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Old 11th Dec 2008, 21:25
  #17 (permalink)  
Bealzebub
 
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MIKECR, Good for You! That is exactly what you should be doing, finding a niche and exploiting it. 30 hours flying in 7 weeks starts filling up the all important pages of that logbook. However fiscally unrewarding, it keeps you flying and shows the sort of determination and motivation that will give you some definite advantage when things do turn around.

In my "pulpit" at 37'000 ft for the last 25 years, I have had the pleasure of flying with many hundreds of First Officers from all types of backround: Air force; other jet operators; turboprop operators; General aviation; Approved course direct entry low hour pilots. I always ask them how they made it to where they are today? The answers have almost been as varied as the individuals, but an underlying theme that surfaces almost every time is a high level of motivation and self awareness. Even when employment opportunities are richer, there is still intense competition, and these qualities still underpin the best people that come forward. The advice I offer my own children is borne out of the experience I have collected from these people who have achieved the success they aspired to and even more importantly worked hard for it. No matter how bad things might be, there is probably a solution for those who are prepared to both accept the reality and work around it.

Speaking generally, advice may be good or bad. It may be what you want to hear, it may not. If you can filter what is important and useful, then do just that. Being rude or offensive to those whose advice you don't like will not stand you well on the flightdeck of an airliner, if indeed it stands you in good stead anywhere else? Attitude and manners are a most definite advantage in those pilots I have witnessed who have fast tracked their way through this career. That might seem to be belied by reading some of these forums, but it is nevertheless true.
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