View Full Version : What would you do if you COULDN'T fly anymore?
Is it something you've considered?
Even if we think our job's secure.... when we come round to our annual medical (for some every 6 months) it's 'contract renewal time' ....we've gotta pass it otherwise we don't have a job.
Have you made provision for not being able to fly .... are you trained in other skills?
Do you have loss of licence insurance ..if so how much cover? How much d'you reckon you need?
Do you have PHI? Have you got a 'plan B' for a career outside of flying?
I'm curious to know peoples thoughts on this and if any of you have come up with some cunning plans of your own? Does your company have things sorted out for you?
I'm not selling anything - I just want to get a feel for how the land lies out there if the - "Fit was to hit the Shan"
[This message has been edited by eden (edited 03 February 2001).]
As I'm still on my way TO a career, my computer networking/troubleshooting/web design-hosting skills are what pay my flight time.
If I couldn't fly for the career, I could handle it without too many problems, in fact I would have more time to get further ahead here. (But that isn't my goal at this time :) )
If I couldn't fly at ALL, then I'd have problems adjusting, would be out trying to get rides whenever possible, I can't live without being in the air at some point.
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Marc
helidrvr
4th Feb 2001, 21:51
For me as an old-timer, this question has become very relevant. In a few years the FAA will take away my ATP and inevitably, my medical will no doubt follow at some point.
For a little over a year, I have been building my own e-business. Already, my e-income is coming close to that of my day-job. At the current rate of growth, I'll be just fine financially. This will always allow me to do some private flying, even if it has to be with an instructor in the P2 seat.
Cheers http://www.pprune.org/ubb/NonCGI/cool.gif
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You are welcome to visit HELIDRVR here (http://www.helidrvr.homestead.com)
Thanks RW-1 & Helidrvr for responding ......I must confess I am suprised that more people haven't responded not because you should .....but because the issue could very easily face you tomorrow(literally). Even a PPL could lose their licence and what you you do for aerial kicks if they took your 'frantic egg whisk' licence away?
For the professionals out there - I'm sure you all have varying packages that suit your needs.
I'd like to know the sort of deal out there for: (talking about - Loss of licence, PHI etc..)
1. Private/Corporate client pilots
2. Offshore/Big/Emergency Service type setups
3. Onshore Charter companies
4. Freelancers - what options/costs of cover are open to this hardy bunch?
Hey - if you don't want to talk about that's fine ..... I know we're all roughy toughy pilots who KNOW it WON'T happen to me .....but should we think this way?
Is there something out there that maybe we can ALL benefit from?
What would you do IF YOU LOST YOUR LICENCE?
If you ALL still wish to stay quiet on the subject - I will cease forthwith.
RW-1 and Helidrvr .... ebusiness seems a very good alternative .... is it difficult to become established in a rapidly changing and growing business .... ie are you JAVA and C++ kinda guys ? Did you go out and get trained up or just used your past experience that you gained over a period of time using confusers?
[This message has been edited by eden (edited 06 February 2001).]
If I found out that I couldn't fly anymore...
I'd instruct!
That's wot I did ...... sorry beat you to it!
karroo
7th Feb 2001, 05:50
That is a matter than scares me allot and I even didn’t start working (fresh one). I am also thinking in an e-business but right now I can’t find what to do in the web. If you have any ideas I appreciate.
karroo
Semi Rigid
7th Feb 2001, 06:43
EESDL, would you be up to it?? It is not without it's stresses.
Avsure (NZ) has v good LOL insurance packs, cheap & v friendly & not a dorsal fin in sight!
If I woke up one morning & wasnt able to fly - id go get a proper job.Baiting sport fishing rods comes to mind............
_____
0~~(^)
~~~
[This message has been edited by Semi Rigid (edited 07 February 2001).]
Thomas coupling
7th Feb 2001, 17:29
I'm staring it right in the face at this very moment. A glitch in the ECG print out has set the machinery going. I'm reading the small print with a magnifying glass, too...fingers crossed it doesn't come to that...
http://www.gograph.com/Images-7298/AnimatedGif/redstar.gif
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Thermal runaway.
PurplePitot
7th Feb 2001, 22:52
I believe we were having a chat not so long ago TC about contracts, PHI and Loss of Licence........ Hope you get it sorted anyway!
Self taught, but I don't do programming, if I need that seriously I'll get people I know to do it for me, subcontract so to speak ...
However company training offered and will be taken. A piece of advice:
NEVER pass up ANY kind of training you can take, you never know when you can use it ... :)
Losing a licence for medical reasons wouldn't stop one from instructing (ground if anything else, or a college course if you have the other prerequisites).
I don't plan on losing mine due to an enforcement action. hehe ...
I couldn't tell you why noone else has piped up, it's a valid question to consider by all.
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Marc
Fatspice
8th Feb 2001, 01:51
Having first flown with the Air Cadet Organisation 15 years ago, my love of flying has grown. On leaving school with no A-levels, and wanting to fly in the RAF, I had to find something else. I have since spent 10 years in the motor trade as a mechanic and am pretty brassed off with it. Realising that I could still fly for a living I am chasing a dream, which will hopefully soon become a reality. In answer to the topic, having digressed, I would have to swallow my pride and go back to the motor trade. (Unfortunately!)
Floppy Link
8th Feb 2001, 02:25
I'd go snowboarding...all day every day. France in winter. Off to NZ in summer.
Unless of course I'd lost my medical due to having my legs chopped off...Douglas Bader on a snowboard. Hmmmmm.
FL
(off to France on Friday with Air 2000. Bless 'em)
helidrvr
8th Feb 2001, 18:15
Karroo,
As to what to do one the web, look at YOUR OWN special talents first! That is where you will most likely find your answer.
Everybody is an expert at something. The most valuable commodity in our modern economy is Knowledge. So valuable in fact, that there are serious attempts being made to financially quantify the total 'knowledge pool' in a corporation. The objective is to allow it to be listed as a balance sheet asset! Sort of a new age version of the old 'Goodwill' item on a balance sheet.
First however it is vital that you learn the basics of the internet market place. You can't very well write a book if you don't know the language! Take a course or two, preferably one which is NOT tied to an affiliate program. Then ask me more.
Cheers http://www.pprune.org/ubb/NonCGI/cool.gif
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You are welcome to visit HELIDRVR here (http://helidrvr.cjb.net)
The Nr Fairy
8th Feb 2001, 19:11
TC :
There's an article in a recent issue of Pilot about a guy who's ticker did the same sort of thing.
Might be worth a read, depending on the seriousnees of your ECG's wiggliness.
Best of luck anyway.
Been away - thanks ALL for the responses. It seems there's a world of budding internet entre'p's out there in the flying world.
Fatspice I hope you get your opportunity and wish you well on the road to flying.
TC Sorry to hear your news .....I know how you feel for different reasons ....did you get my emails?? There is a cardiologist who has helped someone out in the Medical forum - CIRRUS DRIVER ...might be worth a look?
Anyway folks keep the info coming .... what packages do you get by way of financial protection from your employers?
Semi Rigid - noted you get LOL is it enough?
eden
I avoided this thread for ages because of personal medical difficulties.
It is very likely that others don't even want to think about this subject, just as I wish I didn't have to.
It's not the money.....
Yep, more and more I am working on web skills and writing more stuff.....on flying!
Thomas coupling
9th Feb 2001, 17:37
Many thanks for your kind wishes. I am hoping this will all blow over. What annoys me is that one has to go private because the time element in all this is against you from the start. So one has to fork out a lot before "resuming normal".
The CAA aren't exactly in any rush to process the individual either!!
A word of advice: Get your insurances sorted ASAP. It's too late if it's picked up during your medical! Another annoying factor: if I don't claim because I don't have to, the insurance have already decided not to cover this aspect of my LOL next year...ethics...they've never heard of them.
http://www.gograph.com/Images-7298/AnimatedGif/redstar.gif
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Thermal runaway.
[This message has been edited by Thomas coupling (edited 09 February 2001).]
I HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS KIND OF RESPONSE - SPS thanks for being so open and perhaps we might communicate by email, after you've read this, if you like?
It might be reassuring to know that there are probably many of us in similar situations ...myself included.
Many years ago now I was confronted with a situation(illness) which is presenting problems again now. I recall - all my peers (pilots in the Fleet Air Arm)being shocked. It was to them unthinkable that one of their colleagues might not fly again. It seemed to have such an effect that I gave a presentation about my circumstances and how I was approaching it. I wasn't looking for sympathy but trying to get rid of the stigma and confusion about the problem I had and more importantly to make these guys understand that it was OK to be scared... and ......OK to be shocked...... and OK not to know what to do. Infact talking about it helped all of us and getting things out in the open can often be part of the road to recovery.
I returned to flying 18 months later after a minor skirmish with the medics.
Unfortunately today the problem has returned but I remain hopeful of a full recovery (so say the doc's) but will probably be resting my ATPL's for a while in the meantime.
TC and SPS - I really know what you might be feeling so if you would like to communicate by email, I'd be more than Happy to go into more detail - maybe we can help each other .....3 mnds better than one routine !!??
Bye for now - I too am ebusinessing up!