You know you have definately made it when the CASA inspector says "Excuse me Captain - do you mind if I come to the flight deck?"

For the GA guys: You know you've made it when the date of manufacture is more recent than you date of birth.

....when you can write in the "Endorsements" section of the MR without your hand shaking nervously.

......when you can approach a LAME about the fact that the whole vertical stabiliser has just fallen off on taxi and he doesn't roll his eyes, turn to the other LAME's and say, "....ah, bloody pilot finger trouble!", and the rest of the LAME's don't roll their eyes, giggle and shake their heads..................................................or something like that........:hmm:

I think you know you've made it when:

-you wish you were back in an airplane with no aisle,

-you think back fondly about having to enter the cabin by climbing over the wing,

-you wish it was just you on board (no pretentious hosties grumbling about "He wants ANOTHER coke with ice...)

-you think how nice it was in the old days to be able to see individual trees/cows/whatever on the ground because you're not up at 41000ft catching cosmic rays,

-you wish you could fly a go-around without having to report yourself in the Log,

-you wish you didn't have to wear that stupid hat each day,

-you wish you could fly VFR like the old days so you don't have to deal with Bombay on HF...

Did I miss anything??

When you walk into the bank mangers office and he greets you with a smile and offers coffee and cake, then asks how much would you like to withdraw from your savings? :cool:

1) Aerodromes you fly to have a licensed code

2) You make more money than the stupid, heavy, dumb miners/politicians behind you

3) You have windscreen wipers

4) De icing doesn't involve a well timed throw of water just before take off

5) Putting flight levels/mach numbers on the plan

6) HF actually works

7) VHF works also

8) You laugh at people having to do orbits at 2000'

9) Laugh at the 1 in 60 rule as the FMC does the diversion for you

10) The plane you fly now is you weekend 'fun' plane to go fishing/surfing with.

you can quite ligitimately say

....." if it aint Boeing I aint going" :cool:

When your pre-take-off brief doesn't include the words..."mixture up, pitch up, power up...kiss my a$$ good-bye".:{

Your Passengers dont ask:

"So do you want to be a Commercial Pilot one day?"

Itchybum.

brilliant! :ok:

Very true.

Why do I get the impression that Airline Driver is the be all and end all for most of the posters here......;)

When I've made the last payment to the finance company :cool:

I'm with Itchybum
 

...With a few more additions.

- You can go flying for "fun" because you own the plane.

- You your wife and kids don't have to wonder where things are going/coming from next.

Cheers :ok:

Eeeerm....... when you get to retire voluntarily :p, reasonably intact, :} still married to wife #1,:{ :ouch:, respected by your peers:8, surrounded by your grandchildren :eek: and with a life well lived. :D :cool:

VRB03KT CAVOK

"-To get in a cockpit and not see a single 'INOP' or 'U/S' label."

Won't ever happen......never!!

I knew I had 'made it' when ....

1. I paid more dollars in tax in one year than i earned as a C210 pilot!

2. FA's apologised if they couldn't bring me an Earl Grey tea, white and a half!

3. Operations rang, apologised for ringing me at home on my day off(!!!) but would I be available for a call out that would be about a thousand dollars worth of flying, and happily said 'thanks anyway' when i knocked it back!

when you pull out of your parking bay and blow the absoulte crap out of anyone/anything standing behind you

Earl Grey?? Yukk!!:yuk:

English Afternoon Breakfast!!:ok:

You know you have made it when
1 Management try to help you out,
2 Aircraft is prepared on arrival,
3 Maintenance is quickly repaired not operating under a dozen MELs

When the aircraft has
1 A cockpit door
2 Call button
3 Flight attendant
4 you don't have to give a pax brief ( FA's job)
5 A toilet
6 Able to walk down the aisle, not hunched over.

When I think you've made it in aviation...

With a sweat-stained shirt covered in oil, dirt under your fingernails, sunburnt neck and tatty old thongs, you close the cowl on the aircraft you paid for yourself, built yourself, and fix yourself... point it into wind at an aerodrome with no known name in the middle of nowhere, and go wherever the hell you want, at whatever speed you want....

and simply enjoy what you are doing in aviation.

-Your mate on the 777 is jealous
-His missus tries to line you up with her friends