Apologies for taking a while to reply. I was deployed
Glad most of my ramblings actually made sense to a couple of people...
Captain Sand Dune,
Absolutely no offence taken at all.
When I say that I am not bitter and twisted, what I mean by that is firstly, yes I have had a gutful of the RAAF and thus why I am jumping ship. Secondly even though I have had a gutful I am not going to bad mouth the RAAF to anyone who asks about joining in the future. I have had an absolute ball. The flying has been good, but even more important that that the mates and good times with those mates have been the best. As such if anyone asks about joining I will tell them about all the good things, good times and what YOU can get out of the RAAF (as the RAAF automatically gets everything it can out of you - not a bad thing mind you...).
But like all good life or business plans you need an exit strategy. I didn't even know I had one when I joined, but it was there, under the surface, it just needed the dick around factor to exceed the threshold level for me to realise it. This last para I won't be saying to newbies as this will be different for everyone and everyone will have a different threshold level and when the time comes they will all start to realise it, either conciously our sub-conciously and it will just be a case of whetehr they WANT to listen to that little voice or ignore it.
Anyway I think we are probably very alike in our reasonings for getting out. Good luck to you sir and I hope you continue to enjoy life on the outside. Myself, well I am not going into a flying job other than helping out the local flying school with some instructing and hopefully doing some aeros instructing and joy flights as well. Got to love flying those little Pitts... I am actually going to give our own business a go. Wife is hesitant as there is no longer the guarantee that when we go to the ATM there will be money in the account to feed our little varmints, but I don't want to be 60 and say "gee I regret not trying". Rather large step from my perspective of having the nice warm RAAFy blue security blanket, to having nothing but what you put in, but I do like a challenge...
All the best
Cheers
CB