Don't you really find it strange that all helo pilot wannabees (more or less) are working, or have been working within the IT-industry?
And even more so, when they start to feel unhappy with their current IT-career they instantaneously look into how to pursue a helicopter pilot career. Further down the line they even become tempted to risk things they have been working so hard for, their family, hard earned savings, the house they are living in – all for a fix idea which each day, each night grows even more and more on them and finally take over their entire mental framework. Sitting on the bus, the train or where ever they immidiately start to think in terms of them already being helicopter pilots, oh how fantastic life would be, oh how wonderfull life would be.
These mental processeses are similar to those of a small child waiting for Santa to bring him the long-awaited christmas gift.
After a while these wannabees realizes that there is a great risk of not being able to secure employment after finishing the extremely expensive training. So what do they do then? Well, they start to reason in terms of that becoming a helicopter pilot is a personal goal which they must achive in order to find happiness in life. Naturally this is only a mental technicality to justify the sheer stupidity to pursue such a goal.
Flying helicopters is great fun. In fact, few things are so “fun” to do as to fly helicopters. However, the fun in flying dosen’t increase as you pursue higher licenses such as the CPL . Working as a helo pilot - well I’m sure thats nice job - but helicopter pilots still suffer from monotonous days as a IT-officer, or a accoutant or a legal advisor surely do.
Being a helicopter pilot is not, at least not for me an calling, at least not an religious one. In fact – a few of my firends flying off-shore states that it´s not really mentally stimulating. Sex is fun, would you appreciate working as a pornstar, would you consider that as great fun after a week or so?. Or would you pay £70k to visit disneyland each day 9-5?
I think that being a professional involves the ability to view things realisticly and use good judgement. Don’t go waste all of your money just cos you’ve had a piss day at work, or just cos your manager gives you a hard time. Don’t risk yours and your dependents wellfare with such high-risk project when you know that there is such a high risk to it. Not to neglect- flying helicopters is a rather dangerous vocation- overhere where I live the fatality rate for helicopter flying is 2 for each 100 000 hours. Compare this to fixed-wing which is, if I’m not wrong, somehting like 0,006 for each 100 000 hours. When accidents happens people say – well he/she died doing something he/she loved. But the thing is - nobody loves do die.
Sorry for my ****ty english. Hope no offence taken, I do really respect those of you who really made it. It´s a hard road down there.