Flying offers way out from drug addiction

[Geriaviator]

Australia fights drug addiction with plane flying lessons - BBC News (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/world-australia-43369891/australia-fights-drug-addiction-with-plane-flying-lessons)

Flying lessons for drug addicts? The world's gone mad, I thought, until I watched the video. And then I remembered my first instructor A C H ('Tubby') Dash, AFC, who clocked thousands of instructor hours in WW2.

He was a man of very few words, but one day I asked him what had given him the greatest pleasure or satisfaction in his long career. He puffed on his ancient pipe and thought for at least 30 seconds before replying: "It was seeing young men grow up".

Now a seemingly scatty experiment makes sense. Good luck to the Aussies and to the addicts they are trying to help.

[jamesgrainge]

If you start flying, you'll never be able to afford drugs.

Or alcohol, or food, or toilet paper.....

[Jonzarno]

If you start flying, you'll never be able to afford drugs.

Or alcohol, or food, or toilet paper.....

No ****? :p

[Capt Kremmen]

I was on my way to being clean until I tried to understand non commercial aircrew licensing.

[piperboy84]

They’d be best using C172’s nice level flat top glare-shield for slicing and dicing up the lines of coke with the new credit card style pilots license.

[jack11111]

Teaching Druggies how to haul their shipments all around the country. Enterprise my friend.

[Mike Flynn]

Lots of jobs going in Mexico and and Colombia I believe.

[FAR CU]

He was a man of very few words, but one day I asked him what had given him the greatest pleasure or satisfaction in his long career. He puffed on his ancient pipe and thought for at least 30 seconds before replying: "It was seeing young men grow up".

Not much respect for 'Tubby' Dash AFC , or his beliefs, reading some of the forgoing smart-arse remarks.

[TelsBoy]

Those of us who were Air Cadets could probably testify how it kept us out of bother and gave us structure and discipline when we were teenagers. The flying was a big part of that, and enabled many kids from poor backgrounds (like me) to experience the unthinkable, what seemed like a rich man's plaything.


For me, coming from a forgotten ex-mining village on the outskirts of a big city with poverty and unemployment everywhere, with no hope or ambition, it probably changed my life. I always loved flying but never in my wildest dreams thought I'd ever get that priviledge, to be able to do what I'd always looked up to and loved. It made me disciplined, dilligent and committed, and I knucked down and grew up.


I ended up moving very far away from that village and have ended up working in the aviation industry, and have been able to fund my own flying, a mixture of SEPs and gliding. 10-20 hrs a year, its not much but its way beyond what I ever thought I'd ever achieve, and I am eternally greatful for that.


I look to pass the same attitude on to my two young sons, and teach them to have ambition, work hard for it and be very greatful and appreciate all you have.


Some may scoff at such schemes, but believe me, it works. Not all of us are born with a silver spoon in our mouths, through no fault of our own. All it takes is for someone to show a little light, and there's a way out.


There by the grace of God etc...

[Saab Dastard]

I look to pass the same attitude on to my two young sons, and teach them to have ambition, work hard for it and be very greatful and appreciate all you have.
What a great approach to life - I wish that it were more prevalent! :ok:

SD

[treadigraph]

TelsBoy great post :ok: - such a pity that the current crop of Air Cadets have been denied the opportunity to glide and enjoy that particular benefit these past four years...

[Geriaviator]

Far CU and TelsBoy, thank you. I could put it no better as I came the same road.

I am disappointed that a couple of the posters above should scoff at any scheme that will cast favourable light on GA/private flying. In many happy years of aviation I promoted flying at every opportunity: local council, community groups, disabled or underprivileged children; the last being particularly satisfying when you see the wonder in their eyes. I would have jumped at the chance to assist the Australian project.

I admit that I had another motive: community promotion and activity is the best PR that private aviation can get. Maybe those who find such projects so amusing are among those bleating about the real and ongoing threats to so many GA airfields.

[FAR CU]

Right you are there G. Those smart alec gainsayers have always been around to frustrate those with their eyes on the main game. Having ,like you, spent the better part of a lifetime in 'the industry', I want to spend whatever days are left to me, encouraging the younger generation, or youngest, if there is a spark of interest.