dot,
FWIW, you could do it. Easily, particularly if you are a hard working straight shooter with a bit of common sense. But I don’t think you should. I recon you should lie down until the urge to fly 40 or 50 year old aeroplanes professionally goes away. Don’t do it. Find something else to do. If it’s got to be flying, be professional in your private flying. Someone mentioned gliding or aeros are good options.
In the 1980s, I got to fly a DC3 for a while with a bloke who gets a chapter in one Ernest Gann’s books. “Oh Ernie Gann, I gave him a job once”, said George when I mentioned Fate is the Hunter as we rattled into Ambon. And he did too - I found the story some years later: Gann was contracted by an exceptional Kiwi navigator (George) to ferry a Super DC3 from LA to Fiji, back in the day. It was one cool story among many.
A take away lesson I learnt from this is to find the flying Stop Button early in your career. That is, plan an exit strategy before the flying bug bites - or you’ll get stuck building another man’s business doing the hard-yards in aviation, General Aviation, when you should really be at home bouncing your grand children on your knee. Many of Gann’s stories had this theme and George’s remarkable career came to a sad end in a GA klunker because he just couldn’t fine that stop button.
Many pilots suffer the same fate. It’s so easy to get enamoured with aviation: single pilot, GA, Best job in the world etc (but the worst career) and lose track of what is important.
You have a supportive wife. Great. “Wife not going anywhere. Staying put in city. House nearly paid off. Just me away for a bit.” Stay with her. The novelty of endless three week swings away from home flying survey in a pristine 404 or Conquest will soon wear off. Ditto leaving her at home wondering which side of the squall line you are negotiating tonight flying aeromed, when you don’t have to.
Stick to a simple life mate, is my opinion, there are many better things to do than get tangled up in GA.
pithblot
Last edited by pithblot; 26th Nov 2023 at 13:32.