1) PPL student age 21 - wow factor, I'm flying !
2) Lots of flying in US - fun + sense of freedom.
3) Flying instructor for 3 years - being paid to fly - great.
4) First airline job - regional turbo prop (Leeds) - all new again with novoltey factor, lots of 'hand on' visual stuff - learnt a lot and enjoyed immensly.
5) First commercial Jet - @ STN, all new yet again, but still just an aeroplane that goes faster ! Lots of electronic 'game boys' and buttons to push - less hands on, more routes, lots of sectors, more system management .... Did for 6 years, but never got bored.
6) Big airline, bigger Jet, biggest airport - My pre-conceptions were wrong to go 'big' - very impersonal, rarley know people I fly with, lots of hassle/delays/slots/pax's late, every turnaround is hassle - much rarley fly the a/c - even more system mangement. Don't enjoy going to work, dream about a regional turbo-prop command - start instructing part time - and buy a share in an aerobatic light a/c - realise flying can still be fun !
Pushing shinney leavers is still a good way of earning a living, but make no bones about it -if youre a 'purest' flying person you will never really enjoy it - go for the regional smaller type of operation.
I dream about one day flying a sea plane around the barrier reef for a living ........ but its catch 22, get paid a lot of dosh and have good pension in airline world, they do 'look after me' and its reasonably secure, feel locked in - life could be worse !!!!
