One family's journey.
On leaving school I did an electrical apprenticeship in order to amass the wealth to learn to fly at the local club. On completion of the apprenticeship was accepted into the military for helo pilot training, tour in Vietnam, then into the civil world as a offshore oil pilot. Home every night, no touring, only night flew for currency or responding to emergencies offshore. Reasonable pay, nothing like a jet airline driver would get though, the pax we flew earnt more than us. Absolutely loved the work through to retirement.
Only child, daughter, asked for a loan, with promise to repay, to learn to fly. Had a very experienced instructor at a small country airfield who had a hand in a multitude of general aviation pies, no sausage factories. During a dual flight towards the end of training the instructor received a phone call, the lass hears him reply "I've got one sitting along side of me". Chap on the line wants a pilot for his business, lass says "but I haven't done my commercial ride yet", he doesn't need to know that was the reply. Commercial ride done and dusted, travel to the outback, spend two weeks running the office until the commercial paperwork arrived, then the flying started with an absolutely professional general aviation scenic company. That was the stepping stone to other companies and ending flying single pilot RPT on a Titan, marriage and children intervened and wanting a 9 to 5 job took up a position in the safety field for a smallish airline flying Embraer jets and Brasilias. Still waiting two decades later for the first repayment promised, things we do for our kids, was an absolute pleasure to see her progress, I look at the expense as entertainment, could have been spent on something frivolous otherwise, such as a hole in the water.
Her spouse was prompted to take up flying after seeing a EMS King Air at his local airport when a kid. Worked odd jobs such as stacking shelves during high school, learning to fly at the same time, running the aero club office and repaid in flying rather than cash. Finished school with CPL in hand, took an airline to where GA is prominent, arrived at 2300 with $20 in wallet, dragged suitcase around airport in the morning to the various operators and landed a job by 0800. now flys a King Air on single pilot EMS and does company check and training, also freelances. Absolutely no passion to move to something else.
It is not the rich child's fault to be a rich child. But I have utmost respect for the second youngster. All things being equal I know I'd hire the second one over the first
You may call me biased, but both the kids I mention above came to aviation by different routes, mine had hers paid for her, her husband worked for his, as I did, but both I would rate their work ethic and personalities equally, which one to give a job I'd have to flip a coin. Go ahead, you knew I'd say that.
Genghis, you're under qualified.
