Before I was a pilot...
 

What kind of jobs did you hold before you were a pilot?

Before I was a pilot...
 

OK, I'll start. Before I was a pilot, I was a factory maintenance worker. Electrical, plumbing etc. Before that, a television director. Before that, a Bell Hop.

Apart from being a pilot while still at school (1965), I had three months as a clerk in a stockbrokers in Threadneedle Street, plus the usual evening paper round, petrol station attendant and veneer factory work whilst at school, of course!

That was the only time I've ever worked in my life: the rest I have been paid to play at my hobby :ok:

Worked hard to be a pilot. Soloed in 8.4 hrs in 1974. No jobs because of thousands of pilots out of Nam. Joined the US Army anyway. Nothing was going to deter my dream to fly helos. Had pilots tell me I was not a pilot that pissed me off. I had to think about that one. Damn I never had to go through the stuff you had to go through is my guess, Well guess what my right to passage,

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rock nerd (geologist) in the north of Canada

Data network and security bod, ended up in process contol systems. Then I lost my mind. :-)

Paperboy.
Self employed for two years (aged 13 to 14) at weekends and evenings. Bought old railway sleepers and then sawing/splitting/chopping/bundling them up for kindling; then delivered them.
Worked a couple of summers, during the Sixth form, as a general labourer at a market garden.
Drove a tractor for a friend who'd bought a 60 ton heap of horse sh*t !! Took 3 weeks to deliver it all when he sold it.
Brickies' labourer/dumper driver for a summer, waiting to get into the RAF.
Lab assistant at a Rubber works for two years. (1957 on !) :ugh:

Then sensibly the Fleet Air Arm took me on………………. :ok:

Thought flying would be easier…………..from the age of about seven !

OK, OK, I'll do it.



Piano player in a brothel.

Could never tell mum I'd moved on to aviation. :}

Career moves....
 

The very last job I had before joining the Fleet Air Arm of the RN (age 19) was a refuse disposal officer (dustman ;)) at Sunbury Urban District Council. I have emptied the bins of some of the rich and famous who lived around that area of north Surrey.... but it was done with a serious motive for the Navy told me I would have to pass a pre joining medical and show that I had lost 3 stone.

By the time I got to Dartmouth I was a fit as a fiddle and 3.5 stone lighter :)

G.

High school student.
I've had real jobs in various intervals since I started flying.

edit:
Most posts are more specific than this... In high school I worked even less than as a pilot- I was a lifeguard and camp counselor.

5 years with Bristow in Sumburgh, baggage handler, check-in clerk, radio operator and operations controller...
It all went south from there :cool:

First job was sweeping and mopping floors.(age 13)
Second job was stocking shelves and unloading trucks at a food store.
Third job was unloading trucks at a beer and beverage store. (Better job!)
Fourth Job: Short order cook
Fifth Job: Stock shelves, unload trucks, watch out for shoplifters, run cash register, audit end of day receipts at a chain drug store. (High school job)
Sixth job was of and on while earning an Engineering Degree: most summers spend working for a moving company (pianos are a :mad: no matter what size) when I wasn't doing summer training with the Navy.
One fine spring day I flew my first solo, a landing pattern solo, in a civil fixed wing. Lived to tell the tale! :ok:
Commissioned Ensign.
Pilot Training was second assignment as a Naval Officer.
Finally got my wings! Was finally a pilot! Worth every step taken.

Every Walk Of Life.........
 

Control Equipment Technician (glorified electrician) British Army. Got lucky and did the Army Pilot course (at the good old British taxpayers expense), four years time bar then Bristow ever since.

Never felt like a real job, always felt like I was being paid to have fun until all the rules and regulations took over. I wonder if accident stats have improved since the industry became so constrained ?

Desk jockey recently, especially since cancer and chemotherapy made it impossible to pass an aircrew medical. :(

Still get a buzz when I smell burning aviation fuel though ! :ok:

NEO

My first actual job at 15 was a dishwasher, then cashier, then cook at a local steak house. At the same time I did computer repair at night, (as well as highschool)


I quit both of those jobs at 17 and started working at a car dealership changing oils and worked at radio shack part time for a year or two while attending an automobile tech school. Meanwhile I did side work customizing cars.


At 18 I got a job at Sears in the tool department to get a discount on my tools. One of my employees hired me part time to install swimming pools on my days off (an odd arrangement). Meanwhile I realized I didn't want to turn wrenches all my life and started attending university online.


I did that for 5 years, but made store manager at Sears after 4, At age 23 I quit to follow my dreams and fly and never looked back.


I worked at 2 different hardware stores while getting my ratings. Finished my ratings at 25 and my degree at 27.


Dave

Cottonpicker, ratskinner, truck driver, Army officer. Then I got to flight school and never looked back.

Heavy Diesel Fitter in the mining industry progressing to Maintenance Superintendent. Spent most of what I've earned to allow me to fly.

BBC Radio 4 announcer (newsreader)

Before I was a pilot
 

Parked cars at an amusement park (14)
Dishwasher (15)
Soldier (Truck driver) (18)
Off to US Army flight school (20)

I haven't worked a day since then to include a career in th Army, EMS and finally corporate flying. We get paid to do this stuff!!!

Framed houses....residential construction for a while, then ran heavy equipment (excavators) and saved enough cash to go to flight school.

Before to be a helicopter pilot...Nobody have a real job ! :=