I've been hooked up all my life - only now starting to fulfill my life-long dreams
I got hooked up ages ago.
First thing to get hooked up - girls in creche.
Second thing - planes and helicopters in kindergarten.
As a little boy drawing Bell 206 lookalike (all right, ugly something desperately trying to look like one) instead of cars and playing with anything that could fly instead of playing with cars in the dirt slope like my friends did.
Finding all the small Korea era MIGs left scattered around Slovakia in kids playgrounds very interesting, getting into cockpit and pretending it's not pile of junkyard aluminium. Having vivid dreams of that WWII DC-3 or so in green camo I once visited as a boy and rediscovered in central Slovakia while there at Uni (I didn't finish much to my mom's discontent).
Flying, whether gliders or choppers, ultralights, anything. It's all great.
Watching 'Hot Shots' TV series with bunch of guys with tiny cameras on their RC cars and more importantly, RC choppers. Amazing. Thrilling.
All the gorgeous flying and aerial activities and stunts in Ushuaia Adventure.
All the low level flying and steep bank turns in movies.
All that makes me uncontrollably veer to side with my head or body looking kinda frenzy and as if having fit. That says it all.
When as a kid, I played with little gliders, wind up choppers, envying my flat block neighbour's RC chopper I saw him fly couple times until it ended up hung on his balcony for good (probably screwed up flying).
I dreamt of having RC chopper. I couldn't afford it.
Come early teenage years, getting to know the amount of effort, money, TT hours and stringent health for the mil (fighter jets are also nice machines, shame they're made to kill) - having had some fractures and minor vision correction, I thought I could never make it - so I grew up and tried to find viable 'career' that won't bore me to death. Money is issue, but not important in terms of salary. Plus, not having a chance for any kind of sponsorship, huge loan to train to fly (still envying US citizens and Scandinavians or Brits/Irish with house or mortgage to spare)
Having saved up some dosh in the UK over past years (grew up in Czecho/Slovakia) for my future plans ie studies, living around the world, I had my life-long sparkle re-ignited by flatmate here in Belfast. He's Nigerian German passport holder with US green card and almost 1000 TT in planks up to 40 seater experience. He doesn't fly commercially anymore although he says he'd love to try choppers but doesn't see it as a career for himself anymore.
I'm going to fetch some cash from inheritance back home, begging my mom to get me more from some land sale over this year so I won't have to save so many more years until I'm up to CFI/FI and 'employable'.
Having saved for years on pittance wages, any 'leftover' chunk of money is highly appreciated as it spares me from saving yet another few years on top of next two.
I've been hooked up since I remember. The only things that would prevent me from flying would be loss of medical (for comm flying) or death.
Since I cheated death at quite a few occasions during my life, I know I'm not invincible.
I used to fly paragliding a bit when younger as it was the only 'affordable' way of flying. But it brought me more sad times than joy for many reasons, not the flying itself.
I don't find big passenger jets interesting. I don't feel that interested.
One can fly smaller planes for living, I could, but it's not as fun as flying helicopters.
All the reasons mentioned in dif threads about which direction to choose, whether FW or RW. Heli flying is about flying. Not getting from A to B unless it's charter. We all know all this since we're PPRUNE regulars.
I'm starting my real life this summer in the US. It brings lots of uncertainties, but it's a challenge. As with anything really important in life, I'm trying to arrange everything, prepare for possible outcomes etc.
One should rather ask what is there NOT TO get hooked up to helicopters or flying in general. Women and flying. Two best things in life.
I'm sacrificing the earlier in order to have both later in my life and not whinge 'what ifs' for the rest of my life with women only.
I see money in my savings as a means to fly. Not as something to spend on lavish 'lifestyle' BS. Some people, wannabes, ask others on another threads about investment to potential salary ratio, investment (ie training costs) return time etc. They might have to consider their families, mortgages etc, but if it's young persons (guys and the odd but very welcome female aviator) I see them as not so dedicated to the cause.
It can be both making good money and flying, but it should be about flying first of all. If there's someone who decides not to train to fly as it's financially silly step, then, alas, they're not meant to fly for living.
Let's all fly until we die (of age)
Happy flying and training to fly