Throughout my career I would occasionally witness a co-worker or friend who would one day throw up their hands and walk away from aviation forever. I mean not even stay current or read an aviation magazine just gone. It was like turning off a switch and they boxed up all their pilot stuff and shoved it in the attic. The spark could be a stint of unemployment or bad pro-check or life change like a divorce but one day they hung up the headset after thousands and thousands of hours and never look back. It always shocked me. How could someone with such a strong love and determination have it just vanish one day without warning? I had a clue from an old WW2 vet. After the war he hated flying and never sat in a plane again for over 30 years then one day the inspiration hit him and he was back at the field. He told me that after 4 years of war airplanes began to represent something negative to him. After some time he was able to forgive and forget and back his interest came. I still didn't understand then two years ago I was laid off from a good flying job. No big deal, I have been furloughed or laid off many times, but this time was different. I didn't have the desire to start looking for another flying job anymore. I made a few half hearted efforts but it was gone. I own a small airplane. I figured that perhaps I would put some time on the tach of my old friend and that would light up the dream again, but it too sits dormant and dusty in the hangar. I can't even bare to look at it anymore. It was like a switch was turned off somewhere and I don't know how to get it back. I know I still have the love and drive but still that part of me is lifeless. I also know that when my friends and I made it to a big jet our mutual interest in small planes dried up. At least I enjoyed taking my plane up once in a while. They wouldn't even sit in a shiny new 182RG if you were to give it to them. They would just say "thanks" and promptly sell it.
Anyone with any advise? Anyone with a similar experience?
SkyLine
Anyone with any advise? Anyone with a similar experience?
SkyLine