Any happy souls out there? [Archive]

XX621

1st Mar 2010, 15:16

I'm currently doing ATPL groundschool after 300hrs as a PPL. Fortunately I can pay for the CPL (and possibly) IR without leaving me in huge debt. Yes, I guess I am lucky (but on the other hand I don't have time on my side at 39) - but there will still have to be sacrifices.

If there is anyone out there who still regards putting the efffort and finance into becoming a professional pilot was worth every drop of sweat and penny of cash, then I for one would like to hear your voice.

Am I looking for a degree of assurance I haven't gone completely mad? Yes, I guess I am. But do you blame me after reading these threads?

Thanks.

fly_antonov

1st Mar 2010, 16:11

If you want someone to tell you what you want to hear, you have a problem.

I mean, there' s nothing wrong with doing groundschool and having a PPL.
You should think twice though before heading into IR, CPL, ME.

As a 39 year old time is not on your side.
The market is not on your side either.
-1 - 1 = -2 not 0 or positive.

Madness? It' s your money, not mine.

I am perfectly happy with my decision of stopping training infedinitely.
I discovered that aviation is not only about flying as a pilot.
Pilots are the ones that the passengers get to see, but there' s a whole other bunch in the backstage running the show. It is so interesting to realise that piloting may be one of the easier jobs related to operating aircraft.

Hell, take-off, autopilot on, monitor autopilot, approach, autopilot off, land, park. Take the credit for the flight.
Just think of mechanics who have to find the source of a fuel leak outside in snowstorms and rain or ground crew that sometimes wish they could duplicate themselves to cope with the workload to keep airplanes flying on time. Or even ATC who handle dozens of moving dots on a screen, each representing hundreds of souls.

Every job has positives and negatives but if you love aviation, and you find that flying is a difficult option, then there could be a day where you start thinking that there may be more to it than just flying.

WELCO

1st Mar 2010, 17:02

Hell, take-off, autopilot on, monitor autopilot, approach, autopilot off, land, park. Take the credit for the flight.
Just think of mechanics who have to find the source of a fuel leak outside in snowstorms and rain or ground crew that sometimes wish they could duplicate themselves to cope with the workload to keep airplanes flying on time. Or even ATC who handle dozens of moving dots on a screen, each representing hundreds of souls

And who do you reckon will be in charge of making things right during the flight when things badly go wrong?! Have you ever thought about your flights as a passenger when you have arrived at your destination safe and sound while there was a terrible failure of the aeroplane systems, or engines even, and you haven't ever noticed anything fatal around you? You are completely wrong to think of pilots like additional monitoring systems getting paid for just monitoring!!! Trust me, many pilots are out there ready to tell you about terrifying incidents they've been through...Few minutes, or even seconds, felt like a whole day and night long. Why do they bother? Because they like "monitoring"?? Hell no! It's because they naturally fit those seats in the front of that tube, and are skilled enough to handle such tough times and then get you on your feet cheerfully out of the tube! They earn their money in reward of making you and the airline company safe and happy!!

I think you've made the right decision by giving up training as a pilot, and I'm happy for you and for my fellow pilots too. Aviation industry doesn't really need people with such a mentality. Despite all what you have said about the "Flight Deck Manager Projection", do yourself a favour and go back to basics first to learn the difference between a man and a machine!

Good luck

JB007

1st Mar 2010, 17:07

XX621,

I've had this conversation a few times recently - Knowing what you know now, would you do it again?!?

From personal experience - Luck and Timing is everything, regardless of skills...2010 has well and truly proved this for me personally, both have played there hands!

But, if what you are looking for is my feeling towards the job as a whole, it's all positive stuff - I never tire of doing the job whatever the time of day, I certainly don't regret any of the expense or hard work. I go to work looking forward to been at work. The shine does come off though, it is a job, I don't live to work!

Right now, i'd be hard pushed to recommend this to someone I cared about though, without wanting to step on someones dreams, enter the hold indefinietly, the industry has nothing to offer low-houred/zero experienced pilots.

Cheers
JB

EpsilonVaz

1st Mar 2010, 17:24

SkyCamMK

1st Mar 2010, 18:08

Stick to flying your Bulldog unless you can buy your way into a job which I doubt. Flying for a living and flying for fun are not always the same thing.

Ask yourself why someone would pick you to work for them as a professional pilot of any sort? Unless you can come up with something really special and original I think you are dreaming about a life but one that has a route that is likely to bankrupt you or at least lead you into a serious depression in 18 months time. However if money is no object then go ahead - when you cannot even afford to fly for fun, flying for a living will not be likely to ever happen.

It's a shame but that is just my opinion having spent a few years here watching the wanabe army come and go and recently it has been sad to see the ones falling by the wayside.

Do yourself a favour, dream and fly, you don't have to ruin your life and the risk has not been this high for a long time ...

fly_antonov

1st Mar 2010, 18:25

And who do you reckon will be in charge of making things right during the flight when things badly go wrong?!

Having been in different faces of aviation I can tell you that piloting is overall one of the easier jobs.
Most of the time a pilot just gets to push and pull buttons and switches, seated in an airconditionned aircraft, getting served coffee by an F/A.
Compare that to working on an understaffed tarmac, exposed to the weather elements, noisy engines and APU' s every single day, having little to no time to take a seat or a sip of coffee because you are under time pressure of delayed flights.

It doesn' t mean that piloting is a simple job. Sometimes you face situations like you mention.
But day to day and overall it is less tough, "easier" in that sense.
Let' s face it, if you like airplanes and you want to work on them, why does it have to be as a pilot? To most the answer to themselves will be that it is the most pink-glassed/rosy/glamourous option.
Been there, done that.

My point being that there is no one job better than the other, but if you really have a passion for aviation and that you can' t become a pilot within reasonable conditions, there are other challenges to be met within the same industry.

So why take the risk of going broke to absolutely become a pilot if you have other options within the industry that will actually pay you to work (but are tougher) and let you manage flight operational matters while being able to enjoy a ride in the cockpit from time to time?

apruneuk

1st Mar 2010, 19:03

XX621

I'm very happy - 3-400 hours a year flying a mid-size bizjet for a UK charter company. I visit many and varied airports and stay in 5 star hotels. I don't pay for type ratings, uniform, food and drink or anything else that is related to doing my job. I go to work, on average, 10 days per month and get to spend lots of quality time with my wife and kids. I even get paid significantly more than the National average wage.

How did I manage to land this dream job? PPL/IMC/FI/Para dropping/Air Taxi/Networking and holding down a second job over the 15 years it took to get to where I am now. I never borrowed, nor was given, a penny towards my training, which was done with 4 schools on 2 continents. I did ATPL theory via distance learning so that I could earn at the same time and averaged 90% without the benefit of a "question bank". By the way, I was over 40 before I received my first paycheck as a commercial pilot.

I have met and trained many pilots just as determined as me who have gained a CPL but never gained employment. I know several who have been declared bankrupt and others who have suffered divorce as a result of their selfish pursuit of a career in aviation. A very few will shortcut their way to an airline job straight out of flight school but for every one there will be one hundred who fall by the wayside.

I really don't know what else to say to you. Gaining a proper, paying job as a pilot in the present climate is a lottery. To join the game, however, you have to have an FATPL. Do you feel lucky?

Best Wishes

AP

RoyHudd

1st Mar 2010, 19:41

It is not possible to get the gist of flying a big passenger aircraft to Antonov. Without him/her experiencing the big worrying stuff, how can he know why those folks get paid so well. The scary episodes always stay with you, both to learn from and to remind you. There may be another one in a few minutes or a few years. Along with plenty of the usual stuff he refers to.

That is where we earn our crust. And it is rarely as usual as it appears.

But for those who are not successful in gaining a right-seat job in the airlines, he/she is right. There are many other great and demanding jobs. No issue with that. hard graft, skills, no public recognition, unsociable hours, etc. The nub of it is; who gets the glory, the money and the girls? General perception....pilots. They also get buried with their mistakes, or sometimes end up in a Greek jail. But they carry the can. And their skills are generally as high as anyone else's.

It is the way it is.

PPRuNeUser0173

1st Mar 2010, 20:21

What is your current job if you don't mind me asking? Sounds like you are doing OK at 39 with pretty much most of the money in place to fund the training. Be carefull as the competition for jobs is very high! (try 900 applicants for 40 jobs recently seen at a low fare airline). There are lots and lots of younger lads with new licences already and several hundred experienced guys that have lost jobs in recent times that can't get work. I keep hearing things like it will pick up in a couple of years time - will it? How do we know for sure or is that just wishfull thinking. How long will it take to absorb those already on the market - none of us can really answer that with any degree of honesty. I wish we could. BE CAREFULL before making the commitment.

fly_antonov

1st Mar 2010, 21:03

Royhudd, I am indeed refering to wannabe pilots who have not yet done the big jump.

But even if you' re an active airline pilot, try to find a way to spend a day with mechanics on line maintenance. You will learn to appreciate their job more.
They probably save more lives than pilots do but they don' t get any credit for it because they generally do it before it puts lives at risk.
They easily get all the blame when something mechanical goes wrong though.

Ok, their life is not normally exposed to immediate danger but when an aircraft that they serviced is involved in a major incident or accident, they start thinking whether they could have done something wrong that may have caused the incident.
Until the investigation proves otherwise, they spend countless sleepless nights.

I don' t feel like stopping my pilot training was a big loss to me. I have discovered new dimensions to aviation that I had previously ignored and underestimated. I am considering dropping professional flying aspirations for these new challenges.
My passion for aviation makes it so that I don' t care where I go for as long as I am inside that airport fence doing something that matters.

If and when I badly feel the need to fly, I can catch a jumpseat or rent a local Cessna and lift myself to flight level 100, practice forced landings or shoot ILS approaches.

RoyHudd

1st Mar 2010, 21:10

My respect for engineers (not mechanics) is as high as anybody's. There are of course good ones and lazy ones, just like in any work. In my experience, most of them do a fine job, and don't get paid what they deserve.

The only thing is.....after some interesting maintenance, not all are willing to go on the air test. Poor old pilots can't say no. What does that tell you? (I'm talking about 1 in 100, not more)

But all in all, I agree with you. Its not really something to argue about.

XX621

1st Mar 2010, 22:20

xx621 - mate with all due respect - if you are asking questions like this on forums then you might as well forget it.

I suspected there would be such a post at some point. I have noticed how some folk seem to think that unless you sell the house and kidney, buy a TR or two with the proceeds, then happily work for hardly no pay or conditions but happily do so out of a dogged determination to be a CP, you are somehow not showing the right stuff and/or have insufficient commitment.

Forgive me if that's not where your coming from. Personally, I think it's healthy and wise to question chosen strategies and seek out information which contradicts your reasoning. I'm prepared to put all the time and effort in (7 months ground school to date alongside young family and full time job), but I'm simply too boringly sensible to entertain significant financial risk in becoming qualified.

Hence my first post. I'm attracted to flying commercially because I believe it will be challenging and rewarding one, and ultimately it was always my first, ideal world, choice of career. That could be FI work, air taxi, airline, or anything where there is more purpose, and complexity, to the flight beyond a 2400ft bimble. However, if I ask 100 CPs from a wide variety of flying jobs and 90% say it's a crap, well that's strong evidence which should at least be considered. Reading through this forum there is an abundance of naysayers. I'm simply inviting the yaysayers to speak up. If there aren't any, well - that's just as useful to know.....please don't hesitate to challenge my comments, it is after all a forum....

Thanks for the posts so far - really good reads. Cheers.

fly_antonov

1st Mar 2010, 22:34

You are being careful.
You are keeping your job alongside your training.

So I think that you' re doing fine.

All I can say is good luck and stay careful.

Wildpilot

1st Mar 2010, 23:03

Fly Antanov

I think I know what you are attempting to say but it comes across as though you are a little bitter that you did not finish flight training. I was an engineer on the ramp before I became a pilot and it is extremely challenging at times as is to an equal amount being a pilot.

But I think what you are really doing is trying to justify to yourself the reason you did not finish and become a pilot by directing others to take your path. That's a very common thing people do to make themselves feel better,

Groundloop

2nd Mar 2010, 08:14

Most of the time a pilot just gets to push and pull buttons and switches, seated in an airconditionned aircraft, getting served coffee by an F/A.
Compare that to working on an understaffed tarmac, exposed to the weather elements, noisy engines and APU' s every single day, having little to no time to take a seat or a sip of coffee because you are under time pressure of delayed flights.

And you are using this to say other jobs are better than piloting? Not selling it to me, I'm afraid. Give me a warm comfortable flightdeck anyday.:ok:

WELCO

3rd Mar 2010, 13:01

The thing here is that you can just sit down and post whatever you wish. You can say that a pilot has an easy job, if you want to! But it all goes back to what do you want to be. Want to make a real career and develop your skills and knowledge? Yeah, IT IS a hard job. Only your passion to your job determines where you are heading. Talking about stressful work?!! Oh sonny boy, you know so little about stress!

An opinion of a plumber about how hard/easy my job could be is simply not of any importance! (with all the respect to the plumbers out there)

Good luck

heli_port

3rd Mar 2010, 13:42

No regrets. I love my job and couldn't imagine myself doing anything else. Most pilots I fly with (Captains, I'm an FO) say similar things when I ask similar questions.

No two days are the same, I learn something new every day. Just got back from a 10 hour duty day. Flew with a Captain who is close to retirement, fantastic chap, extremely knowledgeable and had some amazing stories. Some minor system failures, ATC leaving us rather strangely positioned for an NDB approach (flown manually, in an A320, the autopilot is there if you want it, if you don't, press that red button). Enjoyed the day, drank lots of tea, ate some cookies, looking forward to doing it all again somewhere I've never been tomorrow http://www.pprune.org/browse.php?u=Oi8vaW1hZ2VzLmlic3J2Lm5ldC9pYnNydi9yZXMvc3JjOnd 3dy5wcHJ1bmUub3JnL2dldC9pbWFnZXMvc21pbGllcy90aHVtYnMuZ2lm&b=31.

I'm glad you're enjoying it. Ah when mummy and daddy pay for a TR it's brilliant isn't it. I still have a video (date and timed) of you when you were a ppl at egnatia breaking all sorts of rules...

I think i'll send it into easyjet.....luton was it ;)

glag

3rd Mar 2010, 14:50

XX621,
very good post, and very good readings. I think you made the right decision to keep your work alongside the route of becoming a pilot. So did I. I think many many factors come in play. Maybe too many to make it possible to give an answer.
One thing you should tale into consideration is that you do enjoy pilot's life really th every first couple of years. Then routine comes and many attractive considerations may fall. I mean, the game brings into it many factors that you may wish to consider before making the big jump. If you live in the US then maybe you'd have many other options to feed your need to fly. This is not the same in Europe. I'd say, go for it, but keep a backup door open. Always.

mutt

3rd Mar 2010, 17:00

I fall in the happy soul category, i love the fact that i sit in a 500 mph office with a view that changes every single moment of the day for which I'm paid an awesome salary ....NO ground job compares to this :):)

If you can afford it, go for it!

Mutt

fly_antonov

3rd Mar 2010, 18:29

Yes I admit. I am jalous that I did not finish my CPL.
Because of that I can not send resume' s to airlines. I miss being ignored by them, you can' t imagine how desperate I am.

Sarcasm.

Whatever.

mutt

3rd Mar 2010, 19:28

Sour grapes????

By the time remote controlled aircraft arrive, I will be happily retired and spending my hard earned money :)

Mutt

XX621

4th Mar 2010, 08:24

glag,mutt, fly_anatanov: cheers:ok:

CAT3C AUTOLAND

4th Mar 2010, 09:01

I havent read the stuff inbetween, but to answer the original question, the answer is yes.

From JB007.

I never tire of doing the job whatever the time of day, I certainly don't regret any of the expense or hard work

I couldnt agree more with this statement. Obviously tough times at the moment in the industry, but hopefully things will pick up.

All the best with you training.

redsnail

4th Mar 2010, 10:11

There were times during my training when I thought I had made a big mistake. Then I'd do a good flight and it made up for it.

There were times when I was converting my Aus ATPL to a JAA one when I really regretted it.

Now I when I look out of the window at FL410, it's worth it. :ok:
I reckon I have one of the best jobs going.

Although, a bit miffed that Oxford won't let me surf Facebook using their WiFi. :(

Chesty Morgan

4th Mar 2010, 10:49

XX621 you will, hopefully, realise that there are a lot more happy souls than doom and gloom merchants in the industry. Certainly in my experience. The problem is that the doom and gloomers tend to be a touch more vocal. So good on you for asking the question.

Do I have any regrets? Maybe, sometimes! Not being able to go to your mates birthday because you didn't book it off 6 weeks prior. Couldn't get leave at the same time as your missus etc.. If you have an understanding family (most of mine are involved in this industry in one way or another) then it's not too much of a problem and eventually will become "just one of those things".

It WILL all pale into insignificance, however, when you break through the minging grey overcast at 5 am into the clearest, brightest, sunrise you will ever see. Ray Bans on at 5 in the morning, not many people get to do that:}

It WILL all pale into insignificance, however, when your engine goes BANG just at the wrong time. Then you get to do your job.

So yes, there are negatives but in my opinion the positives far outweigh them.

Be prepared to be scared ****less (occasionally). Be prepared to be continuosly assessed. Be prepared to be challenged and be prepared to be prepared. Phone calls from (s)crewing at 4.30 am, you've got to go and nightstop somewhere so cancel you dinner party. Get stuck down route so cancel your dinner party. Delayed somewhere so you can't pick the kids up from school and you have to cancel your dinner party.

That's the reality. Would I change it? Nope. Would I do it again? Yep.

welliewanger

4th Mar 2010, 13:09

Just another happy soul here.

I left behind a very well paid career to pursue my dream. I was happy in my old job, but would always be looking to the skies. I'm now earning similar money, but the max salary here is less. Am I complaining? NO WAY! Flying is the best thing ever. In fact, if I could afford it, I'd be happy on a light single forever.

Oh, I had people suggest that I could stay in my old job and just pay to rent planes. Nope, that wouldn't do it. Then I wouldn't have a real "mission" to complete.

Keep it up. As long as you don't end up with a crap employer, this is the best job in the world.

Rob's Dad

4th Mar 2010, 14:32

XX621, I had a very similar background to you and while it's an emotional roller coaster, it can be done - check your PMs.

Concorde14

4th Mar 2010, 16:32

So refreshing to read some positive posts on here, as per you get the 'usual suspects' spouting their negativity/sour grapes, but for once its nice to see some encouraging comments shine through, so thanks for posting XX621!!

Best of luck to all other wannabes!!

Regards

Concorde14

Chael

5th Mar 2010, 00:07

I would also like to thank XX621 (http://www.pprune.org/members/229987-xx621) for making this thread. I am 18 now, currently working my way through PPL with my lowly student income hoping to find a way to finance furthers steps towards becoming a CP. I read through these forums quite a lot, rarely posting, just absorbing the information from the various threads.

I have always wanted to be a pilot. No question about it. I have the commitment and the determination to struggle through the rough times and (hopefully) reap the rewards afterward. It can be sometimes quite... disheartening to read through these forums and see post after post of people showing a vast amount of negativity towards the career. Everyone is entitled to their opinion and I'm sure these people know what they are talking about and have been through it all, the problem is that there is virtually no 'happy souls' who care to express their opinion on here making it seem like every single person who has gone down this career either ends up being depressed/deeply regretting it, which after reading through this thread is obviously not the case.

So thank you XX621 (http://www.pprune.org/members/229987-xx621) for making this thread and thank you to all those 'happy souls' have have spoken out and helped contributed somewhat to the balance of nay to yaysayers.

JB007

5th Mar 2010, 14:49

It is important to be positive, but realistic too...and be ready for ups and downs, a regular PPRuNer Norman Stanley Fletcher referred to aviation on another thead today as 'a game of snakes and ladders' - so true!

Take some time out and enjoy the view from the office window:

http://i227.photobucket.com/albums/dd150/RickBJohnson/Lufthansa1.jpg

http://i227.photobucket.com/albums/dd150/RickBJohnson/ChasingAnXLB7384.jpg

http://i227.photobucket.com/albums/dd150/RickBJohnson/CBLGW-LCA2.jpg

http://i227.photobucket.com/albums/dd150/RickBJohnson/MLE-MAN2.jpg

XX621

6th Mar 2010, 13:56

Thanks to all, exactly the right idea :D Excellent photos JB007..superb.

XX621

6th Mar 2010, 14:03

So thank you XX621 (http://www.pprune.org/members/229987-xx621) for making this thread and thank you to all those 'happy souls' have have spoken out and helped contributed somewhat to the balance of nay to yaysayers.

You're very welcome my friend. Stay focused and looking up! Nice to read a well written piece from an under 20 too - for a change. Hang on, I'm beginning to sound like my Dad...:eek:

I scraped the pennies together for my PPL when I was in my early 20s - went off track in my 30s due career and family, but now it's time for a career change (hopefully) :)

Cheers all, happy landings.

Wee Weasley Welshman

6th Mar 2010, 15:13

Lol :)

Www

G SXTY

8th Mar 2010, 06:53

Great photos, which nicely sum up the industry - wonderful inspiring views, turbulence and a failed airline . . . :uhoh:

tom775257

8th Mar 2010, 11:45

General day to day airline flying seems pretty straight forward, I find problems seem to clump together so perhaps 1 day a month is challenging. For example we took an A321 after a ‘D’ check up for a flight test, after take off into bad icing the wing anti ice duct blew (whilst picking up ice very quickly) and simultaneously started to have dual IDG (electrical generator) problems leading to a quick return to land. Then there are the majority of days where everything works out, run to time, no tech or weather problems.

I really enjoy the job most of the time, the pay is good and I really enjoy the short-haul lifestyle; being able to get home most nights is a real bonus for me. I am sure long haul would ruin my relationship (I will be actively avoiding the A330). The downside is the instability at the moment, for the last year I have been expecting to lose my job, thankfully things have settled down now. Also at the start of the career, being a flying instructor was a ball ache, I know some people love it; I couldn’t stand it by the end, 6 day weeks for less than minimum wage doing circuits all day long. My first airline job I was treated badly, essentially stuck in a foreign country with no money and no pay (no pay until release from safety pilot and no flying to make sure we didn’t have the hours to jump ship before the summer). After that I was volunteering to do flights to get good food to eat and begging a foreign landlord to give me a few months before I could pay rent because I was broke with a maxed out credit card. Either way now I’m at a very good company, very happy and have no place else I would prefer to be.

Cheers.

glag

8th Mar 2010, 13:02

Guys,
there's one thing to consider in this really interesting post : with a single engine prop it's possible to spot those big CBs and sunsets exactly the same way we actually do (after all VFR flights up to FL195 are permitted under certain conditions, and if it's not enough let's play IFR). GA has a lot to give as well in this sense. Here are some pics a friend of mine took during his training from a simple GA aircraft :

http://img377.imageshack.us/img377/1043/img0775.jpg

http://img377.imageshack.us/img377/9276/img0785y.jpg

The difference stays in the fact that we are paid while the guy had to pay for it. Not a small gap...
So the difference really stays here : get paid to fly someone's else aircraft is a real luxury job. I would never consider it "a job like the others", as I've heard saying to young kiddos aspiring to become a pilot. Being a commercial pilot and get some money out of this industry is becoming more and more demanding, both financially and emotionally. So if you want to enjoy the beauty of flight without the hassles of commercial speculation which makes this industry, I'd suggest to go slow and check your back very very often....:cool:

G SXTY

10th Mar 2010, 15:09

I thought this thread was worth reviving.

Have just had a week off with a cold and blocked ears, and couldn’t wait to get back to work. Today was my first day back; up at 03:20, on the road at 04:00 and smiling to myself because I’m off to go flying. Took off from Gatwick just after dawn and climbed through a thin overcast into a gorgeous clear blue sky. Once across the Channel there wasn’t a cloud to be seen, fabulous views of Flanders, the Ardennes and on towards the Ruhr. Gaze out of the window and have a “they’re paying me for this” moment. Two cups of bad coffee later, and with every diversion airport wide open CAVOK, we land at Dusseldorf. Beautiful conditions, wind 10 knots straight down the strip (it was the captain’s sector, naturally). ;)

Back home again after a quick breakfast, my go. Again, stunning views across the Low Countries, just that thin layer of cloud covering the South East UK. Continuous descent, visual with 08R at Gatwick around 8 miles, disconnect and manage to fly the ILS smoother than the autopilot (not difficult, it has to be said). Slight crosswind from the left, nail the flight director, minimal power changes, arrive at the touchdown zone at the right speed, right rate of descent, aircraft lined up nicely on the centreline, left wing down a bit, good pitch attitude, and . . . BANG. Plant the bloody thing. As usual. Still, there’s no such thing as a perfect day.

I love this job – I mean, really love it. XX621, I think from time to time all of us have needed the assurance that you’re seeking. The journey to the right hand seat is long and arduous, and can be extremely costly, both financially and emotionally. You wouldn’t be human if you didn’t wonder every now and then whether it’s all worth it. Several times I came close to giving up, and resigning myself to a safe but boring ‘career’ in London, but I’m so glad I didn’t.

Was it worth all the effort and expense and sacrifices? You bet. In spite of all the downsides and cautionary tales (and JB007 sums it up perfectly with two words – luck and timing) it’s much more than a job to me, more a way of life.

XX621

10th Mar 2010, 16:07

G-SXTY: Just read your post. I'm still smiling. Thanks.:ok:

Paolo

10th Mar 2010, 16:57

If you want to fly, then you want to fly! And I'm not talking about flying for pleasure, in light pistons, for me it was always commercial airline flying. Wanted to know what is was like to have fare paying pax in the back. Wanted to know what it was like to push the thrust levers forward and unleash that power. The view's from a pax window are not what they are like from the front.

I would walk home from school and when I saw an jet aircraft depart LGW/LHR on a DVR departure I would stop in my tracks, gaze up, and think to myself "I'm gonna do that one day"

And now I do. PPL in 1993 aged 17, self funded CPL to first job in 1998. Been flying jets since 1999 aged 24. Loved virtually every minute. Now LHS Airbus......

If you really really want to fly, you just will.