Why do you hate ambition so I sense an ivory tower
Not too sure what it is that you all seem so threatened by or saddened by. For those of you on the inside the making of this type of situation is quite simply that there is no meritocracy in the aviation fraternity at present.
Airlines no longer interivew suitable applicants and hire those who pass thier own firms assesments best they hire who ever is at the top of the CV pile or whoever knows someone inside. Or whoever gives the most cash.
So it is airlines who create a situation where those without contacts can only be hired if they want it more and are willing to give up more than others. I did not create the state of the industry but I am certainly not going to miss out on opportunites for the sake of saving face. If the industry wants to test me against my peers and then tell me I am not good enough then fine but seeing as no one really presents opportunities in this fashion, we have what we have instead.
Interviews are harder to come by than rocking horse proverbials what else can you expect. Maybe an aviation SAT or similar some form of national ranking could be established and then as airlines want new crews they just take from the top. Some poeple will enter higher than others some will never make it but at least then it would be in some way fair.
The facts though it isn't fair, it is about being lucky, ambitious and in the right place at the right time and we all know that. We also know that the more ambitious you are the more luck you create for yourself.
Fellow Aviator I suggest you actaully get to know me before you start making comments about my 'reckless personality' as you call it. I do not have to value my ego to value others. I spent enough years as an army officer willing to give my life and that of others who served to ensure the future of you and your families. I never paid that price, I never wanted to to but it did not deter me from carrying out my duty willingly and knowingly. It didn't seem so reckless then. I would actaully call that selfless wouldn't you!!!
I take the responsibility of others to be of the highest importance and always have and always will sacrifice myself, my feelings and anything I have to ensure that others do not have to. I am not there to have fun, be or feel glamarous or for any other reason other than I believe that this is the best thing that I can do with my life, others can benefit from it and I will not cease until it is so. I put my firm, passengers and profession above my own needs and believe in a work work balance as eveyone should try and do what they are best at for a living so that their work is thier life. If having acheived all of this I can then enjoy it and also make a good living from it then that is a bonus.
You and Scroggs may call it stupidity, I call it ambition. A dangerous financial game you call it. Well call me a bluff old traditionalist but it is a mathematically sound game in my eyes. I am well qualified, multi skilled with a diverse work experience. It is not as if I will be working in McDonalds if it all goes wrong. If I persist and am good enough then I will get a suitbaly rewarded position. That will enable me to look after my family whatever I end up doing. If I end up as a bus driver then I will try and be the best bus drive that ever existed, that's just how they made me, forgive me if this is a scary concept but there are some driven people out there who actually want to work hard, be dedicated, earn a living and don't expect to earn huge amounts of money.
Re the children comment, no we do not yet have children, we have decided to wait to see how the career goes as we (condsider our careers more important) we will have children when we can afford them. I am not selfish my wife knew what I wanted and at what cost before she married me and supports me 100%. We would not place children into a financially unsecure existence as they have no choices and we are not gods and therefore should not make life choices for them before they are born. So stop second guessing me if you want to know just like aviation dont guess. Do not mistake ambition for ego or recklessness for selflessness.
£100,000 cannot even buy a flat in the south of england so why is it not worth investing this some in a qualification that you will have for a lifetime? It is 2-3 years salary and when attached to property about the same in equity so in 4-5 years we will be pretty much debt free which with 30years left to work is hardly reckless financially. I see little point in dying with millions of pounds saved, if I wanted to be wealthy there are many more lucrative options that I would have chosen to follow.
I hope that this clarifies your incorrect assumptions. VT