Why do YOU fly?? I would like to know

[pilotdreams1977]

So why do you fly?? For some, its a simple answer. For others, its an answer only shared in private.

What makes us pilots sacrifice so much for just a few hours airbourne on the weekend........or for that dream shot, a commercial or airline job?

I know most of you have probably had to work in jobs or professions that you probably didn't like, but just had to because you needed to scrape the dollars to live your aviation dream.

I would like to know what drives us to work through such hardships.

let you me hear your story.

Pilotdreams1977

[ugly]

So why do you fly??
It's the most fun you can have with your clothes on standing up:ok:

Originally I had hoped to make a career out of it - although the other more important distractions in life (like a family etc) meant that may not happen

If it doesn't - well that's life. I can still enjoy flying as much as I could

Big thanks to the guys from Schoies who invited me as a passenger in their 4 plane form over Sydney yesterday to celebrate 100 years of powered flight, that's what makes flying fun!

[hoss]

Exactly, it's just about everything to do with Aviation and I love it.

Sure there are more important things in my life but I cant imagine a life without flying.

As I drive to go flying today(I don't like to call it 'work' because to a Pilot it's much more than that) I will be the happiest and most grateful bloke around:) .

Safe flying and Merry Christmas All:) .

[Ang737]

For me its about the mates you meet on the way around this great country.

Different ops have different enjoyments. At the moment I enjoy dropping meat bombs for the sheer excitement of the sport. The freedom of being able to gather up a few mates and fly to remote strips for a camping and drinking session is second to none.

Oh and it impresses the chicks (occasionaly) :yuk:

Ang;)

[Towering Q]

Most folks look up and admire those 'big fluffy white clouds".

Being a fly-boy/girl enables us to get close and personal with Towering Q's and CB's, well not too close.:ouch:

Nothing beats punching through a solid morning overcast to appear in bright sunshine, blue sky and a sea of white below. Sigh. :ok:

[Engineer]

It beats working for a living :D

[ugly]

A positive topic on pprune... who woulda thought? :ok:

Might have started something here dreamer...

[John Citizen]

As I drive to go flying today(I don't like to call it 'work' because to a Pilot it's much more than that) I will be the happiest and most grateful bloke around

I am sorry but I just do NOT feel this way.

I suppose it depends on :
- who you work for / how they treat you
- where you live
- what you fly
- type of flying

Sometimes I think I was happier working for myself and driving a taxi !!

Why do I continue if I am not happy ? Because one day it might lead me to a "happy job" :confused:

[splatgothebugs]

John Citizen, I suggest you go through and read all the threads again.
It may re inspire you, don't give up. The ****ty job you have now will make you appreciate the good one when it comes along.

Remember big brother is always watching so just enjoy the fact that your can actually fly ;)

Direct anywhere, you hit the nail on the head with that post.

For me it was all summed up the other day, breaking out of fog at 700ft into a crystal blue sky then taking a look out the window at my new shinney engine and winglet. :D

Anything that makes you smile and get all uptight when you are not doing it (like sex) has got to be good. :ok:

splat

[Crash & Burn]

One reason is that it's pretty hard to find an another office with views like this (http://202.148.131.154/whyiloveit/) !

[5 Left & Right]

JC - you just arn't working for the right company, there are lots of good ones out there that actually appreciate the work you do and treat you well.

Engineer - thats what i was gonna say, if you've ever done any other kind of work, it certainly beats working for a living.

I always really appreciate the good days as they far outnumber the bad ones.

I really cant think of anything else i would rather do. Its a very satisfying career.

[handrail]

JC - I used to think like you do. Then i was out of work for a while and now i love every minute i fly whether its in a 172 or a 747. Maybe if you still feel this way you should take 6 months off and try something else and see how much u miss it then.
Oh and by the way it beats the sh#t out of doing a real job.:ok:

[pilotdreams1977]

Well to those working, what they think to be bad aviation job....well I got two words. Be grateful.

I have been busting my a#se, for the last 4 years to try to scrape the bucks together to get some hours up and my CPL.

I have worked the most god forsaken boring jobs at the most ridiculous hours of the day, and while my friends partied into the night, met girls, got drunk, i was pulling some boring night shift job(pay was good and i had university during the day).

Fed up with forgoing all the pleasures of a social life, and living with a dysfunctional family (not able to move out cuz I had to throw all the money into aviation) I decided to move half way across the globe to one of the most none english speaking countries in the world, in order to raise money.

The money I make here is about 3 times what I would make in a full time job back in oz, but the work is starting to get me down (I spend some days wiping snot of little kids faces, while attempting to teach them ABC) so thats why I wrote the topic. Life is good here, and I finally caught up with what I missed back home (parties, girls).

But when the day comes, and I finally land that first job, flying singles for about $60 a day....well I will be truly grateful. Because for one:
- I will be on the way to fulfilling a life long dream,
- and that it was four year rollercoaster journey.

So for that aviation job which you may be considering bad....well just remember...especially when you are having a bad day....that there are guys like me who have been dreaming years to be in a position that you are in. Or to be having those "bad" days you have.

[flying_phonebox]

I agree that flying is a dream that many people have BUT the hard reality is the gloss wears off quite quickly living in the back of nowhere in particular, busting your gut in 40 degree plus temps to ferry around people that have most likely not had a shower in the past month, ALL for about the same $$$ you'd get working at maccas.

The reason the pay is cr@p and the conditions likewise is that there is always someone like you ready to come and do the job because of "the dream".

The dream is a sham! Still saying that i keep going, hoping that there will be a jet job one day (might have to pay for it tho)!

-the box

[Towering Q]

Agreed....curse that "supply and demand" thing!:sad:

Phonebox.....it doesn't have to be a jet job. So long as it gets to the flight levels and out of the bumps, does a reasonable speed, has plenty of buttons to play with, has plenty of room for my lunch and carries recently showered pax who are almost out of view.
Oh, and an APU would be nice, so I can leave the airconditioning on whilst on the ground. Did I mention a biscuit chucker?:ok:

[OZBUSDRIVER]

6000ft in a glider humming a tune from an airforce ad from the 70s......Hey look at me I can fly.

Regards

Mark

[puff]

I work at a hardware store, i'm the 4th Commercial Pilot to be working at this one store......

[Poto]

Handrail, I agree with you even a month of leave will set your spirits right, flying is one of those things that is in the blood for alot of us (I won't necessarily say all). You take leave and even get to the big smoke where its all happening but you soon realise you must get airbourne again. It's tops to break an early (and I mean early) monday morning blues with a wicked sun showered horizon or smooth air!

However whilst some of the best friends I have in the world, I have met within this honourable industry, I have met the biggest arseh@les in the world here. Pure evil; people who will lie, cheat and basically bury a knife into your back because they don't really have aviation in their blood and must do this to keep an edge.

JC; I can handle Who I work for?
I can handle how they treat me?
I can handle what they pay me!
I can also handle what I fly and who/where I fly!

I hate the arseh@les!!!!!!!!

:{ Shameful, but that's the nature of an industry where the "it's not a job it's an adventure" moto stands true. It appeals to fun seekers; Dudes/Dudettes and arseh@les alike.:ouch:

This is my only negative aspect in Aviation, the rest is Bl@@dy awesome and I would not even think about another profession,
Tried a couple of others but the 9 to 5, spouse and two and a half kid thing has not got an appeal for me.


:ok:
Each to their own :ooh:

[The Bullwinkle]

flying_phonebox

The dream is a sham!

The dream is not a sham !!

Your ATTITUDE wil determine your ALTITUDE.

Think about it.

[pilotdreams1977]

"I agree that flying is a dream that many people have BUT the hard reality is the gloss wears off quite quickly living in the back of nowhere in particular, busting your gut in 40 degree plus temps to ferry around people that have most likely not had a shower in the past month, ALL for about the same $$$ you'd get working at maccas. " QUOTE

Well this is seriously no problems!!! I don't have an aviation job, but the conditions I am currently working in and have been for the last year and a half, to scrape the dollars to get my hours up is much more difficult than that.

I work in country, which has 40 degree summers, with a 100% humidity, and as you know from studying human factors, that 100% humidity is much worse than the dry heat in Australia.
The winters here get down to 0 and below on most days and it snows here.

The people I work with, well......sometimes I have to wipe snot of kids faces and have to put up with being spat on.

As for isolation and working in the middle of nowhere.......well no one here speaks damn english. The only contact I have is with a few other ex pats who work here and my pc.

So in the end, sticking out an aviation job, as described above.....no probs.


Pilotdreams1977

[MAXX]

engineer,
"it beats working for a living"
you stole my standard line whenever someone asks me if i like my job.:ok:

[Continental-520]

for about the same $$$ you'd get working at maccas

Phonebox,...Yeah, so, since the money is the same, the choice becomes easier. You chose to fly over working at maccas, so it obviously can't be that bad then. You've made the choice that I'd/I've most certainly made .


520.

[flying_phonebox]

Heya all.

Pilotdreams1977 i understand that what you may have experienced you consider to be tougher than a flying gig in metaphorical siberia, but spend a lil while in somewhere like Ngukurr in the NT for a while then get back to me........

And Continental, yeah i know it does have its moments but i'm just saying that there is alot of cr@p that goes with it day to day as an occupation compared to being able to "maintain the dream" and fond feelings you have for aviation by flying recreationally. And i am by no means giving up! Ok ask me tomorrow.

Juz my half a fuel drain's worth......

-phonebox

[ITCZ]

Why fly?

What else would I do with the 30-40 years of working life that was allocated to me? Draw up bus timetables using differential calculus - based models on a government computer? Find another $40 worth of refund for some bloke who would grumble about how much I charged as an accountant. Have a job in an office where the most exciting view I get is the one from the tram on the way to work? Sheesh.

Tomorrow morning (OMEL allowing!) the guy next to me will say "All set mate? Your controls" and from that point on, its my show. The rules will guide, the SOP might say how-to, but its my show to run, interrupted by a light cooked breakfast and a cup or two of Earl Grey (white and one thanks) till we glide down the slide and roll onto the bay on a nice Cavok morning somewhere in Oz.

Got a mate who started at VB recently. His words "Can't help it mate -- just sitting there cleared to takeoff, time to push those levers up, always crack a bit of a grin."

If I'd followed through on that uni degree, maybe the worst thing that happened at work might be missing the bus and standing in the rain.

I've got much better stories to tell now! The day the police aide wanted to spear me coz he couldn't spear the other white guy that upset him. Going out in a tinny between charters to catch sea turtles. Watching the look on yank tourists' faces when Brian Rourke at Mudgeegadaart pulled out the long barrel .45 before walking up to the rock art sites (in case the old croc in the lagoon got too close!). The dark drizzly night when the T-VASIS on highest intensity at Tindal speared through the low cloud like something out of close encounters of the 3rd kind with about 100' to go to the DA. Flying over Daly River Mission with the owner of Mango Farm caravan park and campground, now completely under an inland lake following the Katherine floods, a big tough Territorian with tears in his eyes surveys the damage to the business he built up over years, gone. Pre september 11, a tourist visits the cockpit, says he's on tour with a group of singers, captain jokingly says you'll have to sing us a song, so when he goes back to his seat, a 30 voice male choir starts singing German folk tunes all the way into Cairns!

Thank Christ I didn't follow any sensible advice and keep flying as a recreation!

[The Bullwinkle]

flying_phonebox

You probably won't succeed because of your attitude.

How much time have YOU spent in Ngukurr ??

[MJP]

I think it was the famous author Neville Shute who summed up why pilots fly, when he said that it's good to subject one's life occasionally to danger because it "breeds a certain sanity in dealing with everyday trivialities"

I really enjoy flying even after 23 years of it and despite the fact that I'll never achieve my dream of flying for the military. When I was doing my ab-initio training at Archerfield, I applied to get into military aviation - my maths was very average. So I wrote the top-ranking general officer asking that I do the full battery of tests, confident that I could do well; I didn't get a guernsey.

I showed my letter to a good friend who flew Spitfires in WW II and asked for his comments. I can still remember his old face; the white but still immaculate handlebar moustache. After reading the letter, he paused looked me dead in the eyes and with the most quite voice he said: "my boy this would've worked in my day, but I could've told you that this would not work in yours".

Anyway I did get into the military as a supply officer and got my CPL through a military flying club so I learnt to fly an Arrow II the military way! So in a round about way I achieved my dream. I became a flight dispatcher for a major airline; evetually got my "dream" aviation jobs which I promptly lost in quick succession because of economic circumstances...and I still love flying. I consider myself lucky ad am grateful that I can fly whenever I choose regardless of the aircraft type. On the other hand, I've got some mates who lost sight of the "dream" and are actually working for the majors and they hate it - sad.

So if you're flying as a hobby, part-time job, or full-time job be grateful because there are other out there, who due to finances or health reasons, will never be able to fly. When I feel a bit down I remind myself of that fact!


Aye,


MJP

[OZBUSDRIVER]

Today I took my son for his first flight in a lightie.

Realy truely people, If that buzz isn't there you may as well be driving a bus!

ITCZ BTW I got it:D

[poteroo]

I still smile when it's a 'greaser'

I'm never bored, because the scene changes every second, and there's always something to check

I still get a buzz from taking someone for their first flight as a passenger.

I still smile when I step out the door, and send the lucky pilot off for a solo circuit in the Cub

I get a real kick looking out from the lead of a formation of RV's skimming the stratocumulus along our magnificent coast

I still think flying's better than golf

I intend to keep committing this crime until my medical runs out - but I've had a fortunate 41 years so far.

You've just gotta keep that feeling!

cheers,

[flying_phonebox]

Bullwinkle...

I have a perfectly good positive attitude and i think in the best interests of this post it would be good to make the posts non-personal don't ya think?

I am hopeful of a decent job one day but like everyone discovers progression is a slow progress. Would be interested in your background since your knocking my attitude.

And don't live in Ngukkur but have had a fair few friends that have.

[The Bullwinkle]

flying_phonebox

I have a bit of remote area experience.

[Ref + 10]

phonebox. I don't doubt that many many folks on this site have had to do their fair share of hard jobs but when you get that "decent job" and look back it won't seem nearly as bad as it does now.

Whatever doesn't kill me only makes me stronger!

[handrail]

phonebox

Just a word of advise mate i wouldnt knock the bullwinkle his done more than his fair share of remote area and truly deserved his big break.

Ive said it before and I'll say it again if youve lost "The Dream" take 6 months off and see how you feal after that.

'Thats about all I have to say about that'

rail

[flying_phonebox]

Geez thanx for your "advice" handrail. If bullwinkle did his time out bush then he should understand what its all about.

Thanx for the positivity ref +10!! Its easy to lose perspective of where we are trying to go though when your out in the boonies but luckily it seems to come back now and then...

Happy New Year everyone.

[criticalmass]

Two reasons:-

i) Occasionally I get paid for it and,

ii) To make as many happy memories for my frail old age as I can.

[Capt Nomad]

As previously mentioned said;
A) It beats the hell out of working for a living.
B) You just can't beat the feeling as you break out on top of cloud or fog to a beautiful sunny day, while the everyone else has to crawl to work in the fog and rain.
C) You will end up with all sorts of great experiences and memories.:D

[Pinky the pilot]

I flew because I loved it! Simple as that.
I absolutely hate, with a passion all whom have not been in the same position could not comprehend, the situation I now find myself in of not having a full time flying job and finding it almost impossible to gain what I need to make me more 'employable' (night time)
I will never give up either! And why?
Read the top line again.

You only live twice. Once when
you're born. Once when
you've looked death in the face.

[High Altitude]

Whinge whinge whinge...

Its hot out there, its hard bloody work, the conditions are tough...

:{ :{ :{ So put your head down and ar*e up and bingo you get to where you want to go.

I have seen LOTS of guys move through, every singe one of them that had the right attitude and a real work ethic is now flying bigger better and higher!

Most of us worked hard to get the lic, digging holes in rock, labouring, pulling beers. Then you crack it and you go and live in sh*tsville. How many people who have lived and worked on an Aboriginal community can honestly say they hated it? You learnt life skills there. Southern's would pay (and do pay me for tours) to do tours out there. Agreed though there has to be certain conditions. The ole Lake Evil days of busted accom is not on. Yes we have remote bases, yes they all have above average accom. Yes it is tough, yes it is a choice.

I tell ya theres nothing better than sitting in 1A on a 73 at 0100 and hearing the F/O make an annoncement and its a bloke who worked with you, let alone on the return the same again.

Supply and demand, well there may be alot out there but how many are really employable? How many people with a CPL can't handle a 210? LOTS!

Me who do I fly for? Basically models once a year (www.flynac.com.au) and to go fishing every now and then, oh and whenever we have a VIP.....

Happy flying to everyone...

GO WELL.

[WhiteRat Wannabe]

The money, its GOTTA be the money, im rolling in it!! :{