I recently got an ‘unsolicited’ email from someone who found my aviation
\ncareer story on my website. He really enjoyed the story and said it was one
\nof the best he’d read (thanks!). He observed that pilots often have
\n‘stories’ to tell and he’d enjoy reading some of those, too. Maybe someday I
\nshould write them all down.<\/p>\n
Like the one where I had 60 knots of wind shear going into Cedar Rapids… Or
\nthe time I flew into a thunderstorm somewhat unexpectedly with my instructor
\nin a Cessna 172… Or the unexpected low weather missed approach in Nigeria
\n(and low on fuel, too). Or there’s the St. Elmos fire over Thailand… The
\nnorthern lights… So many things I get to see as a pilot. Granted not all
\nof them are ‘fun’ (the bad weather stuff isn’t). Fortunately, my stories
\ngenerally have at least acceptable endings.<\/p>\n
Then there are the things that aren’t directly flying related, but that go
\nalong with the job. That covers a wide range of enjoyability, too.
\nEverything from hard beds, dirt floors, and probably toxic waste dripping in
\nthe bathroom in Malabo, Equitorial Guinea, to the long layovers in 5-star
\nhotels in exotic destinations. Whole months of being home and whole months
\nof being away from home. <\/p>\n
I’ve been considering giving a class or seminar in Careers in Aviation and
\nthinking about all this brings some questions to mind. What character traits
\nmake for good candidates to be airline pilots? What would I tell my
\n‘students’? Do I tell them all the good stuff, all the bad stuff, or some
\nkind of mix of the two? How do I help someone figure out if a career in
\naviation is really right for them?<\/p>\n
As I was thinking back on my career so far (funny to reflect on a whole career
\nat age 30), a thought occurred to me. I think the answer to the first
\nquestion lies in a person’s outlook in life. On the one hand, I could tell
\nthem how the TSA has made it unbearable to fly and if I knew then what I know
\nnow I wouldn’t have gotten into flying. I could tell them how tiring the
\nlong days can be. I could tell them how frusterating it is to be a flight
\ninstructor at a large flight school. I could tell them about the
\nfrusterating nature of the organized labor environment.<\/p>\n
Though I can think of all those negatives, my memory of the intensity of the
\npain seems to have diminished. I think maybe that’s the underlying key to
\noptomism. If your personality is such that every bad thing the happens to
\nyou causes a lifetime of intense pain, you probably shouldn’t be an airline
\npilot. Of course, there’s probably lots of other things you shouldn’t be
\neither…<\/p>\n
But if you can endure the hardships, even the ones after you’ve ‘arrived’ at
\nthe dream job (as if there is such a thing anymore), you’re probably a good
\ncandidate. Anyone can learn to fly. Not everyone can keep a good attitude
\nabout it.<\/p>\n
So as I look back, I can remember all the things that I’ve hated about my
\ncareer path. But when I close my eyes and reflect on flying for a living, I
\ninstinctively re-experience the pleasures of the good times. I can still
\nfeel the warmth of the sunshine on the beach in Nassau. I can remember those
\nmonth long stretches of time with family, collecting ‘airline welfare’. I
\ncan taste the Pad Thai that cost a whole dollar (inflated airport prices).
\nThe awe inspiring vista in St. Peters at the Vatican is fresh in my mind.
\nThough not so pleasant itself, the smell of the Grand Canal going under the
\nRialto Bridge in a gondola brings back wonderful fresh memories. I can even
\nfeel the mist in the air at the Cliffs of Moher in Ireland.<\/p>\n
Nah, it’s not perfect, and I don’t have to be happy. I could complain. But
\ntoday, I’m thinking the grass is pretty green on this side of the fence. And
\nthat’s the kind of person that it takes to enjoy an airline career. That’s
\nthe kind of person I like to work with.<\/p>\n
And here I am writing about it all, cruising over Ireland on my way to Germany
\nin the middle of the night. Even with it’s disadvantages and challenges,
\nthis really is living the good life.<\/p>\n
V-<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
I recently got an ‘unsolicited’ email from someone who found my aviation career story on my website. He really enjoyed the story and said it was one of the best he’d read (thanks!). He observed that pilots often have ‘stories’ to tell and he’d enjoy reading some of those, too. \u2026 Continue reading