Is the Grass Greener on the Other Side??
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: uk
Posts: 62
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
i got out after 7 1/2 years in early '91, at the time i almost doubled my wages for much the same job as i did when i was in.
one of my mates summed it up perfectly, " best thing i ever did was to join up, second best thing i ever did was to leave!"
i know visit a certain airfield in the west country on occasion, seeing quite a few chaps i used to be in with, quite a few are just doing their time, and most of the people i encounter seem to have a similar lack of enthusiasm.
i think when you leave you get a better quality of life, you get choices that you dont get in the RAF, you know when you knock off there's no way your going back into work, if you work weekends you get paid for it, and as has been mentioned, you can make plans in the future without fear of trip to a hot sandy placethats not of your choice.
one of my mates summed it up perfectly, " best thing i ever did was to join up, second best thing i ever did was to leave!"
i know visit a certain airfield in the west country on occasion, seeing quite a few chaps i used to be in with, quite a few are just doing their time, and most of the people i encounter seem to have a similar lack of enthusiasm.
i think when you leave you get a better quality of life, you get choices that you dont get in the RAF, you know when you knock off there's no way your going back into work, if you work weekends you get paid for it, and as has been mentioned, you can make plans in the future without fear of trip to a hot sandy placethats not of your choice.
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: Liverpool based Geordie, so calm down, calm down kidda!!
Age: 60
Posts: 2,051
Likes: 0
Received 17 Likes
on
6 Posts
Everyone is different, some it suits, some it doesn't. I took a big pay cut by flying as a civvie helicopter pilot. The work pattern more than makes up for this. A fixed (Plan years ahead fixed!!) 4 on/4 off shift pattern with 20 working days leave (ie 4 days leave = 12 days off). The most pleasing thing is no secondary duties, just turn up, service the helo, fly, go home.
Down sides?? I work with the same three people (policemen) all the time on 12 hour shifts. Top blokes, but we dont socialise outside work at all, not even a Xmas party. This means you have to face the outside world to socialise and it is VERY VERY different to the military.
So if you cant cope without happy hour and the mess, then stay in. If you can cope with the real world and like having free time, lots of lovely free time, all to yourself, with no secondary duties, did I mention free time?? Then give it a whirl.
Down sides?? I work with the same three people (policemen) all the time on 12 hour shifts. Top blokes, but we dont socialise outside work at all, not even a Xmas party. This means you have to face the outside world to socialise and it is VERY VERY different to the military.
So if you cant cope without happy hour and the mess, then stay in. If you can cope with the real world and like having free time, lots of lovely free time, all to yourself, with no secondary duties, did I mention free time?? Then give it a whirl.
