Green Grass

[ukwannabe]

As pilots, sometimes we are our own worst enemies. Having notched up my first quarter of a century in this fabulous industry, it is time to maybe reflect on what is important. During this timespan I have flown with airlines from Dan Dare to Far East legacy carriers, via wooly jumpers to white hats.
As pilots it is our nature to moan about our conditions and the way that we are treated. But the big lesson that I have learnt is that there are no perfect jobs. We try to juggle salary with life style with job security, whilst always desiring that perfect job which our peers seem to have. To me it always seems that my previous job was the best. We seem to spend 90% of our time trying to seek that perfect job, and the other 80%(Yes, I know the maths is wrong, but the sentiments are correct) wishing we had someone elses. It is no bad thing to try and improve 'our lot', but most of the time we know what we are letting ourselves in for. Maybe it might be time now instead of posting the negatives, posting the positives. Even though I have spent 15000 hours watching the sunrise and sunset in the most unlikely places and at the most unlikely times, I am not looking through 'rose trinted specs'. The economics of our business, realistically we cannot change. Yes we can vote with our feet, but nowadays the accountants and regulators can fill our shoes (please excuse the metaphors). But most of the time even though we may uphold the principals of our actions, we will not win.
I would be interested to hear why my colleagues love their jobs, with the airlines whom they are emplyed with, as opposed to why they are one ballot away from industrial action. Nothing is ever perfect, but on reflection, we are very, very lucky.

[Aussie]

I love GA in Aus!!!! It pays really well, great job security, no con artist exist, and its really satisfying to know that they are all maintained to the highest standard... :{

Maybe not :E

Aussie

[ukwannabe]

Aussie, tongue in cheek rules. If only your soccer could do the same!

[flufdriver]

UKwannabe you're definetely right about that green grass thing!

Like you I have now done around 30 years of commercial flying. Starting with single Pilot ops on piston engined twins (without auto-Pilot or Radar) to twin and tri - jets. I have done some management duty, some training and some Pilots association jobs.

Just like any new type of aircraft becomes routine after a while, so does operating in the same geograhpic areas all the time. So you reach a point where the mortgage is paid the kids have left home and you feel like you're ready to move and explore (hopefully) greener pastures.

So you look at your options, you're in your mid to late fifties, retirement age going to 65 so you say how about a change of venue for a couple of years. Consider India or China, the wife says "I'm not going" not the end of the world. Then you see 7 days off per month, not exactly great since you also want to see the country. 10 grand per month, you make that much in your present job so no incentive there. Then you look to the middle east and if half of what you read in Pprune is true then it is not a Panacea either, that leaves you with the Lo-cos operators in Europe and you ask yourself why you should be flying 900 hours in 10 months. Then you say how about corporate? after all that is what I used to do, so you send out a few resume's, hang around the GA section a bit to do some networking and you see the guys sitting around waiting for their passengers and you remember how you used to feel that it was a monumental waste of time to sit around doing nothing, so perhaps it is a good thing when you don't get an answer to your resume because they think you're too old or a spoiled airline prima-donna. Even though it does scratch your ego a bit.

So after a while you realize that despite all the shortcomings of your current job and you forgot how many times you looked down at the Norfolk shipyards or at the Panama Canal on your way to somewhere else, it is not such a bad job and greener grass is not in plentifull supply and that no matter where you go, there will be issues.

So now I have become a bit more philosophical about the whole thing, I'll want to continue working if for nothing else then for my health, (my wife might kill me if I aggravate her too much) but perhaps its time to do something other then going up and down in a metal tube.

fluf :)

[Aussie]

Aussie, tongue in cheek rules. If only your soccer could do the same!


Sorry... must be an aussie thing! :} :} :}

Aussie

[Rainboe]

but perhaps its time to do something other then going up and down in a metal tube.
Yes, but what? I tried retirement for a year and it sucked. I'm not the golfing/sailing/relaxing around doing nothing type- there will hopefully be more of that time than I care later. Flying's what I like, and flyings what I've gone back to doing! Nice to be active again. I can't think what 'something other' could be.....office work......running a business and doing all that paperwork..... If flying still does it for you, why do anything else?

[flufdriver]

Rainboe;

There's nothing wrong with going back to (or continuing to) fly, as a matter of fact that is one of our major skill sets and we should utilize it. What I was referring to was the possibility that it (flying) may not be available, in which case one has to find something to replace it with. Piano player in a Brothel, Real-estate flipping, management jobs where your life experience is an asset, volonteer work, tour guide or whatever turns you on.

I realize that the opportunities differ from region to region, what I find however is that the basic skills of being on time with a good attitude and a focus on the task at hand, in other words "self discipline" is something most Pilots bring to the table along with the ability to learn new tricks, all of which is valued in most business sectors, which should make us good choices for just about anything except guarding the wine cellar.

fluf