Why do you want to be a pilot?
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well i already am-of sorts, but to name but a few, David Perrin, Rothmans Aerobatic Team, a piper cub, tailwheels, De Saint Exupery, Richard Bach, The Fw190, Grass Strips, Seaplanes, big American Radials, Canada-Bush, OZ-Bush, The people I meet, The people who instruct me, the joy of aerobatics, the personal responsibility that means the buck stops with me (sadly lacking in modern working society), the noise, the sounds, the skill (and often terror) in landing a tailwheel in a gusting x-wind, the adventure, the freedom, the feeling that somewhere, sometime, in the future I am going to send someone solo on a tailwheel, and they are going to be my little baby and last but not least, A Grumman Goose.
and I did not mention Money anywhere
and I did not mention Money anywhere
Last edited by 7gcbc; 2nd Apr 2005 at 11:00.
I don't know. I just wanted to fly as far back as I can remember. And I only wanted to fly 747s too! But since that time I learned that before I can fly 747s it takes a lot of money a lot of time and a lot of determination to get there, and many others don't have one of the three above so won't make it.
At the moment still in GA but Sh*t its a great job and its great fun - and it can only get better!!
At the moment still in GA but Sh*t its a great job and its great fun - and it can only get better!!
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Interesting Post.. this is my little story, probably very similar to some.
I was born and grew up in Toronto Ontario Canada, and lived right under the ILS for 06L, and everything came in 707, 747-100, DC-8, A300, 767 (this was early 80's) Anyways, came time for the great Royal Canadian Exhibition in I think 1986, thus I was only 6. This was the last time the SR-71 was to be seen over Canadian soil doing air demo work. At that time, pre Sept 11 you were able to sit at the old McDonald Douglas parking lot which was only 75 feet from the edge of 24R at Toronto, you still can but no view....anyways, here came this SR-71. He lined up with the centreline, looked over at the amassed group, waved, then did something amazing. Set the brakes, set full throttle (anyone know if the SR-71 has afterburner?), released the brakes and did what would amount to a max. performace takeoff. My eyes did not leave that plane for the entire demo. My dad says the smile did not come off for a week, and neither did the ringing in the ears. After that it was to the airport every weekend, doing 4 hours of plane spotting, and just when it could not get any better I met a new friend who's Dad flew with Air Canada on the new A320!!! I amassed 7 hours including a few engine fires by the time I was 17 on the A320 and DC-9 (MD-80 for those PC people!)
Since then that is all I have wanted. Is to be that person sitting in the cockpit, pushing the throttles forward. Im not in it for the money, or the "my god youre a pilot, please my bedroom". I'm in it because I love airplanes, and I want some 6 year old to see me in the cockpit so I can wave at him.... hopefully he gets the bug too.
BTW I currently am finishing my CCat flight Instructors Rating in Tauranga NZ and have found a new passion in Aviation; actually teaching that 6 year old who is now 17, to fly!!!!
I was born and grew up in Toronto Ontario Canada, and lived right under the ILS for 06L, and everything came in 707, 747-100, DC-8, A300, 767 (this was early 80's) Anyways, came time for the great Royal Canadian Exhibition in I think 1986, thus I was only 6. This was the last time the SR-71 was to be seen over Canadian soil doing air demo work. At that time, pre Sept 11 you were able to sit at the old McDonald Douglas parking lot which was only 75 feet from the edge of 24R at Toronto, you still can but no view....anyways, here came this SR-71. He lined up with the centreline, looked over at the amassed group, waved, then did something amazing. Set the brakes, set full throttle (anyone know if the SR-71 has afterburner?), released the brakes and did what would amount to a max. performace takeoff. My eyes did not leave that plane for the entire demo. My dad says the smile did not come off for a week, and neither did the ringing in the ears. After that it was to the airport every weekend, doing 4 hours of plane spotting, and just when it could not get any better I met a new friend who's Dad flew with Air Canada on the new A320!!! I amassed 7 hours including a few engine fires by the time I was 17 on the A320 and DC-9 (MD-80 for those PC people!)
Since then that is all I have wanted. Is to be that person sitting in the cockpit, pushing the throttles forward. Im not in it for the money, or the "my god youre a pilot, please my bedroom". I'm in it because I love airplanes, and I want some 6 year old to see me in the cockpit so I can wave at him.... hopefully he gets the bug too.
BTW I currently am finishing my CCat flight Instructors Rating in Tauranga NZ and have found a new passion in Aviation; actually teaching that 6 year old who is now 17, to fly!!!!
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Kliperoo!
Bang on that feeling, I was tracking 500ft Nbound coastal off willietown a few years ago and I saw some kids with their mum waving on the beach, so I throttled off, slowed down to 80kts, down to 300ft and when just abeam them, waved and did a waggle three or four times.
I can still see their huge grins and sheer excitement.
My little version of "Empire of the Sun", albeit in a Citabria.
<comprehension edit...again>
Bang on that feeling, I was tracking 500ft Nbound coastal off willietown a few years ago and I saw some kids with their mum waving on the beach, so I throttled off, slowed down to 80kts, down to 300ft and when just abeam them, waved and did a waggle three or four times.
I can still see their huge grins and sheer excitement.
My little version of "Empire of the Sun", albeit in a Citabria.
<comprehension edit...again>
Last edited by 7gcbc; 3rd Apr 2005 at 10:20.
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...Because everyone knows Pilot's date lingerie models, earn disgracefully large salaries, drive the latest model Porsches (I'd hate to be caught getting around in last years model), can regularly be seen strutting the red carpet with "A list" celebrities and wear cool uniforms that make it impossible to walk through a terminal without every man wanting to be me and every woman wanting to throw herself at me. Pilots are not ordinary people, Pilots are gentlemen upholding generations of honour and tradition...
Furthermore Pilots don't actually have to work because the planes have auto pilot systems, and if you're a Captain you can just get the Co-pilot to do all the work...
...Well it was a bloody good theory when I was 6
Furthermore Pilots don't actually have to work because the planes have auto pilot systems, and if you're a Captain you can just get the Co-pilot to do all the work...
...Well it was a bloody good theory when I was 6
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We've been thru this before, do we have to do it again?...
So, it's as simple as this...
If you wanna fly airplanes, you do it!
If you don't wanna fly airplanes, you don't do it!
Got it now?
So, it's as simple as this...
If you wanna fly airplanes, you do it!
If you don't wanna fly airplanes, you don't do it!
Got it now?
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Why? Why not?
For me, it's not "why do I want to be a pilot?", it's "why would I want to be anything else other than a pilot?".
I know there's many a bitter and twisted GA pusher out there who can't figure out why they're in this game, but take them out of it for a little while, and they'll realise maybe it wasn't so bad after all, in most cases, I reckon.
Since I can remember, this has been the only way I've been destined to go, and I'm not likely to pack it in either, cause if I do I'll never know whether or not I could make it to the top, and I feel I can, so I'll be kicking myself for the rest of my life if I don't follow through with it.
Sure, it has its moments, where you do ask yourself whether you're doing the right thing, and I've made some rather hefty sacrifices just like many others, but so do countless others in all sorts of other industries, no? How many people throughout the workforce are actually satisfied with their jobs?
I'd dare say a higher percentage in aviation are compared to many other industries.
520.
I know there's many a bitter and twisted GA pusher out there who can't figure out why they're in this game, but take them out of it for a little while, and they'll realise maybe it wasn't so bad after all, in most cases, I reckon.
Since I can remember, this has been the only way I've been destined to go, and I'm not likely to pack it in either, cause if I do I'll never know whether or not I could make it to the top, and I feel I can, so I'll be kicking myself for the rest of my life if I don't follow through with it.
Sure, it has its moments, where you do ask yourself whether you're doing the right thing, and I've made some rather hefty sacrifices just like many others, but so do countless others in all sorts of other industries, no? How many people throughout the workforce are actually satisfied with their jobs?
I'd dare say a higher percentage in aviation are compared to many other industries.
520.
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The only time it gets that good is doing flying displays and grand prix and other major events as a fighter pilot. The F/A-18 boys that did the beatup of the track at Melbourne F1 went to Danni Minogue's after party!!!
Other than that a fighter pilot gets no more pussy than a rodeo clown (maybe less).
Other than that a fighter pilot gets no more pussy than a rodeo clown (maybe less).