ok last post for this one that has gone way off topic. If it was so dangerous to fly why didn't the airport ops close down.... my God if my car had broken down on the way there I could have froze to death... then we shouldn't fly when the temp is above 85 cause we could get heat stroke since there is no air conditioning in the planes. as for preheat, quoting the dir. of safety "we have heated hangers so we shouldn't need to do preheats or pull the prop through to loosen the oil" As for being too dangerous to fly in the cold. How do pilots in Canada and Alaska manage in much colder temps than we ever see here?
Maybe I should have gone into management since I am apparantly the only one here that looks not only at safety but practicality and money too. There is a balance to flying that none of you seems to be understanding. Sure risk needs to be minimized but it comes at a price. Yes I do have personal minimums for both personal and instructional flying. For me I won't try to do long flights in potential icing. Maybe a quick climb to on top under certain conditions, but repeadly shooting approaches in snowshowers while being vectored in the clouds or flying a cross country with numerous reports of icing around I don't do. On the other hand if it is clear and calm winds I'll fly when it's 30 below zero. How much are you willing to pay? Personally I feel less safe driving to and from work than I do flying a cross country with a student reguardless of weather conditions.
I know I took a wrong career path. one of many bad choices I have made, I am human. I have never claimed to be a great teacher. I don't have the personality for the job. I chose it because 3 years ago it was the quickest way to get to an airline. Had I known what I know now I would have taken a different intro flying job or gone to a different training school to be trained. Unfortunately we are all stuck where we are til the economy and airlines straighten out. So while I am here I will do what I think will give my students and myself the best chance of overall sucess.
For all of you telling be to suck it up, take it in the @ss and pay your dues, Remenber that when you are at a regional airline whining about being underpaid and demanding big pay raises with more days off, with threats of a strike. Do you want me to support you or tell you to suck it up, take it in the @ss and pay your dues like you tell me? This is how I earn my living for now, all I am asking is let me earn it.