My Dad has just decided to retire early. Why - had enough of the management. He can afford to and he has had his lot. "I want to sail my boat, go fishing, and walk the dog" he says. My brother despises the commute to work in London everyday. My mates from my time in the Navy say things continue to go down the pan with more cutbacks on the way. My eldest cousin works in the civil service sector - hates it but it pays his bills with enough to spare to fund his hobbies. I know not one person who is happy with their lot employment wise, and that includes my friends who fly for a number of airlines.
But I will make it to the flightdeck of a commercial aircraft one day. Whatever I have to do I will do it. Why?
1) I love flying. Flying a C152 from Southend to Le Touquet at the weekend is a long way from the world of the 737s. But flying is flying and its a bug and it has bit me hard.
2) Yes flying as a career will get monotonous at some stage. Most jobs do if done for any length of time. But I would rather have the highlight of my day being the view of the alps, or simply climbing out of the winters clound into clear skies, and not leaving the office at the end of the day to face another hellish commute home.
3) Finally I am a professional. For the very large part, that is the way of us pilots, be it PPL's of 747 pilots. Up there in the sky away from the beancounters and incompetents we are in our element, at home at ease and amongst professionals.
The last time BA got in contact with me it was to tell me my application to the Cadet Scheme had been terminated due to 9/11. Yesterday they e-mailed to say the DEP scheme was beginning once more. I am not going to walk into a job in BA tomorrow by any stretch of the imagination, but it the most positive news for us wannabees for a very long time.
Never let anyone or anything stand in the way of your dreams. For the greater the challenge and the more the hurdles the greater man you will be on realising the dream.
(edited because a post like this is hard to get just how you want it first time...)