To goaround7: Apology accepted. You're a bigger man than I gave you credit for being.
I'm always curious when people make personal judgements about others on the basis of internet posts. I suppose that there are those who assume (like ol' goaround here) that I am bitterly disgusted with flying, that I hate my job, hate my life, hate my wife, hate my dog, etc.
...Simply because I'm not all starry-eyed and ga-ga about flying anymore. More curious is that I detect an attitude in some people that I should therefore quit flying(!) and leave the industry to those who get all squishy and dreamy at the mere thought of rotor blades a-twirlin'. Yeah, that's me: bitter, old PPRUNE FAN#1 who gets up every morning just dreading the fact that he has to go fly a helicopter, and then whining about it later. Yeah. Right. Grow up.
The idea that I did not pay for my own training, that I hate what I do, that I've never held any other jobs, never commuted, or that I do not appreciate what I've got are simply the laughably naive, unfounded speculations of dolts.
Look, I have worked very hard to get where I am in this industry. I take my *JOB* very seriously...
extremely seriously! I do not consider it a lark or a hobby, and I would *NOT* do this (work) for free. Make no mistake, people- it is work...dignified, valid, valuable work. And it should be treated as such. I reject the notion that if you have a passion for something then you should accept substandard wages simply so you can pursue that passion. Hypothesis: Rejected!
To anyone who feels differently: perhaps it is YOU who should get out of this industry and leave it to us professionals who know the value of performing a service for remuneration. How's that for an idea!
On the other hand, I love to fly! My passion for flying has never abated. I fly helicopters, I fly airplanes...heck, I'll fly the box the thing came in if need be. When I'm not flying for money, I'm flying my own airplane for pleasure. But friends, flying is not the only thing in life that gives me such pleasure. Nor is it the only thing that makes my life meaningful. It's a big part of what makes me who I am, but it does not define me. I pity those for whom life offers so little else.
Hypothetically, if I won a pot o' gold, I would be a fool to continue flying commercially. I've got all the flight time that I could ever hope for. There is nothing anymore that I want to do with a helicopter that I have not already done. And as risky as it is, there is a huge chance that the only persons enjoying my windfall might be my heirs and survivors. Now wouldn't that be ironic!
No, there is too much more to life, and too much at risk to continue unnecessarily, had I that option. But does that mean I'm disillusioned and angry enough to quit right now? Not hardly!
I know this is long, but let me address one other point. Banjo George wondered:
Would it be fair to assume however that if anyone was really really unhappy about going up, then the job would just have to be sacrificed if some bean counter was saying 'go up or else ?'
It's not that simple. In fact, it never is. Most pilots are quite loathe to summarily quit a job when there's a mortgage (or other bills) to consider. It would be reckless!
Too, there is a line between something being "uncomfortable" and something being "unsafe." Believe me, there are mornings when the weather is crappy, when the rain is pounding and the wind is blowing, and the very last thing on earth that I want to do is climb into another g*ddam helicopter and go fly. But you know what? I don't only get to fly on days with clear blue skies, little white puffy clouds and flute music blowing softly in the background. I don't get that choice. For the most part, I fly when the customer tells me to fly.
We all draw lines over which we will not step. In my many years in this industry, I have been pushed right up to that line, but never beyond. Never has an operator asked me to do something that was patently illegal or unsafe. Most won't...at least not directly. They might leave that door open for YOU to walk through, but they won't push you through it.
And so we find ourselves in these rock/hard-place situations, faced with tough "life or death" decisions and choices that are not always easy. In fact, sometimes they are gut-wrenchingly tough. THAT is why they pay us the big bucks. And THAT is why commercial aviation has no room for dilettantes, hobbyists, or the unprofessional.