Flying an Intriguing Passion!!
There have been a couple of threads I have read of late.....which made me think of my experience within the whole aviation world, as a non flyer and older : "retired - wannabee".
From the other side of having no involvement in flying for a while now, thought this may be useful for those of you out there thinking of aviation as a career vs other options out there not flying related.
There is a lot of negativity about terms and conditions and the rat bags that are running the aviation world. Before the advent of Sept 11, I was travelling heaps around Aus (couple of flights a month) ( via Ansett) for work and had the opportunity of riding the jump seat heaps (student log book in hand always seemed to get me in!!!). Perhaps the corporate boys that run the shows should sit in a jump seat a few times a month, and see what pilots actually do when the weathers crap, breaking out of cloud at minima's - after a midnight departure out of Perth into Melb or Sydney or coming into Perth in a 747 when an engine showing some signs of ****ting itself 3 hours out....and a few of the other things I had the privilege of watching a professional crew manage. Keeping in mind off course the passengers on board and the expensive piece of machinery the crew where responsible for. When **** hits the fan, no matter what the extent, two pilots are in charge and should be paid well for it (in my humble opinion). Given the investment the pilot has made in training and responsibility they have, and the way terms and conditions currently look and are heading - is a joke. Applies not only to the current LLC carriers but the humble flight instructor and everyone in between.
I was ( or thought I was) committed to achieving flying as a career. I have made choices in my life based on assessment of aviation and my goals to lead a balanced, happy and financially successful life.
I find the whole flying thing intriguing.
Briefly so I don't bore the **** out of you.....I'm 40 in a couple of months. Old fart too many of you whipper snappers out there. I wanted to be pilot from early teens. Loved anything too do with flying. (Used to sit on the fence at Jkt for hours watching the comings and goings - used to love watching and hearing the RFDs land - reverse pitch to slow down and all that sort of stuff). Got to year twelve graduation time I. 1988....started lessons did my gfpt. Ran out money / savings and due to having split parents, didn't have the benefit of parents willing or able too bank roll me. Hence ( keep in mind 1989 lots of negativity with pilot strike no jobs in ga cause all the jet boys where on the market trying to survive due to events well documented)... I decided the commerce degree was the way to. Will give me a solid and dependable qualification and background should mighty aviation not work out for me. Also thinking was should be able to earn some decent coin to fund said flying training.
Fast forward 3 odd years commerce degree in hand. Now we are rocking. Around 1993 it wasn't easy to get into accounting career....lots of grads and economy from memory wasn't particularly flash. However secured a job just before getting that piece of paper from uni.
Now I was rocking. Was back into flying once a week to do my pppl. Loved it loved it loved it. After a while hated accounting and taxation during the week, but could justify it based on weekends and flying through the WA country Side.
I reckon life is based on having some balance. Whilst flying was my passion, I had a gorgeous girl (who is now my wife some years down the track) and we had some other plans which thankfully worked out in terms of traveling Aus whilst both employed, build up some wealth etc. We also have two beautiful kids now 6 and 9 that came along after a few years of marriage.
During our travels of Aus I was lucky enough to have 2 months of and did some hour building out of Bankstown. Unfortunately weather was against me and my plans of cracking into cpl didn't quite work out. Fast forward a few months and back in WA and into CPL flight training. Had the better part of 6 weeks off and flew hard. Without going into the semantics of it, It dawned on me that at the age of 27 ish that the whole flying thing needs true and absolute commitment. Importantly whilst passion for the game is the driver, you must make sure you are willing and able to make the plans and sacrifices needed. I failed on a couple of counts. Firstly, I wasn't willing to throw everything into flying. I valued my partner and having come from a childhood of limited finances wanted to ensure that I didn't end up lacking in that regard. What I also failed to do was finance my flying properly. It was always done as the money allowed, causing lack of continuity and more cost and delay.
What really broke the camel's back for me was my CPL pre flight - flight test. I was around $ 4,000 in the red - borrowed, which was playing on my mind big time. The pressure was on me, and to be frank, I completely "- - cked" the test. I reckon I was a competent and safe pilot, but I allowed outside money pressures to get to me.
What followed was a realization. If I was going to make this work, then my commitment and planning needed more than what I was willing to give it. Keeping in mind, that once CPL was done, I wanted to get an instructors ticket and then MECIR (and a **** load more cost). Hence, I thru the whole flying career idea away and moved on...or so I thought. All I could see was some major commitment and financial duress, with no guarantee given my age, that t it would come together into a rewarding career.
So, moving on became involved in my own business (not accounting thank Christ) and now in a comfortable financial position a few years down the track. Whilst not rolling in $$$, I own my house (decent but modest), am able to drive a decent car albeit a commodore!!! (SS though), my kids in good school and still happily married. The finances have also extended to other passions - Kwaka Jet Ski that I get great enjoyment from thrashing in the wide blue ocean. Haven't been inside a bug smasher for many a year (but plan too at some stage - Aerobatics will be my thing).
A couple of years ago, before the GFC, I like, like a lot of other "retired -wannabees", saw the demand for pilots start to increase and questioned my past decisions. I contemplated long and hard about having another crack. On balance though, with at the time a 3 year old and 7 year old kids, felt that it wasn’t the right decision as they deserve the best I can give them (not just money!!!).
However, for those of you out there, wondering what path to take, just beware the flying bug really never leaves you (hasn’t left me anyway). Despite having a reasonable go at it, and being reasonably comfortable with my decisions based on hindsight and a bit of wisdom...there is still a little prick sitting on my shoulder - which raises the flying issue every now and again. It especially raises its nasty little head, when I have the ****s on when business is a bit rough or life's is generally giving me the ****s. (it happens to all of us from time to time, doesn’t matter whether you push a pen, or fly a plane).
I reckon they would probably throw my application in the filing bin, but even now I contemplate putting in an application to the SkyWest cadet - "payship" for a job. I could afford the price of training and could survive living on crap $$$ for a few years, ( I would have to sell the nice car and the Kwaka - but that wouldn’t bother me to be honest). This is even despite being relatively well informed on aviation and falling terms and conditions ....and even knowing a couple of aussie pilots (ex) who got to the lofty heights of flying private jets overseas and gave it away.
So to those out there considering the aviation conundrum - the moral of my story is:
* The flying bug never really departs you ( if it truly is something your passionate about).
* Plan your training and financing properly. Like me, I know of couple of people like me, whose ambitions where thwarted by the old PPP ( Piss Poor Planning) or letting blind passion overrule the head) in regards to what's achievable.
* If you enter into aviation for a career make sure your willing to commit everything to it......generally this will mean at any cost ( significant others, money and other goals you may have). I am not saying that you can't have other things, but you will find that other life plans and goals may be delayed for a long time, whilst you turn ambition into achievement. If your goal is to fly a shiny jet, not everyone will get there, so are you going to be happy at the age of 50+ flying something else and maybe earning money well below what you could achieve elsewhere?. Certainly true that money doesn’t buy happiness, but it certainly can make life a lot more enjoyable!!!! Just as there are many cynical accountants out there, I have met a few dead pan cynical pilots as well.
* Whether you push a pen, save lives or fly a plane, every career path has its moments of doom and gloom and questionable futures & why I am doing this scenarios. It's human nature.
* Enjoy your flying. I still remember some great and challenging times in flying training. Having simulated engine failures and nailing various emergency scenarios practices, witnessing major fires in the wheat belt and the hills of Perth from 6000ft and numerous other cool stuff and experiences is still with me a few years down the track. Don’t get caught up with the end result if you have high ambitions - you are likely to miss some great life and learning experiences through training and flying.
* Choose your training organization very, very carefully. I made a couple of mistakes in selection and went for the well trodden path. However, with hindsight I really feel it worked against me with costs which I don’t think where warranted. Ultimately my responsibility for not working out, but just be careful on the motivations of the people and organizations you deal with.
Hopefully haven’t bored the crap out PPRUNERS!!!! 