Highs and lows
I also have thoroughly enjoyed this thread. Some of the replies have made me laugh and cry in equal measure. I only really wanted to chip in and talk a little about how my flight training has started to seemingly prepare me for the 'life after', having read what has already been laid down by the experienced.
I'm on an integrated course - Started just after the new year back in early 2003. We were 20 at the start, six months after the off, we were down to eleven, so perhaps Tom, Dick and Harry weren't on my course.
Groundschool was an amazing experience. It was obviously very similiar to being at school but with a great big point to it. I say this as I'm eleven years past A levels and eight past a degree and never, regretfully, studied aviation related topics to a higher level back then. However, over the first six months of groundschool, I lost touch with a number of friends and never had the time to enjoy the former life and social habits that I once enjoyed. I simply locked myself in my room and read...and read...and read. Phase 1 passed and it was on to the first stage of flying, CPL level.
My first phase of flying was conducted overseas and lasted for four months. Just before I departed, I split with my girlfriend of five years. What can I say...
Passed the CPL first time though.
After returning to the UK it was on to Phase 2 groundschool. Met a new Flame who flies for a major too!
Very hard to get started again. Had no Xmas as well for JAA exams were in January! But a couple of quick months passed and before I knew it, all fourteen subjects in the bag. A great achievement but very few people to share it with (class mates aside). No one from my former life understood! For the past nine months, time had stood still for them.
Great...on to the IR then...
My instructor, an ex 747 training captain, likes to be wheels up at 7.30am...first slot of the day stuff here (no 'passenger only' instructor either...). I wake at 5am to ensure we make make our departure slot, but hark...the de-ice team are late - yikes, the mass and balance spreadsheet has crashed-got to do it by hand! Worse still, you've walked all the way out to the aircraft on the apron and the fuel strainer has vanished! Tick-tock...
The cockpit environment frequently can resemble boot camp. Lose 50 feet, ouch. Slow in selecting a nav frequency, ouch. 3 degrees off heading - ouch!
Just like to say I had a great Valentines day this year. Shame the Flame had to get up on Sunday 15th Feb at 4am to get to EGKK by 6am...
Got my IR next week, so fingers crossed. Got no past job waiting for me either.
Happy - not sure.
Unhappy - not sure.
Unsure - very sure...
Oh and by the way, if you thought breaking up with a girl after 5 years was bad, here's a gag...
I phoned up a really gorgeous ex-girlfriend of mine the other day. We lost track of time, chatting about the wild nights we used to enjoy together. I couldn't BELIEVE it when she asked if I'd like to meet up and maybe rekindle a little of that magic.
"Wow!" I said "I don't know if I could keep pace with you now! I'm a bit older and a bit balder than when you last saw me!"
She giggled and said she was sure I'd meet the challenge! "Yeah," I said, "Just so long as you don't mind a man with a waistband that's a few inches wider these days!"
She laughed and told me to stop being so silly! She teased me, saying she thought tubby bald men were cute!
"Anyway", she said, "I've put on a couple of pounds myself!"
So I hung up.
Cheers...
Craggs