I'm always amused when I hear helicopter pilots say something like: "Oh, go with choppers! Even though the pay sucks, the living conditions suck and the time you spend away from your family sucks,
it's worth it!" Or alternatively, "...it's a very rewarding career." B0LL0CKS!
Question: How does one person know what will be "worth it" or "rewarding" for another person? Why make such statements? But we do. We try to tell other people how they'll feel if they just get their commercial helicopter rating and follow in our footsteps. Yeah, right. Maybe.
Actually, for the most part, I had to agree with ATPMBA's post. He's pretty good at hitting nails on the head and his advice on how to get a job is invaluable. In aviation, it's all about being in the right place at the right time and having enough spunk to ASK for a slot. You want to stay home and send out resumes? Fine, but don't expect to get a job (or at least, a very good one).
However, ATPMBA tipped everyone off as to how things really work in aviation. He was at that flight school getting some multi time when he asked about a position as an instructor. Er- I'll let him tell it:
"The boss said they did not have an open position but if I wanted we could go for an hour as a check flight. We went out and I showed him how I flew and instructed, when we landed he said he had an opening..."
Lying bastards. Learn this early: they're all a bunch of lying bastards. "We don't have any openings...well...we
miiiiiight if you take another hour of instruction with us..." Clever! But no worries, they probably won't lie to YOU after you get hired. Oh no. NO WAY! They have MUCH too much integrity for that <insert sarcastic chortle here>.
Then I read this funny bit by ATPMBA:
"The other thing I noticed in helicopters the people are real, in corporate jets there seems to be a few pompous and conceited people running around."
Oh man, I never laughed so hard in my life. Milk spewed out my nose and all over my keyboard. Hoo boy! Haven't been around helicopters much, have you old sport! Stick around awhile - you'll meet some egomaniacs that make the most pompous G-V captain seem like Gandhi. Helicopter people...real? Real uneducated, maybe. Not many MBA's among those at our end of the aviation spectrum. I'll probably think about that as I nod off to sleep tonight and the wife will wonder what I'm chuckling to myself about.
There is no predicting what will make someone happy. Back in the old days (yeah, I met Charlie Kaman too but I don't like to admit that I'm that old), I thought being a helicopter pilot was the ONLY thing that I'd ever really enjoy. But that was a
self-imposed limitation. Now, looking back, I see that I could have been just as happy in the corporate fixed-wing or airline world. I just love to fly! Lucky for me, now I just do it when *I* want to
And mate, that is what it's all about!