gdb1973
23rd Sep 2001, 05:08
A wannabe writes…
I have immediate, automatic and unquestioning respect for any pilot. Military, Civilian, air taxi to Airline to Air superiority, I look up to these people as being something I aspired to but cannot be. I am, in fact, an IT support technician. Like Piloting this is an over-subscribed profession and I am lucky, in my way, to be in it at all. The truth is I only learnt computers so I could use flight simulators.
To give anyone reading some background. I never, ever, wanted to be anything other than a pilot. When my school friends went to career guidance councillors to find out what they wanted to do, I went to them to ask how I could become a pilot. I spent years using early flight simulators to learn all I could about flying. We’re talking 8-bit Sinclair Spectrum (Timex 2000?) Psion “flight simulation” here. Simplistic to the point of humour by today’s standards. I spent hours reading “Flyer” and “flight” magazine when my friends read comics and teenage fiction. The very thought of being anything else never crossed my mind. I didn’t make the grade. The sad fact is that I never bothered with school, I was too busy learning to fly flight sims and model aircraft. In short, when I should have been studying Physics and Maths I was playing around with flight-sims and model planes, because they were more immediately interesting. You guys worked hard and applied yourselves to become successful pilots and succeeded. I didn’t. Simple as that. Therefore I have the greatest of respect for pilots of any and all types. And believe me, there are millions of people like me out there who’d take your jobs in a shot, if only we’d made the grade.
I understand that when you have dependants and see your wages that you worked so hard for being eroded it must be very hard to remain calm, but remember than whatever else happens, you’re still pilot’s. People still look up to you because you’ve worked damned hard to get where you are and you could not have done it if it was not what you were born to be. It’s not just a job like an IT support technician, an accountant or a lawyer. Flying is a lifestyle, and it’s what you ARE. Like a doctor, a soldier or a policeman when you join the profession to some degree you stop being what you were and become something new. When people speak of you, the first thing they will say is “XYZ is a pilot”, because piloting is not something you DO, it’s something you ARE. And nothing can change that. Once you’ve achieved your pilots licence and flown a plane, you are something greater than you were before.
As I said above “I have immediate, automatic and unquestioning respect for any pilot”. And anyone who has worked so hard to fulfil their dream deserves nothing less. Times are going to be tough in the airline trade for some time and it’s going to put a huge strain on the industry as a whole, and especially those at the sharp end. At a time like this, pilots at should could their blessings that they ARE pilots. I know it must be tough for those with families and kids to look after, and those used to a grand style of living who may have to settle for less. But take what comfort you can from the fact that people look up to you as the ultimate professionals. Any kind of flying is a huge responsibility and honour and you worked damned hard to earn it. Flyers of any race, colour, gender, nationality or persuasion are a byword for professionalism, dedication, good judgement, professionalism and intelligence. Keep at it guys, you’ll pull though. Like the true professionals I’ve always found you to be. Best of luck to you all.
Hope this cheers a few of you up, you guys really deserve it.
Gordon Burford, Oxford(ish), England.
I have immediate, automatic and unquestioning respect for any pilot. Military, Civilian, air taxi to Airline to Air superiority, I look up to these people as being something I aspired to but cannot be. I am, in fact, an IT support technician. Like Piloting this is an over-subscribed profession and I am lucky, in my way, to be in it at all. The truth is I only learnt computers so I could use flight simulators.
To give anyone reading some background. I never, ever, wanted to be anything other than a pilot. When my school friends went to career guidance councillors to find out what they wanted to do, I went to them to ask how I could become a pilot. I spent years using early flight simulators to learn all I could about flying. We’re talking 8-bit Sinclair Spectrum (Timex 2000?) Psion “flight simulation” here. Simplistic to the point of humour by today’s standards. I spent hours reading “Flyer” and “flight” magazine when my friends read comics and teenage fiction. The very thought of being anything else never crossed my mind. I didn’t make the grade. The sad fact is that I never bothered with school, I was too busy learning to fly flight sims and model aircraft. In short, when I should have been studying Physics and Maths I was playing around with flight-sims and model planes, because they were more immediately interesting. You guys worked hard and applied yourselves to become successful pilots and succeeded. I didn’t. Simple as that. Therefore I have the greatest of respect for pilots of any and all types. And believe me, there are millions of people like me out there who’d take your jobs in a shot, if only we’d made the grade.
I understand that when you have dependants and see your wages that you worked so hard for being eroded it must be very hard to remain calm, but remember than whatever else happens, you’re still pilot’s. People still look up to you because you’ve worked damned hard to get where you are and you could not have done it if it was not what you were born to be. It’s not just a job like an IT support technician, an accountant or a lawyer. Flying is a lifestyle, and it’s what you ARE. Like a doctor, a soldier or a policeman when you join the profession to some degree you stop being what you were and become something new. When people speak of you, the first thing they will say is “XYZ is a pilot”, because piloting is not something you DO, it’s something you ARE. And nothing can change that. Once you’ve achieved your pilots licence and flown a plane, you are something greater than you were before.
As I said above “I have immediate, automatic and unquestioning respect for any pilot”. And anyone who has worked so hard to fulfil their dream deserves nothing less. Times are going to be tough in the airline trade for some time and it’s going to put a huge strain on the industry as a whole, and especially those at the sharp end. At a time like this, pilots at should could their blessings that they ARE pilots. I know it must be tough for those with families and kids to look after, and those used to a grand style of living who may have to settle for less. But take what comfort you can from the fact that people look up to you as the ultimate professionals. Any kind of flying is a huge responsibility and honour and you worked damned hard to earn it. Flyers of any race, colour, gender, nationality or persuasion are a byword for professionalism, dedication, good judgement, professionalism and intelligence. Keep at it guys, you’ll pull though. Like the true professionals I’ve always found you to be. Best of luck to you all.
Hope this cheers a few of you up, you guys really deserve it.
Gordon Burford, Oxford(ish), England.