Originally Posted by irishpilot
You knew a contact in a high place
No
Originally Posted by irishpilot
or someone else did
No
Originally Posted by irishpilot
or you are really good
Naturally
(Not really)
Originally Posted by irishpilot
... got that bit of much needed luck.
Now you've got it! Luck that came from doing what most people do. Knocking on doors, staying the distance and
taking whatever work came my way. I set my sights lower, planned accordingly and worked through as an instructor and a GA pilot. I had 2500 hours, all piston time, before I got near a jet and it was GREAT flying. I harbour not a single iota of bitterness about having to do it that way because I chose it and got what I expected and before you say "It can't be done here, that way, any more" I cry "B0llocks!". Only three days ago I wandered into my local flying club and was asked to role play the part of a student for a guy wanting to become an instructor there. They get applicants every week. Is he going to live on Pot Noodle for two years? Almost certainly, but at least his parents will keep their house.
I fly with people from a similar background which at the very least makes our flightdeck and down-route conversations....... nay, our
lives FAR more interesting than would be the case between two modular, wunderkinden*.
Captain OATS: "So. Which batch of drones were you in?"
F/O OATS: (Five minutes later) "361B"
Captain OATS: (Five minutes later) "Oh"
GA Captain: "Ever been to (
obscure place on the fringes of civilisation)?"
GA F/O: "Once. We woke up in the morning all in one room festooned with local fertility beads, stark-naked, surrounded by sleeping gibbons".
GA Captain: "Gibbons, eh?"
GA F/O: "Yup"
GA Captain: "With us it was orangutans"
Sorry but I just don't understand those who borrow a sackful of money all hinged upon well, another sackful of money, to go and work in a sanitised, hum-drum environment at a company where the CEO and management positively hate them. Where's the soul? Where's the fun? The vibe? The reason to get up in the morning? And don't tell me it's the thrill of doing London-Edinburgh back to back because that's just being in denial.
Look, folks. I'm not trying to rub your noses in it or come across as the salty old dog of the sea (ok,air) and if I'm coming across as curt it's because:
1. I've been ranting against SSTR for years.
2. The buggers who started and perpetuate it are ruining the industry.
3. Their 'f*ck you' attitude toward those they're spoiling it for grates with me. People who now look for work are paying to fly and all because someone, somewhere paid to jump the queue. It'll never affect
me because you're right, I'm past that stage. But I still get angry when I the havoc it wreaks and
that's why I continue to argue against it.
I'll also go out of my way to help anyone who wants to follow the slower, 'proper' route and I'm not the only one. GA/Bizjet people tend to help others out a LOT more than you find in the airline world.
PS. irishpilot 'tain't "elocution", just plain old spelling
*From personal experience. I've interviewed several dozen most of whom, I'm sorry to say, would drive me to distraction five minutes into the cruise.