Do it all again????

[bafanguy]

norskman2,

Excellent question !! Right to the heart of the matter. I'd be interested to hear the answers myself.

 

[350DRIVER]

norskman2,

The very simple and straight forward answer that requires very little if any thought would be the amount of time, years, hard work, money, etc, that most have invested to get to this point. To suggest that some should just walk away and start a new career is much easier said than done. You are only on this planet for a limited amount of time and contrary to some beliefs, the body ages just as the mind does.

One cannot re-write history nor can one defy the aging process in hopes to change things for the better. The best thing that can happen is to have business interests and investments that will allow you to walk away and have the financial freedom not to have to do a single thing other than enjoy life.


3 5 0

 

[501261]

LWhy are you still an airline pilot? Maybe it's too late for med school, but if it's that intolerable, why didn't you bail at some point for a job where you could at least sleep at home every night and not be pushed around by crew scheduling during the day?

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

If I could get a 6 figure desk job, there'd probably be a pilot job opening up.

 

[norskman2]

bafanguy,

It looks like you've flown just about everything under the sun. Gooney Bird AND San Diego Anteater (CV880) time??? Wow!

What's your take on this? After 23,000 hours do still head for the flightline with a smile or a scowl?

 

[mar]

You knew the job was dangerous...

...when you took it Fred.

Any other SuperChicken fans?

I made my choices deliberately and with my eyes wide open.

I wouldn't change a thing.

Fly safe--and smile for a change.

 

[Northern Lights]

I think that I'll have to go with Mar on this one. Well said!

For those under 30, it seems like there is still plenty of time to make a career change if you aren't happy with this one.

After visiting my friends accounting office, I decided that there was no way I could ever be happy in an office 40+ hours a week.

 

[Stifler's Mom]

Re: You knew the job was dangerous...

Any other SuperChicken fans?

Oh, He!! Yeah. Click Here

Super Chicken Theme Song

When you find yourself in danger,
When you're threatened by a stranger,
When it looks like you will take a lickin', (puk, puk, puk)
There is someone waiting,
Who will hurry up and rescue you,
Just Call for Super Chicken! (puk, ack!)

Fred, if you're afraid you'll have to overlook it,
Besides you knew the job was dangerous when you took it (puk, ack!)

He will drink his super sauce
And throw the bad guys for a loss
And he will bring them in alive and kickin' (puk, puk, puk)
There is one thing you should learn
When there is no one else to turn to
Call for Super Chicken! (puk, puk, puk)
Call for Super Chicken! (puk, ack!)

 

[starvingcfi]

haha. that's awesome

 

[mar]

That was beautiful. Thank you.

I'm wiping the tear from my eye.

 

[Dash8]

Re: Did it a little differently ....

*snip*
Their reply was telling, and changed my life. "From two hours before every flight, up to and including two hours afterward .... we are totally controlled. Where we go, what altitudes, headings, everything. A little bug-smasher is true freedom. Take the wife and another couple gambling to Vegas next weekend if we feel like it. The fun is in the freedom."

That is an incredibly sagacious statement, really strikes a chord...

for me, i'm not sure what i would have done differently,
either would have tried to get on as a technician at the local indian casino (and join the local flying club for the weekends) or figured out how to get to flight options.
no offense to the fine people i work with, but if i knew then what i knew now, i would have avoided the airlines like the plague.

 

[wings421]

I'm not terribly far from 18, and I'd already do somethings different. However, a desk job isn't for me and I'm certainly not going to be a lawyer or doctor. Money doesn't matter too much. Pay the bills, have some fun, who cares about being rich. There are a lot of unhappy rich people. As far as flying goes, there isn't anything else I'd rather do. Yes I'm young and stupid, but I can say without a doubt that I'll be in the cockpit till I'm 60, or until the day I can't get my medical anymore. Either one of those days will truely be a sad day. If I couldn't fly I'd be driving cross country in an 18 wheeler listening to an old country station at 2:00 in the morning. So obviously QOL is flexible for me.

I always want to be looking down, not up, wishing I was there. And thats what its all about to me.

 

[Dash8]

i used to feel the same way, and the airlines have completely sucked those sentiments out of me, now, if i can fly, pay my bills, and have a decent qol, with a minimum of bs and stress, i'd be ok....

I'm not terribly far from 18, and I'd already do somethings different. However, a desk job isn't for me and I'm certainly not going to be a lawyer or doctor. Money doesn't matter too much. Pay the bills, have some fun, who cares about being rich. There are a lot of unhappy rich people. As far as flying goes, there isn't anything else I'd rather do. Yes I'm young and stupid, but I can say without a doubt that I'll be in the cockpit till I'm 60, or until the day I can't get my medical anymore. Either one of those days will truely be a sad day. If I couldn't fly I'd be driving cross country in an 18 wheeler listening to an old country station at 2:00 in the morning. So obviously QOL is flexible for me.

I always want to be looking down, not up, wishing I was there. And thats what its all about to me.

 

[bafanguy]

norskman2,

I've been a bit reluctant to spout off too much about this as I've had it very easy compared to the knocks some fellow birdmen have taken...and I know it. I was with a major for 30+ years and my worse complaint was slow advancement. The very few times I fell into the septic tank, I came out smelling like a rose.

I'm retired now ( four years early...too long a story for this forum ), and miss having an airplane to move from A to B.

But, I still like to think I'd have done all again even if it had to been done without the good fortune I had. As some others have said, on it's worse day, flying an airplane has GOT to be better than a pencil jockey's best day....death by boredom.

So...don't send me any nasty-grams about how I haven't had it as bad as YOU...I know I've been lucky and that may give me a different view of things. But, of course, my view is still valid...somebody has to fly for a major for 30+ years. Maybe it'll happen to YOU !!

 

[norskman2]

Bafanguy,

Thanks for your insight and kudos on your career. May we all be as lucky as you in ways large and small.

Some of us may end up Lou Gehrigs and Cal Ripkins with long successful careers while others of us may be be destined to be Doc "Moonlight" Graham and "Crash" Davis with only a faint glimpse of the big time from afar. But hopefully we'll always be thankful for the opportunities we have.