I read message after message here, wishing I lived in the backcountry instead of in the rat race. With three kids in school and steady work as an electrician covering my medical insurance, and paying my mortgage, I sort of feel trapped here.

I wonder every day what it must be like to live full time out in the mountains and other places I see posted here. I spend as much time as I can in the Adirondacks on weekends, etc. But that is as close as I get. Monday comes and its back to the same old grind.

Just wondering what some of you other guys do for a living and still afford the costs involved in flying.

I imagine we have a lot of A&P types here along with some who earn money as a bush pilot or do some commercial flying. I was wondering just how difficult it would be to get work that way being the very low hour pilot I am.

At times I feel the need to get away from this place I live and make a move. Just don't know what sort of sacrifice it might take.

I'm not looking to get rich. Just want to be able to feed the family, afford health insurance, fly airplanes and fish.

Where? Alaska? Idaho? Oregon? Montana? Colorado? Is there any hiring? Gov't jobs? Construction? Fly the pipelines?

How do you guys do it?

I need to set forth a plan but don't even know where to start.

JC wrote:Just wondering what some of you other guys do for a living and still afford the costs involved in flying.

We can't, but we do it anyway.

Seriously.

I get a modest stipend from the government which (after taxes, insurance, housing and retirement is deducted) I mostly spend on groceries, airplane and auto fuel, and airplane repairs. In return I live in the Alaska Range and rescue and/or arrest taxpayers, depending on their needs

I'm thinking about getting married. She has the family money but I think I'm the one that needs the prenup

Join the Army, then 20 years later you won't get enough to pay rent, but you did get to travel the world Play your cards right and you will get a few thousand hours though.

I have a 5 acre place for sale here in Nevada on our airstrip, It has a 38x60 climate controlled hangar.

You can move here, hunt, fly, fish and be an electrician

The electricians here do very very well

Heavy equipment operator( fly big jets)


IDSC

Hi JC, I moved here in 1970 which , now that I think of it , was ages ago so Things will be a lot different for you. I lived in Carmel NY, which as you know is just a stones throw from you. My then wife and I decided we had had enough of NY winters so I took the PD test for San Diego and left my Kent NY PD job and here I am. Old wife took a powder after one year and I soon met the love of my life and I'm still here, although not on the PD any more. I am now a contractor. I did 8 years with san diego PD and had enough of the politics so I just took the plunge and became a contractor. There were some bumpy times to be sure but you gotta take that chance and go for it. I learned the hard way that we are only here for a short time and we better make the most of it. Make some inquiries in the area you think you might want to settle. I'd stay away from California though, as it's not very conducive to helping people just starting out. Housing cost is a nightmare and Jobs seem to be leaving the state, thanks to our confiscatory taxes and unfriendly to business attitude here. For example, Buck Knives used to have their factory here in El Cajon Cal where I live and found it so difficult to do business they left for Idaho after decades of making those beautiful knives here. They just packed up lock stock and barrel and moved all their employees that wanted to up to Idaho and are happier than pigs in ####. New Mexico, Idaho, Oregon and Wyoming seem to be pretty inviting to me but you gotta go see for yourself. I still get back to Stormville NY to see my oldest son as he has settled there with his wife and 2 girls. He's a detective in the NYPD, and he can't wait to retire and get out of NY either. Hang in there and when you finally make up your mind to go for it don't look back. Besides flying out here is like heaven. Everything west of the Rockies is within a days flight and FLy fishing is fantastic, not to mention the hunting. CHeck out some of the Photo Galleries on this site. My favorite is Yellow Maule's. He lives in beautiful alaska and takes some fantastic pix's. Well there I go.....diarhea of the mouth again. Welcome to the site. We have a really great bunch here. Iceman/ Butch

I was an autotive mechanic when I got my ppl and bought my first plane then decided I must make more money to aford a comercial rating.So I got a job on a service rig for a few years to get some experience now I operate oil and gass wells and cant afford the pay cut I would have to take to fly for a living. So now I fly my 170 for fun and ferry super cubs and stuff around for friends.
If you are a journeyman electrition they make about $65 an hour (your tools and truck) working for oil companies. I dont know how this compares ti the US but there is alot off oil and gass activity in montana (and not much rat race in montana)
If you have a comercial licence and want to go to the Yukon I know a couple people needing pilots there.

I have a friend who is an electrician here in Billings, MT. There isn't any housing decline here. Building continues unabated. He could work 100 hours a week if he wanted. There can be long waits if you need an electrician or plumber around here now. Has been that way for years. You'd have zero problem finding work with any number of companies here.

Bonanza Man wrote:I have a friend who is an electrician here in Billings, MT. There isn't any housing decline here. Building continues unabated. He could work 100 hours a week if he wanted. There can be long waits if you need an electrician or plumber around here now. Has been that way for years. You'd have zero problem finding work with any number of companies here.

Yeah I forgot Montana, if you can stand the cold winters. I can but my wife hates cold weather. THere you go. All you gotta do is make up your mind to do it and, like I said, don't look back. Make a trip to wherever you may want to live and check it out. Good fishing in Montana. I think "a river runs through it"...

I push a soft turd up a steep hill with a sharp stick.

Idaho SuperCub wrote:Heavy equipment operator( fly big jets)
IDSC

Ha, Heavy Equipment Operator since 1977 - Dozers, loaders, excavators, backhoes, rock drills, anything with 10 to 34 wheels. Spent 11 hours yesterday in the 14G moving snow, spent 12 hours today in a snowplow doing the same thing. However my main job is a number cruncher for a county road department. You know the weather is bad when the office guy is out in equipment. Yes! I am sick of the snow! Plow all day and come home and dig out the yard and house for another 3 hours. At least I can drink a beer while I do that though. Headed for the sack now as 4:00 am comes earlier as I get older.

See ya, Bub

Ag pilot (crop duster).
I grew up back in N.Y. though. Across the river from you, near Kobelt in Wallkill. I was a line boy at Richmor Aviation at Dutchess County Airport when I was 17. That's where I got my private ticket. Also used to fly into Styles a bit up on the hill. My dad used to fly seaplanes out of New Hamburg in the 70's as well.
I miss the trees and fall colors, I don't miss all of the people. Tell it I said hi though. My parents are still there.

JC wrote:
Just wondering what some of you other guys do for a living and still afford the costs involved in flying. How do you guys do it?

JC, I work for a big city Fire Department, the wife is a school teacher. Those two jobs pay the bills for us and 3 kids. The oldest is in college, and I thought airplanes were expensive.

My dad started a manufacturing business 20 years ago. Me and my sister run it now. That is how I afford my airplane.

Pretty simple for me, just work two jobs.

Cheers...Rob http://www.amark-flm.com

Ex-flight instructor, ex-corporate pilot, retired airline. Now flying NASA's atmospheric research DC-8, our 185, my son's 170B and 182, 206, DHC-2's for Civil Air Patrol in Nevada and Alaska.

Started washing fire retardant off TBM's at the age of 14. Just went through 40th year in the business chasing wildfire from the air all over the planet. Still have the best job in the world. No regrets. I am extremely lucky and blessed.

Thirty four years working for the US Fish & Wildlife Service as a Wildlife Biologist. Twenty nine of those years as a Biologist/Pilot in Alaska.

Now, coordinate the aviation program for a University.

On my fifth owned airplane, have not been without a personally owned airplane now for thirty plus years. Which is why I'm still working .

MTV

Educated in Math and Engineering. I hate office politics and ass kissing and therefore jumped at an opportunity to be my own boss. My wife and I now farm full time in central ND. It's not perfect but a pretty good life.

Electricians here have more work to do than they will ever , EVER get done. North Dakota is booming economically right now and people like yourself are in demand. If you go work near the oil fields you can almost set your own pay.

BUT, you have to like the winters, and I mean like it. That includes your wife.

The fishing and hunting here are pretty good. But access for hunting is getting difficult. Fishing is wide open.

We don't have big mountains, but the airspace here is almost empty. Flying gives a real sense of freedom, just watch out for the cell phone towers.

Bill

Bill,

Also watch out for your senior senator, and UND, who are trying REALLY hard to turn North Dakota airspace into UAV heaven.....Stand by for some serious restrictions, and/or REALLY keep your eyes open..

MTV

California though, as it's not very conducive to helping people just starting out. Housing cost is a nightmare and Jobs seem to be leaving the state, thanks to our confiscatory taxes and unfriendly to business attitude here.

I agree with Iceman

I fell into aviation back when I was 15 now 31. Started out doing restorations on Stearmans, Cubs etc. Moved to Alaska in 96-98 and then back to California(I should have stayed a little longer). Still working on Airplanes all over California everything from J-3's to DC-3's and an occasional 727. Went back to Alaska this summer and did a little work on a C-123. Now I hope to make it back to Alaska again this summer for more work. Still not sure where I want to make my permanent home yet. Lots of options and no regrets so far. Learned to fly in a Luscombe which I bought and now have the 180 which the bank owns half. I would sell the house before the airplane if it came to that.

Dave

I run an outdoor store. We sell canoes kayaks skis bikes clothing and lots more junk. It's a lot of fun because I get all my gear cheap. My local CFI came in and said hey wanna trade a kayak for flying lessons....then it was all downhill from there. Now he has canoes kayaks bikes skis and a garage full of shit and I have a ppl and a 108-3 w/ skis and floats. Definitely the best thing I could have hoped for.

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