they don’t like to hear the problems and a lot of times they don’t like to fix them. So I’d say the interpersonal relationships are the hardest.

What advice would you offer someone considering this career?

I would say look for a good company and be patient. It could take a long time to find a good job and a long time to progress when you get one. Also, it’s such a niche market that first you need to be a well-rounded and experienced pilot. And then you’ve got to start seeking out test pilot jobs. An engineering and maintenance background is extremely useful as well. So if somebody wanted to do it, I would say more so than if someone wanted to do an airline pilot, they’d need to focus on the engineering and maintenance side along with the piloting side.

How much time off do you get or take with this type of job?

Usually three days a week and then vacation accrues just like at any other mid-level executive position. You start off with two weeks a year and after five years you get three weeks a year and after ten years you get four weeks a year.

What’s a common misconception people have about what you do?

That it’s extremely dangerous and we’re crashing airplanes every day.

What else would you like people to know about what you do?

It’s not impossible to do. And that it is available out there. I didn’t really know about the job until I basically had the job. Had I known that this type of job existed I might have pursued it earlier.

What do you do for a living?

I am a flight attendant with a major US airline

How would you describe what you do?

My primary job is to ensure the safety and comfort of passengers.

What does your work entail?

Checking the airplanes emergency equipment prior to passenger boarding. Attending a crew briefing prior to passenger boarding led by the captain emergency evacuation procedures, flight time, weather conditions, and any special issues pertaining to the flight or passengers. Preparing your galley or work station before flight or if aisle attendant monitoring bags and assisting passengers during the boarding process. Ensuring all passengers adhere to FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) regulations, i.e., wearing seat belt when seat belt sign is illuminated, ensuring tray tables and seat backs are in the upright position for take off and landing and luggage is properly stowed.

I’ve been able to travel around the whole world and provide that benefit to my family. I love that my four year old daughter’s passport is filled with stamps.

Conduct service during the flight. Depends on time of day and/or airline as to whether it will be a meal, beverage or snack service. Assisting passengers in the event of a medical emergency. And dealing with anything unexpected such as security issues that may come up. There is always something new being added to the job description these days!

What’s a typical work week like?

There really isn’t a typical week for a flight attendant. As a flight attendant you almost always start off on reserve status. A reserve flight attendant is given a certain amount of days off a month, the rest of the time they are on call to fill in for sick calls, illegal crews etc. Once you become what is known as a line holder you bid for a schedule. Your schedule is awarded in seniority order so the more time you have in the better your schedule is likely to be. Days off for flight attendants are anywhere from 8 days off a month to 21 days off a month depending on seniority and desire to work.

How did you get started?

I answered an ad in my cities local paper and attended what the airlines refer to as a cattle call interview. It’s an informational session where the recruiters explain the job. From there I was asked to stay and had a one on one interview, a two on one interview and a written exam. After jumping through those hoops I was invited to flight attendant training. I believe most airlines do their screening process on line these days.

What do you like about what you do?

I love the flexibility of my job. Once you are off reserve there is a lot of freedom to move your schedule around to fit your life.

What do you dislike?

Ironically, what has been difficult is the lack of routine. I find I have to be disciplined with myself more than someone who has set hours.

How do you make money/or how are you compensated?

Flight Attendants are paid by the flight hour. As reserve you are paid a guaranteed amount of hours per month whether you fly that many or not. As a line holder flight attendant you are paid what flight hours you actually fly. There are other compensations like night pay, galley pay, lead flight attendant pay etc.

How much money do you make as a flight attendant?

I am topped out at my airline and make over $50 per flight hour. All airlines have different pay scales, but US airlines typically top out at around $38 to $60 per flight hour. I can work anywhere from 0 hours per month to as many as I can fly while still having eight days off a month. An average schedule is 80 hours a month.

How much money do you make starting out as a flight attendant?

Most airlines start in the low $20s per hour with a guarantee of around 80 flight hours per month.

What education or skills are needed to do this?

Most airlines prefer although do not require a college degree, an out going personality and customer service experience is what most airlines are looking for.

What is most challenging about what you do?

Not knowing what to expect every time I go to work. Everything from working with new people to unexpected delays or other issues.

What is most rewarding?

Being able to experience things I probably never would have experienced without being a flight attendant. I’ve been able to travel around the whole world and provide that benefit to my family. I love that my four year old daughter’s passport is filled with stamps.

What advice would you offer someone considering this career?

Have an open mind, be flexible and enjoy the ride!

How much time off do you get/take?

It really depends on where you are in your career as a flight attendant. After eighteen years of flying I am now able to fly part time which is about eight days per month. A new hire will probably only have eight days off a month.

What is a common misconception people have about what you do?

That flight attendants don’t like people. We love people. That is why most of us became flight attendants.

What are your goals/dreams for the future?

My goal for the future is to continue helping people understand the world of air travel through my blog and other media outlets. I would like to do for air travel what Nanny 911 has done for parenting. I believe air travel can be a lot less stressful for people with a little knowledge and planning.

What else would you like people to know about what you do?

I would love people to know that a flight attendant career is a great way to see the world, and have a flexible lifestyle once you have some seniority. It’s almost like working for myself at this point in my career. I bid a monthly schedule that works for me and my family, and I work unsupervised on the airplane. I love that I am able to fly more if I need the extra money or take time off if I want to.

The interviewee, Sara Pinto Keagle of www.theflyingpinto.com, was kind enough to share her thoughts on her career in this interview.

What do you do for a living?

Corporate pilot/Director of Aviation Safety

How would you describe what you do?

My main job is flight operations for a corporation, flying corporate jets for the company employees and perspective clients as well as executives of the company itself. The safety manager side, I’m in charge of ensuring safe flight operations for the travel department as well as the ground crew and our internal travel department, I conduct safety audits, establish a safety reporting system, developing a safety manual and complying with all Federal Aviation Regulations and NBAA and Flight Safety Foundation guidelines.

What does your work entail?

Everything is based off of duty time and duty time is one hour prior to the flight that day and then one hour after the flight.

The other day, I left at eight o’clock in the morning, went to San Diego and back, and was home by one, then went to New York City that night. There’s not a whole lot of people that say they’ve been coast to coast in one day, and then you end up hanging out in Times Square that night, so that’s pretty good living.

If I count just my duty time alone, it’s about 50 hours a week and I normally work about four days a week. A lot of times my weekend is Tuesday, Wednesday or Tuesday, Thursday. And then the safety manager part is about another 20 hours a week. Normally I spend in the air a week, probably about 15 hours.

How did you get started?

I went to school at Kansas State University and went through their Aeronautical Science program. It’s supposed to be a a Bachelor’s of Aeronautical Science degree, but I actually did a Bachelor’s in Aeronautical Engineering. You go through your ground school and flight lessons to private instrument commercial multi-engine and then flight instructor, flight instructor instrument, and then multi-engine instructor. It’s normally a four-year program. If you don’t have a whole lot of money and you’re paying out-of-state tuition, you can get it done in 17 months. Then you’re just basically hoping to get hired on by somebody to build multi-engine time and gain experience.

What do you like about being a corporate pilot?

Probably the best part about what I do is actually flying the airplane. I’m an instructor in the airplane, so any time I’m in the airplane, I am the Captain, I am the pilot-in-command whether I’m sitting in the left seat or the right seat. Flying the airplane, going to different destinations, you see different types of weather, you see different runways.

The number one thing people need to know is it’s not just getting up there and flying a plane. It’s not just like getting up there and driving a car. Flying a plane is extremely easy, but knowing the systems, knowing how to interact with your crew member, knowing the weather, and knowing your limitations and the airplane’s limitations are pretty much where it’s at because, if you don’t know that, then you are going to kill yourself and you’re going to kill yourself real quickly. It’s — Aviation is very unforgiving. If you make a mistake, your likelihood of survival is about 10%.

extremely challenging and extremely rewarding at the same time. The other day, I left at eight o’clock in the morning, went to San Diego and back, and was home by one, then went to New York City that night. There’s not a whole lot of people that say they’ve been coast to coast in one day, and then you end up hanging out in Times Square that night, so that’s pretty good living.

What do you dislike?

The parts that I dislike is there’s a kind of uncertainty. Like right now, I’m home and I haven’t flown today. They could call me right now and I would have to be in the air in two hours. There is not a whole lot of ability to plan. Now, on the days that I know I have off, I can plan something. So, it has its pros and its cons, but the main part is just the uncertainty. But that’s pretty much aviation. You hurry up — Hurry up and wait. And sometimes, you end up sitting around and waiting and waiting and waiting to pick people up just for them to call you and say, Hey, we’re not done. We’re going to need you to spend the night.

How do you make money/or how are you compensated?

I’m a salary position. I get all benefits, stock, 401k, life insurance, health insurance, all that kind of stuff. I can make overtime as well. If they call me to fly on my day off, I can tell them no or I can tell them yes. If I tell them yes, I make $500 cash. Just for flying that day. And it might be like to Kansas City and back and I’m gone three hours. Or they could fly me all day, and if they fly me over 12 hours, they have to pay me $700. If they fly me over an 18-hour duty day, it’s almost a grand.

How much money do you make as a corporate pilot?

I make $95,000 a year.

What education or skills are needed to be a corporate pilot?

90% of the time, they like for you to have a Bachelor’s Degree in just about anything. They don’t even care what it’s in. They just want a Bachelor’s Degree. Skill-wise, you have to have the appropriate ratings and the appropriate type ratings for the position. For my position, you’d have to be a commercial pilot, multi-engine, flight instructor, and then have the type ratings for each jet you fly. I have my APP and type rating and I’m a check airman and a multi-engine instructor.

What is most challenging about what you do?

Most challenging about what I do are the decisions you make in regards to weather, the decisions you make in regards to the approach. You’re ready to shoot into an airport, sometimes the weather gets so bad that you have to make that decision and say, This is bad. We need to go somewhere else, and you have the CEO on the plane and he needs to get to that airport so he can get to this meeting within 30 minutes, and you have to fly somewhere else that’s an hour away and he’s not going to make the meeting.

The number one advice I would offer is if you decide that this is something you want to do, go at it as a sprint, not a marathon. Get done as quickly as you can and be as thorough as you can and do not put off getting your ratings. Try to get all of your ratings done in two to three years. The longer it takes, the more expensive it becomes and the greater risk that you will not finish. Get in there, get it done, go pay your dues, and get doing the deal.

So you tell him, and he says, Then I’m not going to make that meeting. There’s no point. Okay, well, you hope that you’re not very far and you can make it back and not have to stop for fuel, but if you can’t you’re still in the same situation except now you have to find a good fuel stop and a good place where the weather’s not crappy, that you’re not increasing the risk of stopping anyways. It basically comes down to the decisions that you make due to weather and adverse conditions.

What is most rewarding?

The most rewarding part for me is, since I am an instructor, of the 14 pilots we have, I have been the primary instructor of 10 of them, and I see things that I do in 10 of those pilots. And of the 10 pilots that we have there, we’ve had the least problems and the lowest safety risks with those 10 guys. And the two of the guys that we see the most safety risks with are guys that were not under my direct training. So, the rewarding part for me is taking the guys from walking in the door to flying by himself.

What advice would you offer someone considering this career?

The number one advice I would offer is if you decide that this is something you want to do, go at it as a sprint, not a marathon. Get done as quickly as you can and be as thorough as you can and do not put off getting your ratings. Try to get all of your ratings done in two to three years. The longer it takes, the more expensive it becomes and the greater risk that you will not finish. Get in there, get it done, go pay your dues, and get doing the deal.

How much time off do you get/take?

I don’t know, maybe 160 days a year. The guaranteed days I will not work are 120 days a year. Those are days that I can pretty much count on not working and then I have 35 days of vacation a year. So, if I play my cards right, given my days that I’m guaranteed off, if I play my vacation correctly, I could essentially take two full months off. And be paid for it, and if they call me in to work extra, they have to pay me on top of my salary. That’s the huge advantage of flying corporate instead of commercial.

What is a common misconception people have about what you do?

That pilots make a ton of money. That’s the number one thing. If you’re a pilot, then you’re going to make a ton of money, and that’s not the case. If you want to make six digits as a commercial pilot, you will spend 15 years getting there. If you want to make six digits corporately, you’ll spend 10 years getting there. But your salary caps out faster in corporate than in commercial.

What are your goals/dreams for the future?

In this career, eventually be the Chief Pilot of a major flight department and then eventually to a Director of Operations for a flight Department. And I would like to see myself retiring at about the age of 50 and then just become a FAA check examiner and give check rides and sign pilots off and do that kind of stuff.

What else would you like people to know about what you do?

The number one thing people need to know is it’s not just getting up there and flying a plane. It’s not just like getting up there and driving a car. Flying a plane is extremely easy, but knowing the systems, knowing how to interact with your crew member, knowing the weather, and knowing your limitations and the airplane’s limitations are pretty much where it’s at because, if you don’t know that, then you are going to kill yourself and you’re going to kill yourself real quickly. It’s — Aviation is very unforgiving. If you make a mistake, your likelihood of survival is about 10%.

What do you do for a living?

I am a Captain on an Embraer 190 for Jet Blue.

How would you describe what you do?

I safely and efficiently operate an aircraft that carries 100 passengers. I fly a schedule from point A to point B and ensure that it’s a safe flight.

What does your work entail?

The schedule entails staying proficient on aircraft systems, staying proficient on flying normal operations, practicing in simulators for abnormal emergency operations that and a good understanding of weather and forecasted weather. I average about 15 to 16 work days a month and trips vary in length from a one day to a four-day trip.

One of the cool things is the fact that you get to fly free on all airlines. So you and your family have the ability to travel and really do exciting stuff…It’s one of the coolest perks in the whole world.

So on a four-day trip, three nights would be spent at three different locations away from my base, which is JFK. My trips all start and end in JFK and kind of take you everywhere in between.

How did you get started?

I was born in aviation. My dad was in airline management for the better part of 25 years.

What do you like about being a pilot?

I like the fact that I can arrange my schedule. I can change it or rearrange to meet requirements for things I want off for whatever reasons. So, I have very good schedule flexibility. I like the anonymity of being a pilot. We just go to work. We don’t have a boss, no one looks over our shoulder, no one checks our work. You just go to work and you’re part of a crew. On my airplane, it’s me and a first officer, and then two flight attendants and basically, that’s who you interact with.

[I dislike] being away from home. When the wife calls and the kids are sick on day two of a four-day trip, I just have to be supportive and she knows that I’m not going to be home for two more days, and that’s just it.

We don’t have anybody calling us and seeing how we’re doing. We just fly our trips. It’s really nice. Even though I do have a boss, called a Chief Pilot. I’m not in an office where I report to a boss by any means.

What do you dislike?

Being away from home. When the wife calls and the kids are sick on day two of a four-day trip, I just have to be supportive and she knows that I’m not going to be home for two more days, and that’s just it. And when you’re a junior pilot, you have the lowest officer seniority, so you have to work holidays sometimes. So when you’re a new hire and you’re a junior in seniority you’ll miss the little things. Sometimes you miss the first day of your kid’s school and little parties.

How do you make money/or how are you compensated?

We’re paid hourly based on the number of flight hours. We’re paid per flight hour, and that has a minimum. The minimum pay is 70 hours a month, so if we fly between one and 70 hours, it’s the same pay.

I like the anonymity of being a pilot. We just go to work. We don’t have a boss, no one looks over our shoulder, no one checks our work. You just go to work and you’re part of a crew. On my airplane, it’s me and a first officer, and then two flight attendants and basically, that’s who you interact with. We don’t have anybody calling us and seeing how we’re doing. We just fly our trips. It’s really nice.

Then above 70, each hour’s paid at time and a half of what the original pay was. I make $84 an hour up to 70 hours, then $128 an hour past 70 hours. And a typical month has 85 hours of flying time.

How much money do you make?

I’ve been here for two years and I average about $100,000.

What education or skills are needed to do this?

Most airlines prefer a four-year degree with no set recommendation of what that degree is in. So, in other words, they don’t care what they degree is in. They just want to see that you’ve completed a four-year institution. And then the flying, of course, is the second part of that. You just have to go through the training, and the accumulation of flight time and hours, and gaining the experience.

What is most challenging about what you do?

I would say the most challenging thing is staying proficient in all of the aspects of the job, and that includes like simulator training every six months that Captains go through. It’s a constant learning environment, which requires constant dedication. You don’t just get this job and it’s like, “Okay, I got it. I’ve made it.” It’s constant learning, you’re always trying to increase your knowledge.

What is most rewarding?

It’s the best office in the world, there’s just something about it. The schedule flexibility and the ability just to see the world. Traveling is an awesome, awesome part of it.

What advice would you offer someone considering this becoming  a pilot?

A couple of things. One of them is get good grades and stay out of trouble. Things in your past really come back to haunt you in the airline business, DUIs, DWIs, things like that. So, basically, stay out of trouble. My advice would be to talk to as many pilots as you can. Try to get a good working knowledge of what it entails. Really my advice would be just to do it. If you’re interested in it, then really look into it and do it because it’s an awesome job.

How much time off do you get/take?

With vacations and everything else, I work about 170 days a year. I was just home for 10 days, and then I’m on the road for four, then I’m going to be home for four, back to work for three, home for three. So, it just kind of varies.

What is a common misconception people have about what you do?

One of the misconceptions about airline pilots is they think the airline pilots are all rich, and it’s not true. It’s a job that takes time to really start making money. The first initial airline jobs are very low paying and that’s probably one of the biggest misconceptions. People just think the airline pilots make tons of money, and they really don’t. I guess a misconception is people think that we’re just up to flying all the time and basically we’re good monitors. The airplanes are so automated and automatic that pilots kind of just monitor to make sure that things are done.

What are your goals/dreams for the future?

Mine are to maintain a very good level of health so that I can make it all the way up to the retirement age, and that’s sort of the number one goal. And to get to that age and fly safely with no accidents or any kind problems along the way. Then, as far as personal goals, I’d like to become a Chief Pilot.

What else would you like people to know about what you do?

I don’t know. One of the cool things is the fact that you get to fly free on all airlines, so you and your family. The ability to travel and really do exciting stuff is kind of made readily available to you, which is one of the coolest perks of working for the airlines. My wife can fly on American to Hawaii round trip for like $40. It’s one of the coolest perks in the whole world.

What do you do for a living?

I fly 53-echoes in the Marines, they’re a helicopter.

How would you describe what you do?

You go to work, fly for a while, do a lot of paperwork bullshit and then you go home.

What does your work entail?

The last three years I’ve been in training and I’m just now complete with that, so up till now it’s been studying a whole lot. You have to study and get ready for briefs and while I’ve been in flight school that’s what you do basically; get ready, study systems, emergency procedures, aerodynamics, and stuff like that and then you go brief with an instructor. Kind of a one-on-one with someone that’s typically about 5 years older than you that’s been to Iraq a couple of times. Then you go fly for a few hours, land, de-brief and go home and that’s pretty much what I’ve been doing. While I was in flight school down at Pensacola I was probably working maybe 15 hours a week of actual real work and it wasn’t even real work. We didn’t have any kind of job except for flying, that was it. I was with the Navy and I trained with the Air Force too. Now I’m back with the Marines. In the Marines you have a ground job too and my job is operations, I write the schedule. The first month I was there it was about 14 hours a day, 5 days a week so it sucked.

it gets boring flying(jets) when you never see the ground, you’re not going to get shot at, you’re not going to drop that many bombs anymore so…I wanted to fly helicopters, and that’s why I got into helicopters

And it was all paperwork and there was 270 people in the squadron, like half a billion dollars worth of aircraft, writing the schedule for that kind of gets stressful.  When I get out(of training) and get to what we call the “fleet” the “fleet range force” I’ll check in and I’ll get some job. I don’t know what kind of job it will be but probably a few hours a day on a ground job, a few hours a day flying, and a few hours working out or something. It’s not a typical 9 to 5 job. What I’m hoping to do is get on that boat ’cause everybody is either going to Iraq or going on a MEU which is Marine Expeditionary Unit; but if you go on the boat like some…and you’re deploying from the West cost which is where I am moving, you go out for 7 months and you hit Hawaii, Okinawa, Thailand, Australia and all those places, and then if there’s something going on like a natural disaster, like in Indonesia when they had the Tsunami, a lot of the guys I’ve flown with here were all there rescuing people and carrying shit in and stuff like that. Or if China invades Taiwan then you’re the first to go there too, that kind of thing, but the good part is that usually that kind of stuff doesn’t happen and you can go to Australia, Thailand and all those

We get free medical and health insurance. And life insurance is really cheap which is good ’cause we fucking need it.

places and have fun. So that’s what I am hoping to do, that or go to Iraq for 7 months and, yeah…that’s a blast from what I hear.

How did you get started?

Well, I always wanted to fly since I was little and I always wanted to fly jets and I kind of pursued that. I took the Marine route instead of the Air Force like normal people that want to fly because the Marines have air and ground together. So I started flight school, which is kind of a pain to get into, but I got there and I was flying this little jet with the Air Force and it was pretty fun; it wasn’t like a fighter but it was pretty cool. But it gets boring flying when you never see the ground, you’re not going to get shot at, you’re not going to drop that many bombs anymore so…I wanted to fly helicopters and that’s why I got into helicopters.

What do you like about what you do?

Well, I get paid to fly and that’s pretty sweet. I get to live in pretty cool places, get plenty of travel and I work with really good dudes.

What do you dislike?

My helicopter doesn’t have an air conditioner so it’s really fucking hot. And it’s like any big company, you get the whole Office Space effect where you get like 8 different bosses, so there is a little bit of that sometimes.

How do you make money/or how are you compensated?

It’s a salary so you get your base salary then you get like a basic allowance for housing. Like if I move to North Carolina, I make a certain

I guess that’s the misconception, people make it(the military) sound more brutal than what it really is. And sometimes it is but I haven’t been yelled at in weeks.

amount and then now I’m moving to San Diego and the amount will double. So it’s wherever you live they set a certain amount for that area.

How much money do you make?

This year about $70,000. Next year it’ll probably be more and I’ll be out in California.

Would you say there are any perks to this career?

Well, you get trained in a pretty valuable skill, they spend about $2 million on every pilot. With helicopter pilots you’ve got a ton of training, so when you get out you have a marketable skill. We get free medical and health insurance, and life insurance is really cheap which is good ’cause we fucking need it.

What education or skills are needed to do this?

You have to have a Bachelors degree. Skills, you have to be really healthy and you’ve got to have, not perfect vision, it doesn’t need to be perfect but pretty close to perfect and it can be corrected by a PRK(laser surgery). To get through flight school you’ve got to be coordinated, and to get through just the Marine shit you have got to be at least semi athletic. If you are good at videogames, that helps. I think that all my Halo playing in college really paid off.

What is most challenging about what you do?

Well, I guess the flying part, like when a bunch of shit’s going wrong in here you’ve got to think pretty fast and work pretty quickly too… like with my helicopter if we lose hydraulics,

To get through flight school you’ve got to be coordinated…If you are good at videogames, that helps. I think that all my Halo playing in college really paid off.

you’re fucked, so you got to do a whole checklist to try an keep them alive. I guess the most challenging thing would be just flying, the stress of flying. I haven’t gone to combat yet so I imagine once I do that, that will turn into the biggest challenge.

What is most rewarding?

I don’t know, you are doing something good, I think for the most part. On the overall strategic level people have different opinions of what we should or shouldn’t be doing. But on a smaller level, at least in my helicopter, I can help. Like a guy at the bar last night was telling me how a Marine had flown in a 53(Helicopter) and saved his buddy while they were getting shot up and they got the fuck out of there. That would be rewarding, I haven’t done that yet. So really for me right now it’s just a lot of fun, I meet good people and travel a lot.

What advice would you offer someone considering this career?

Stick with it. It’s kind of hard sometimes to get into the program. I don’t know, really just stick with it and work your ass off.

How much time off do you get/take?

About two months this year, but I don’t think that will be typical. It’s 30 days paid leave per year is what we get.

What is a common misconception people have about what you do?

I’d say pretty much just being in the military people have huge misconceptions. They think it’s all Full Metal Jacket or something. No one really knows the difference between being enlisted or being an officer. My work’s chill, no one gives a shit what time I get there as long as I get everything I am supposed to do done, no one is yelling at me. I don’t know, I guess that’s the misconception, people make it sound more brutal than what it really is. Sometimes it is but I haven’t been yelled at in weeks.

What are your goals/dreams for the future?

I want to work it to where I can get out of the Marines when my commitment’s up. It’s like a six year commitment after you get out of flight school so I’ll be in a total of 8 and a half years. I want to get out and do Heli-skiing and I might go do some work for Blackwater just ’cause they pay a hell of a lot.

What else would you like people to know about what you do?

No, I don’t have any words of wisdom.