Direct VTB,
How about a triple first on Instrument rating( some of you take 7 attempts- should you really be at the pointy end?), all exams passed first time, did my IR test with that great examiner, Alan Calder at Leeds on a rockwell 114a GT, told him after take off that the two VOR receivers were out 5 degress so made an executive decision, to ignore one and use the other- he liked that. Passed-- only the day I passed the group flogged G-Natt and bought G-Roar C401, so I had to upgrade to a twin, passed first time- AGAIN even though Exam-17 was sent all over the place owing to inbound commercials at LBA. Who taught me ? John Dale, the best IR instructor in the business..bar none at all ..ever. His other job is ATC at EGCC, I remember coming back one day during training and the obviously inexperienced controller had set up the ILS intercept without considering the very strong wind-- we would have never got the localiser. I said shall I tell her-- he said no-- they've got to learn somehow, she made a 767 to a 360 turn behind me. Lots of the bods in GA at EGCC said I am a natural, but I could see the writing on the wall even then- wages and conditions being constantly erroded by the bean counters and them knowing there is always someone who will queue up for your job,, pushing buttons and being told to let the automatics do the flying- I mean the only time you lot probably do a full manual ILS is in the sim, the auto- throttles are on when you do it without the autopilot- just point the thing. I actually think that you guys
and CC
are probably one of the very last professions that commands automatic respect from the public- if that is what makes it a happy job for you , then so be it- but your are getting close to losing the plot. Oh got a JP Mk5a rating as well, only took a couple of sorties. Oh and a few hours in a 757 sim and a 146 sim, still remember the EPR for approach- found it easy other than the nose up attitude S&L, well for a couple of minutes at least, unlike actually losing the starboard on the 401 on take off, fully loaded in pretty marginal VMC
So in answer to the question, I could have easily gone commercial- but I didnt want to. nights are for family, telly,beer, going out and nobody tells me to get up at 3.00am for a four sector day when I wouldn't even get the chance for a quick sandwich on turnaround-- by revealing the aircraft reg's some will know who I am- but I have always spoken my mind. Oh and the callsign DOPE is registered with ICAO in Canada and 05 is the number I like. IJH