Ahem.
Well, for the dissenters, I want to apologize if my posts have seemed arrogant or self-agrandizing. Obviously, some have come to know me as a man who will willingly tell you that any success I have had in aviation isn't attributable to any special skill or talent, but only the fact that God has blessed me by giving me this opportunity. Really, I could be stuck in radio, or a middle market TV station, and be forced to do reports on terrorism and security screening. Gaaaaag!
Captain Z, let me be the first to encourage you to get ready to do a great job at Southwest. If I had the PIC turbine, I'd be applying, too! I hope that you will share your experiences for the first month or so. I wish you hadn't mentioned the chocolate river, though. I'm a choco-holic, and I should start going to meetings...
For Saabtrash: sliced white bread? No, just sharing a good experience with some friends online. We're pretty good at sharing the negatives. Why not share the good times, too?
Anyone who does fancy themselves as a master of the Lear (and it will take several thousand hours before I would hope to be counted as an expert) needs to see Bobby Youngkin (sp?) do his routine. I saw most of his show down at Sun n Fun, and he shows the incredible reserve power and agility of this fighter-like business aircraft. I'll be happy if I can keep the client's coffee in the cup, and not in their lap.
A personal aside might be appropriate, given the turns in this thread.
I approach everything that I do with an intention of finding my maximum performance level. I don't always achieve it, but the effort propels me in the right direction. When I am able to achieve a modicum of success, invariably my performance was enhanced by finding pleasure and fulfillment in the process. When something becomes dull or mundane, I have to find ways of brining new insights, stretching the boundaries a little, making the old seem new. Perhaps most important is keeping an attitude of gratitude, because of the many other conditions of life I could be experiencing, most of which would be nowhere as satisfying as talking to Center from FL 410 while moving at 81% of the speed of sound. This is why I always encourage people to follow their dream. For example, at fourteen I was considering a career in medicine, but it wasn't a dream. By sixteen, broadcasting was a dream, and for a while, until the industry was dominated by consultants and focus groups, it was a pretty good dream. Dreams should be followed, and enjoyed when possible.
So far, I've been fortunate to be somewhat successful in aviation. As an instructor, I sent five people for practical tests, and all passed. The students deserve the credit. As a commercial pilot, I was able to fly other people's planes for them, flew some photo missions, and exposed some kids to the wonder of flying along the way. I don't know who had a better time. As a charter pilot, I was able to learn about some new aircraft, fly some dead legs, and make a few dollars. I feel fortunate. If I wasn't able to enjoy myself, then this would feel like just another job.
I hope that most of us here feel that this is a job like no other, warts and all.
I just got back from a two day trip in the midwest. I'll try to write a short post tomorrow.