Most people, especially kids, are intrigued by airplanes. Many dream of becoming pilots. Jeff Rouse didn’t dream it, he did it.
As a child, Rouse didn’t thinking of piloting as a cool job. In fact, the now captain and chief pilot at Republic Airways had a fear of flying.
“I quickly realized that I needed to get over the fear of flying or give up the job (in the banking industry), so I began to take lessons. It was very rough on me at first but soon I fell in love with aviation,” he said.
Hovering above 35,000 feet at a speed of nearly 500 miles per hour Rouse’s cool job gives him views that many can only dream of.
“There is nothing more beautiful than flying west across the U.S. and chasing the sunset or watching the sun rise early in the morning as you fly east. Flying along the backside of a line of thunderstorms on the leading edge of a fast-moving cold front can provide a lightning show that no man can rival,” he said, “It has given me a true appreciation for both the power and beauty of Mother Nature and of this beautiful world we live in today.”
Question: Describe your job?
Answer: At times, we work very long days (up to 16 hours duty/9 hours flight) in a high stress work environment. At other times, we may have a light day with beautiful weather. Very rarely is there ever two days alike, and many times within just a couple of hours the day could change dramatically. Late fall and early spring it is not uncommon to depart Chicago in a snow storm and be landing in Miami within a couple of hours in 80-degree weather and beautiful sunshine!
Q: What do you like best?
A: What I like best about the job is that it can be very rewarding and challenging. Although I know how an airplane flies, it still amazes me that man has developed a jet that man can take off from one spot in the world and land at another spot and never see the ground! The equipment that has been developed that is installed on modern aircraft is amazing. Weather radar, GPS and auto-flight systems are such sophisticated equipment and being able to operate these machines is exciting. Probably what is most rewarding though, are the people I have had the opportunity to meet. I fly with crew members from all over the world and from all walks of life. It has given me a great appreciation for the many different people and the many different ideas that exist in this world.
Q: What do you like least?
A: What I like least about the job is that we fly airplanes almost 24 hours a day and 365 days per year. There are no holidays for people in the airline industry. Schedules are based on seniority, and many times our job takes us away from home at the least opportune times. Pilots miss many important days in the lives of our families. I have missed school events, baseball games, holidays, birthday parties, family reunions, etc. Our families have to be very understanding as holidays are the busiest time of the year for air travel.
In addition, the airline industry is risky business. The last decade airline employees have been hit hard as companies have struggled. September 11, 2001, kicked it off. Then the economic downtown, the war in Iraq, and the mandatory retirement age for airline pilots changing from age 60 to 65 wreaked havoc on pilots’ career progression. Suddenly pilots were standing on street corners begging for jobs and most had student loans. The glut of well qualified pilots paired with fewer jobs available left many having to go back to school and change careers. Others have held on, but career progression has been relatively stagnant and incomes have been frozen at very low wages. The good news; however, is that the next decade should be an opportune time as airlines are experiencing difficulty in staffing their organizations with well-qualified pilots. In my opinion, this will put upward pressure on wages as it is simply a function of “supply and demand.” If anyone has dreams of becoming airline pilots, I personally believe now is an opportune time to pursue the career.
5. What makes a good pilot?
First, great airline pilots are “people” persons. They should have a general appreciation for all types of people and be able to adapt to them. We come into contact with many people from many different backgrounds and parts of this world. As pilots, we need to be able to appreciate these differences in people so that we can work well together.
In addition to this, pilots must be people that pay attention to detail. Whether reading weather reports or information about aircraft performance, we must be able to catch these details and make adjustments to ensure the highest level of safety at all times.
Also, good pilots are people that are able to stay calm under pressure. Although we are well-trained, nothing can prepare you for the real emergency that may be encountered at any given time during a flight. Good decisions are made by people that stay calm.
Q: What advice can you give to someone who would like becoming a commercial pilot?
A: My advice for someone pursuing a career in aviation is to get a college degree in something else that interests you. While you are working on that degree, begin working on your licenses. Most airlines require a college degree but really do not have preference on type of degree. As I stated earlier, an aviation career can be risky and this would give you a backup plan.
Multiple sources of income are the key to any type of stability in today’s career environment. One advantage of aviation is that you do have some time to supplement your income with other ventures and I highly recommend that you do that. Whether it be in landscaping, building cabinets, rehabbing or building homes, there are many other industries in which you could supplement your income. It is also something to fall back on if there should be hiccups in your aviation career from a downturn in the industry. I have always been thankful that I had different sources of income!
To recommend someone for this feature, call Jill Phillips at (317) 444-6246 or email her at jill.phillips@indystar.com. Follow her on Twitter: @JillPhillips05.
More about Jeff Rouse
Age: 44.
Title: Captain and chief pilot at Republic Airlines
Education: Bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Kentucky. He flight certifications from the Flight Safety Academy.
Prior: He previously worked for Mid America Jet in Owensboro, Ky. Prior to that, he worked in the banking industry.
Favorite Quote: “To Add Growth, Lead Followers-To Multiply, Lead Leaders”-John Maxwell
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