Well Yosemite Sam: I'm 1 month into my 32nd year and like others, it’s been a long, hard road – and it never seems to end sometimes!
It's got to be said at this stage: I personally remained single 'cause I wanted my career first; I really admire the guys here who are older than WE are and have a wife +kids +mortgage +dog etc -- if they can find a way of doing it in those circumstances, anyone can!
Some mention that they don't want to get to 70-80 yrs-old and regret never having tried: one of my brothers is 40, has 200+ hours, lives in a £500K house with wifey and 2 kids but does nothing but whinge that he'd rather be flying for a living.
I’m glad I WON’T to be in his position in 8 years time, let alone when I'm 70-80! And Shanwick Shanwick: I don’t know about a flight deck, you should be in a bloody plant pot! There’s more than a few here who’ll swap places with you! Why did you become a pilot? Did daddy have too much money to spend? Have a bag of chips and get an early night pal.
Me? It started from a Sunday afternoon in the summer of 1978, looking down on a Laker Skytrain, a British Airtours 707, an Air France Caravelle and a British Airways Trident from the terraces of Manchester airport. (Bet that'll take a few of you back!)
Ended up in the Air Cadets as soon as I was old enough and, before I knew it, was airborne in a gloomy December sky in the back of an RAF Chipmunk. And yes, I can still also smell that mixture of Av gas, rubber and hydraulic oil!
Got my RAF gliding certificate just after I was 16 but then fatally give up studying and pursued another career for 2 years.
Went back to studying then, out of the blue, applied and got short listed for a Britannia sponsorship -- then the recession hit and it was withdrawn. Went to university. Applied to RAF who told me I'd be JUST over the age limit for flying when I finished my BSc and wouldn't take me without it. After uni ended up applying to everybody who was offering a commercial sponsorship but, despite walking all the aptitude tests, like so many others still didn't get to the latter stages of selection.
Ended up on self funding route.
How do we fund it? Like lots of others here, I ended up in the I.T. industry ('cause I knew I could earn above average doe for flying in this). Then, with some experience in I.T., started my own business ('cause I knew I could earn even MORE doe for flying doing this and therefore get there quicker). I also somehow manage to squeeze in 9 hours or more a week of teaching I.T. in an F/E college to boost my flying funds (not to mention university debt repayments!) even further.
Because of the expense, restrictions and irregularity here, I aim to finish off everything in one go State side next year like dallas dude. (If I end up meeting some buxom, squawking, Yankee wench while I'm over all the better!)
Just keep focused on your end goal and if anybody tries to put obstacles in front of you, make sure you tell 'em to make 'em big -- VERY BIG: it'll cause THEM a damn site more effort than it will for you to step over them if you’re determined enough. Remember: people without a passion and a dream in life will NEVER see yours.
If you don't take a chance and go for something you really want, you'll end up nowhere and unhappy like so many others I see. Like dallas dude said: “We’re all gonna be dead an awful long time!”
Go fly, be happy.
