The grass is always greener.
Thread Starter
Joined: Mar 2007
Aviation Qualifications: ATPL
Posts: 659
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From: Under my coconut tree
The grass is always greener.
Will one of you sages please tell me why as pilots, most of us (helis) suffer from the above? Is it because as a mainly male dominated arena we suffer from " wanderlust " and need to scent the trail? 
This affliction does not seem to change with hours amassed or experiences gained!
Those few that do seem to be able to remain in one place for most of their careers we tend to treat like leppers and keep at arms length (metaphorically) but in reality are they the ones that have really taken advantage of what's on offer in aviation and left the nomads thinking "what was all that about" when we reflect on our careers?
This affliction does not seem to change with hours amassed or experiences gained!Those few that do seem to be able to remain in one place for most of their careers we tend to treat like leppers and keep at arms length (metaphorically) but in reality are they the ones that have really taken advantage of what's on offer in aviation and left the nomads thinking "what was all that about" when we reflect on our careers?
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 184
Likes: 0
From: canada
Simple.
We get bored easily, and with boredom comes nit picking and complaining, and with that come roving eyes looking elsewhere. When looking elsewhere, you're more apt to overlook faults... Kinda like looking at women, no?
RH
We get bored easily, and with boredom comes nit picking and complaining, and with that come roving eyes looking elsewhere. When looking elsewhere, you're more apt to overlook faults... Kinda like looking at women, no?
RH
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 2,055
Likes: 31
From: Liverpool based Geordie, so calm down, calm down kidda!!
Every time I have moved, the grass WAS greener. People who stay, often are too scared to make a move for the better. I certainly don't think 'what was all that about'????? What do you base this on????? 
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 378
Likes: 26
From: Australia
green grass is an optical illusion!
Having moved about abit , i've found the Grass is not always greener it's all the same........Brown!! and you have to climb a razor wire fence to get there and one to come back!
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 128
Likes: 0
From: Wales
I tell you what, stop flying for a month, go back to doing your old (in my case incredibly boring, hard, physical) job instead, and the dryest grass in the world will prob look like paradise!
Seriously I might take some photos tomorrow. Just in case in 10 years time I feel the urge to start awandering...
Seriously I might take some photos tomorrow. Just in case in 10 years time I feel the urge to start awandering...
Avoid imitations
Joined: Nov 2000
Aviation Qualifications: ATPL
Posts: 15,110
Likes: 1,083
From: Wandering the FIR and cyberspace often at highly unsociable times
It might just be that the reason for grass growing greener is that bull$#17 has been applied more often...
Thread Starter
Joined: Mar 2007
Aviation Qualifications: ATPL
Posts: 659
Likes: 13
From: Under my coconut tree
Jayteeto, "what was all that about?" Based on observations of many, many heli guys who have wandered the planet looking for a better deal instead of sticking put and have ended up sacrificing the wife and kids, the house, the bank balance and the STAR PRIZE gained... new wife and kid and no bank balance in your 50's. Not saying that these guys are unhappy, I'm just another statistic amongst them but when you reflect on your 25-30 years in the business and take in a deep breath, I'm sure the above quote is what a lot of guys maybe secretly thinking.
My favourite reply goes to "Demented"
As we all know, where there's !!!! you are sure to find a helicopter!!
Still holding out for some wise mutterings from SASless.........
My favourite reply goes to "Demented"
As we all know, where there's !!!! you are sure to find a helicopter!!Still holding out for some wise mutterings from SASless.........
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 2,055
Likes: 31
From: Liverpool based Geordie, so calm down, calm down kidda!!
OK, I see your point, the story fits me up to the point of getting the star prize, but I don't blame helicopters for that. I think society in general fits the bill. Military, police, NHS, civil servants etc etc. No bank balance or house isn't that bad............
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 49
Likes: 0
From: Las Vegas
Most Of You Seen It Already, But Couldn't Resist..Sorry
One fine hot summer afternoon there was a Cessna 150 flying in the pattern at a quiet country airfield. The Instructor was getting quite bothered with the student's inability to maintain altitude in the thermals and was getting impatient at sometimes having to take over the controls. Just then he saw a twin engine Cessna 402 5,000 ft. above him and thought, "Another 1,000 hrs of this and I qualify for that twin charter job! Aaahh.. to be a real pilot going somewhere!"
The 402 was already late and the boss told him this charter was for one of the Company's premier clients. He'd already set MCT and the cylinders didn't like it in the heat of this summer's day. He was at 6,000 ft. and the winds were now a 20kt headwind. Today was the 6th day straight and he was pretty dang tired of fighting these engines. Maybe if he got 10,000 ft. out of them the wind might die off... geez those cylinder temps! He looked out momentarily and saw a B737 leaving a contrail at 33,000 ft. in the serene blue sky. "Oh man," he thought, "My interview is next month. I hope I just don't blow it! Outta G/A, nice jet job, above the weather... no snotty passengers to wait for ..."
The 737 bucked and weaved in the heavy CAT at FL330 and ATC advised that lower levels were not available due to traffic. The Captain, who was only recently advised that his destination was below RVR minimums, had slowed to LRC to try and hold off a possible in-flight diversion, and arrange an ETA that would helpfully ensure the fog had lifted to CAT II minima. The Company negotiations broke down yesterday and looked as if everyone was going to take a dang pay cut. The F/O's will be particularly hard hit as their pay wasn't anything to speak of anyway. Finally deciding on a speed compromise between LRC and turbulence penetration, the Captain looked up and saw Concorde at Mach 2+. Tapping his F/O's shoulder as the 737 took another bashing, he said "Now THAT'S what we should be on... huge pay ... super fast... not too many routes...not too many legs... above the CAT... yep! What a life...!"
FL590 was not what he wanted anyway and he considered FL570. Already the TAT was creeping up again and either they would have to descend or slow down. That dang rear fuel transfer pump was becoming unreliable and the F/E had said moments ago that the radiation meter was not reading numbers that he'd like to see. Concorde descended to FL570 but the radiation was still quite high even though the Notam indicated hunky dory below FL610. Fuel flow was up and the transfer pump was intermittent. Evening turned into night as they passed over the Atlantic. Looking up, the F/O could see a tiny white dot moving against the backdrop of a myriad of stars. "Hey Captain" he called as he pointed. "Must be the Shuttle. "The Captain looked for a moment and agreed. Quietly he thought how a Shuttle mission, while complicated, must be the-be-all-and-end-all in aviation. Above the crap, no radiation problems, no dang fuel transfer problems...aaah. Must be a great way to earn a buck."
Discovery was into its 27th orbit and perigee was 200ft out from nominated rendezvous altitude with the commsat. The robot arm was virtually U/S and a walk may become necessary. The 200ft predicted error would necessitate a corrective burn and Discovery needed that fuel if a walk was to be required. Houston continually asked what the Commander wanted to do but the advice they proffered wasn't much help. The Commander had already been 12 hours on station sorting out the problem and just wanted 10 minutes to himself to take a leak. Just then a mission specialist, who had tilted the telescope down to the surface for a minute or two, called the Commander to the scope. "Have a look at this Sir, isn't this the kinda flying you said you wanted to do after you finish up with NASA?" The Commander peered through the telescope and cried Ooooohhhhh yeah! Now THAT'S flying! Man, that's what its all about! Geez I'd give my left arm just to be doing THAT down there!"
What the Discovery Commander was looking at was a Cessna 150 in the pattern at a quiet country airfield on a nice bright sunny afternoon.
Moral: pilots are never happy unless they are drinking beer and looking for a better job!
The 402 was already late and the boss told him this charter was for one of the Company's premier clients. He'd already set MCT and the cylinders didn't like it in the heat of this summer's day. He was at 6,000 ft. and the winds were now a 20kt headwind. Today was the 6th day straight and he was pretty dang tired of fighting these engines. Maybe if he got 10,000 ft. out of them the wind might die off... geez those cylinder temps! He looked out momentarily and saw a B737 leaving a contrail at 33,000 ft. in the serene blue sky. "Oh man," he thought, "My interview is next month. I hope I just don't blow it! Outta G/A, nice jet job, above the weather... no snotty passengers to wait for ..."
The 737 bucked and weaved in the heavy CAT at FL330 and ATC advised that lower levels were not available due to traffic. The Captain, who was only recently advised that his destination was below RVR minimums, had slowed to LRC to try and hold off a possible in-flight diversion, and arrange an ETA that would helpfully ensure the fog had lifted to CAT II minima. The Company negotiations broke down yesterday and looked as if everyone was going to take a dang pay cut. The F/O's will be particularly hard hit as their pay wasn't anything to speak of anyway. Finally deciding on a speed compromise between LRC and turbulence penetration, the Captain looked up and saw Concorde at Mach 2+. Tapping his F/O's shoulder as the 737 took another bashing, he said "Now THAT'S what we should be on... huge pay ... super fast... not too many routes...not too many legs... above the CAT... yep! What a life...!"
FL590 was not what he wanted anyway and he considered FL570. Already the TAT was creeping up again and either they would have to descend or slow down. That dang rear fuel transfer pump was becoming unreliable and the F/E had said moments ago that the radiation meter was not reading numbers that he'd like to see. Concorde descended to FL570 but the radiation was still quite high even though the Notam indicated hunky dory below FL610. Fuel flow was up and the transfer pump was intermittent. Evening turned into night as they passed over the Atlantic. Looking up, the F/O could see a tiny white dot moving against the backdrop of a myriad of stars. "Hey Captain" he called as he pointed. "Must be the Shuttle. "The Captain looked for a moment and agreed. Quietly he thought how a Shuttle mission, while complicated, must be the-be-all-and-end-all in aviation. Above the crap, no radiation problems, no dang fuel transfer problems...aaah. Must be a great way to earn a buck."
Discovery was into its 27th orbit and perigee was 200ft out from nominated rendezvous altitude with the commsat. The robot arm was virtually U/S and a walk may become necessary. The 200ft predicted error would necessitate a corrective burn and Discovery needed that fuel if a walk was to be required. Houston continually asked what the Commander wanted to do but the advice they proffered wasn't much help. The Commander had already been 12 hours on station sorting out the problem and just wanted 10 minutes to himself to take a leak. Just then a mission specialist, who had tilted the telescope down to the surface for a minute or two, called the Commander to the scope. "Have a look at this Sir, isn't this the kinda flying you said you wanted to do after you finish up with NASA?" The Commander peered through the telescope and cried Ooooohhhhh yeah! Now THAT'S flying! Man, that's what its all about! Geez I'd give my left arm just to be doing THAT down there!"
What the Discovery Commander was looking at was a Cessna 150 in the pattern at a quiet country airfield on a nice bright sunny afternoon.
Moral: pilots are never happy unless they are drinking beer and looking for a better job!
Joined: May 2002
Aviation Qualifications: ATP+Mil
Posts: 18,633
Likes: 1,072
From: Downeast
Helicopter Operators live on a Sine Curve....there are peaks and valleys measured over time.
The trick is to jump ship to a company that is coming out from the bottom and ride that train to the peak.....then jump again to another operator that is starting up the path to a peak.
It may cost money each time you shift however the job satisfaction makes up for that to a great extent. Perhaps one day, the operators will learn about concepts like loyalty, integrity, and accept the fact they all benefit by enhancing the pay, benefits, and working environment for the people that contribute to the success of the company then this job hopping might come to an end.
I made a joke at the Orlando Pprune Bash.....I suggested career helicopter pilots penciled in their company name on their business cards and use ink for the personal information. Perhaps one day that will not be so.
The trick is to jump ship to a company that is coming out from the bottom and ride that train to the peak.....then jump again to another operator that is starting up the path to a peak.
It may cost money each time you shift however the job satisfaction makes up for that to a great extent. Perhaps one day, the operators will learn about concepts like loyalty, integrity, and accept the fact they all benefit by enhancing the pay, benefits, and working environment for the people that contribute to the success of the company then this job hopping might come to an end.
I made a joke at the Orlando Pprune Bash.....I suggested career helicopter pilots penciled in their company name on their business cards and use ink for the personal information. Perhaps one day that will not be so.
