Wedge
8th Sep 2001, 20:22
.......in the words of the sports wear maker advert.
But I have a serious point to make. I have been a member of PPRuNe since the early days and one thing occurs to me about a lot of the threads we now see on Wannabes, you know the sort: "Am I too old? Do I have the right qualifications? I am worried about the drop out rate among wannabes, does this mean I will drop out? Am I too tall? Too short? Too fat? To thin? Too ugly" and even once "do you 'need to look like a pilot'!!!!!!!!!'" whatever a pilot looks like!!!
I think we see too many questions like this. I can understand the point, it's a hard career to get into and a lot of people wonder if they have what it takes. Well you only need to be one thing to be a pilot (besides reasonably fit and healthy) - DETERMINED. Forget the statistics, forget the drop out rates, do not compare yourself to others, just ask yourself "How much do I really want to be a pilot" because it is the ones who can answer "more than anything else" who will eventually make it. I know it sounds very trite but it's also very true - the ones who will make it are the ones who want it most. The ones who are prepared to make the most sacrifices - the ones who are prepared to sacrifice everything else to do it. It doesn't mean you necessarily will have to sacrifice evertything but you will have to make some sacrifices - as indeed all pilots have to by working unsociable hours, weekends, and being away from home and family often.
In my case, I believe I do want more than anything else to be an airline pilot, however due to a medical problem I have had to put it all on hold. Hopefully not for much longer, I am 26 so time is still on my side and I hope to be there one day, frustrating though it is not to be able to follow the dream right now.
So for all you wannabes reading this - some of you will make it and some of you won't. Some will drop out voluntarily and some will drop out for reasons (eg medical) beyond their control. But some of you will make it - and if you want to be one of those, then stop asking any or all of the questions above and ask yourself "How much do I want it?" If the answer is......more than all the rest, then you will make it.
JFDI!!!! I'll leave you to work that one out if you don't know it already!
Good luck to all of you :)
But I have a serious point to make. I have been a member of PPRuNe since the early days and one thing occurs to me about a lot of the threads we now see on Wannabes, you know the sort: "Am I too old? Do I have the right qualifications? I am worried about the drop out rate among wannabes, does this mean I will drop out? Am I too tall? Too short? Too fat? To thin? Too ugly" and even once "do you 'need to look like a pilot'!!!!!!!!!'" whatever a pilot looks like!!!
I think we see too many questions like this. I can understand the point, it's a hard career to get into and a lot of people wonder if they have what it takes. Well you only need to be one thing to be a pilot (besides reasonably fit and healthy) - DETERMINED. Forget the statistics, forget the drop out rates, do not compare yourself to others, just ask yourself "How much do I really want to be a pilot" because it is the ones who can answer "more than anything else" who will eventually make it. I know it sounds very trite but it's also very true - the ones who will make it are the ones who want it most. The ones who are prepared to make the most sacrifices - the ones who are prepared to sacrifice everything else to do it. It doesn't mean you necessarily will have to sacrifice evertything but you will have to make some sacrifices - as indeed all pilots have to by working unsociable hours, weekends, and being away from home and family often.
In my case, I believe I do want more than anything else to be an airline pilot, however due to a medical problem I have had to put it all on hold. Hopefully not for much longer, I am 26 so time is still on my side and I hope to be there one day, frustrating though it is not to be able to follow the dream right now.
So for all you wannabes reading this - some of you will make it and some of you won't. Some will drop out voluntarily and some will drop out for reasons (eg medical) beyond their control. But some of you will make it - and if you want to be one of those, then stop asking any or all of the questions above and ask yourself "How much do I want it?" If the answer is......more than all the rest, then you will make it.
JFDI!!!! I'll leave you to work that one out if you don't know it already!
Good luck to all of you :)