Comradeship! Working with the most cheerful, dedicated, hard working, "can-do" and professional colleagues to be found anywhere! (I include cabin crew and engineers in this!)

The feeling of satisfaction when you have had a really challenging day and/or when the weather is as rough as old boots and you beat the elements and manage to grease it on at the right point on the runway at the right speed etc!

The bit between take off and landing is generally extremely enjoyable : THAT feeling when you first got airborne on your own , Gazing at the loire castles without queuing for hours , the awe when staring at a developping CB in the southern states , changing world in twenty minutes while hoping between tropical caribbean islands , chasing wilderbeests in the serengeti , dreaming of faraway worlds at night over Europe when everything is quiet , battling gales in the irish sea , getting unstuck from the muddiest excuse for a runway in bahr-el-ghazl with 50ft to spare .........Ah , as I always tell my non-flying friends It's the best Job in the world from lift off to wheels down , the rest of the time , it's just another job (especially today , I guess a C -Class Flying boat captain might have had a different opinion at the time ) . Still worth it though .................................anytime

I agree with fireflybob.

The BEST days by far are the ones in crap weather, with slots, delays, discretion, diversions, passenger faff, bad ATC, tech aeroplanes, etc etc. but with a really fantastic crew so the whole thing still feels like it's running on rails.

The WORST days are the days when it DOES actually run on rails....but you have to fly with a complete and total kn0bber in the seat next to you....just like today.... :mad:

As a Maintenance Rep.
 

Waking up on a Freighter after a great 8 hours of sleep to a hint of sunlight, heating up and eating my own breakfast in my undershirt in the cockpit enjoying a sunrise from the best vantage point possible (and getting paid for it).

I've seen things you people wouldn't believe. Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion. I watched c-beams ... glitter in the dark near Tanhauser Gate. All those ... moments will be lost ... in time, like tears ... in rain. Then I'll have to pay to see them myself when the buggers retire me.

I echo fireflybob and aerostudent

It definetly is the person who you share the flightdeck with who can make your day. It's a good feeling to walk in to the crewroom, look at the sign in and see someone who you respect and get on with. Makes all the other sh1t go smoothly and even if it doesn't, it won't spoil the day..you deal with it together.

Unfortunately, on the other hand, there is always some **** that is intent to drag you down to their level of negativity. Thankfully they aren't that plentiful.

Don't you just love that transition from months of crap, cold,windy and wet weather and then suddenly you find yourself bathing in warm sunlight with the the flightdeck window fully open.

Picture this. You're in a beautifull 5* hotel. Just had a wonderfull nights sleep, stunning leasurly breakfast, leaving around 10ish for a 4 sector day with a very nice crew. All runs like clockwork, full load down the back and the best thing; being home again tonight, in your own bed with the misses.

Plus the first bit AERO_STUDENT mentioned as well.

It's simply the best job in the world! :ok:

Rainboe! While we're quoting Bladerunner, well, like to get this job. I mean, did... did you do, or... or were you asked to do anything lewd... or unsavory, or... or, otherwise repulsive to your... your person, huh?

Where are we anyway?
Terms and flippin endearment!?
Aww, its dark here, nobody ever visits this place..
I wanna go back to R+N!

Thanks for your replies, chaps. It's good to know there is still lots of enthusiasm for the strange job we do. Sunshine on a dull day, and a decent guy/girl to be locked in the cupboard with.

I love....
 

the smell of Jet A1 mixed with the one of my dark coffee in early morning with an amazing view of the Mont Blanc....

Do androids dream of electric sheep?
 

Show me a pilot and despite his/her technical bent I'll show you an optimist and a romantic..

The fact that the curmudgeonly Rainboe references the superb film version of Philip K Dick's novel just goes to prove it.:ok:.

DutchbirdCorr, how many miss-es do you get to sleep with when you get home?
I do recall I had to sleep around a bit before getting this job. Once I got the job, I was too bloody tired! Why? Are you after pointers? It's the skirts with long hair you aim for.

You really should be more specific - you should have said "It's the ones who wear skirts as part of the uniform when at work with long hair you aim for!":hmm:

Time to yourself downroute and having the chance to explore new places and doing new things is what I enjoy most. Getting paid to be a tourist can't be bad...

Fireflybob,
Albeit that I'm a new F/O I find that sport on. It is fascinating the bonds that a difficult day at work can forge, a world apart from my previous career.

Sunrise over the Mourne Mountains. Absolutely beautiful...and to get paid to have the best seat for seeing it is crazy.

What I like about this job....



PAY DAY!!! :ok:

The view is superb

I really like going anywhere in scandinavia,overflying the North Sea is nice at night with the oil rigs lit up below

The alps are always nice,once you have climbed above them :}

Going into work on a bright sunny day like today. I'm off now. Could it get any better:ok:

Just my two cents...

Is it for all of the above reasons that the average new pilot nowadays is willing to pay to fly?
Is it for all of the above reasons that our profession has been degraded and that the average new pilot is willing to work 24 days a month at any time of the day?
If this is the case, then by all means I would rather not see a standard new pilot any more...but guys with b...lls that no longer accept paying 100000 Euros+ to see all of the above....and spent the first ten years of their career paying of for the beautifull sightseeing they had on their first flight....

Enjoy the skies...

B-767:

While I appreciate your concern for pay-to-fly schemes, come on! You are blowing this way out of proportions. 100.000 €? WTF? Granted, if you include an expensive integrated ATPL, cost of living, jet rating and pay-to-fly line sectors, you might look at that figure but far from all have laid out those sums!

I don't know how it was back in the "old" days -- i assume no one ever paid a single penny for their flight training? They were all military? Or is really the only difference that SSTRs weren't the norm?

:ugh:


Here's what I like about flying:
Seeing the sunrise over Finnmark at around 70N 25E at 0130 local time over a beautiful overcast layer
Helping out the people that need our service as I fly medical transport/EMS and sometimes we make a life/death difference.
Meeting amazing individuals that are my colleagues
Enjoying close to 3 weeks off a month (7-7-7-14 roster) with friends
Flying in to 800m fields in the fjords with mountains on every side in the middle of the night in a snow storm, and doing so in a professional environment.
etc :)

Edit: deleted last rant.