Yes, I thought of getting such a response.
Falcon, you say I'm undecisive. If I look at myself, I can say for some things I am, and for others I'm not. I eat with my friends almsot every meal, and 2 out of 3 meals I will not know where we should eat. On the other hand, there have been occasions while I was in training flights, where I had to make quick aeronautical decisions, and my CFI told me that they were good decisions.
Of course, we are not all born professional pilots, we usually become professional pilots.
For example, on my last flight, my CFI pulled the throttle on me right when I was about to turn base, and I already had a notch of flaps in...ABC came to mind, best glide speed, and get the plane on the runway...what I didn't process fast enough, and had a momentary block on, was weather I should leave that notch of flaps, for flying under 80 knots (which is usually when you put first notch) as glide speed was 76 knots, to have that extra lift at slow slpeeds...or take the flaps out, for least drag...
my CFI had to help me by saying "You're not gonna make it with flaps extended, even one notch" or something like that...
but I learned from that, and now next time on an engine out, I won't put in any flaps at all, unless I have the field made.
Decison making skills come from experience, which is what the professional pilot hiring system is based on...number of hours of experience, and types of hours etc...
As for my indecision whether to become a pro pilot or engineer, I know that it seems like I might be eating your brains with my nth post, but I think you guys do not realize that this is going to be my biggest decision in life. And i mean, BIGGEST, MOST IMPORTANT decision in my life.
Why? If I become a pro pilot, I will probably not do a Masters degree, and spend those 40 grand on some 400 flight hours, getting, getting my ratings.
If I go fly for a couple of years, and decide I don't like it, it's extremly difficult getting back into Engineering, especially without a Masters degree and some work experience needed...people look at your age...and say, "what have you been doing son?"
While in aviation, it's different, you can start flying when you are 40.
I KNOW there is no typical day for a corporate pilot, and that's why I like it over Part 121 or 135, because of that irregularity, and because you fly smaller planes.
I am studying Aerospace Engineering. I'll know a heck of a lot about aircraft by the time I graduate. I'm probably going to have at least my PP/ASEL-IA, and have a chance to work up to CFI-II-MEI.
I speak English, and if I end up flying to Europe, I can speak French and Italian fluently. I have been to those countreis, lived in them, know them.
I've even been in the Middle East...
all of these seem like great things for a Corp pilot.
I love flying, even though I'm trying to discover whether corp. flying is for me...
I mean, I love flying at leisure, seeing new places, flying new and greater airplanes...love cockpits...would love to work with another pilot in multi-crew envirionment...and laugh about things in the cockpit...have fun, I love ATC talk, and airport environments.
You say, "why the hell do you not become a corp pilot" then?
I'm a year from graduating with one of the most difficult degrees, in one of the best universities. I love engineering too, designing planes and spacecraft...
see...i'ts just a big decision, and I can't make it in one day. That's why I am trying to get advice and help with you guys...
and I know there is a limit...but I'm trying to learn about your jobs as much as possible...
plus I'm not a Citizen...so it's going to be hard for me, more than for Americans...and corp flying in Europe would be much tougher and more expensive...as I would have to take all the JAA training courses...and they seem a lot tougher in some aspects...for example...they got some 14 exams for PP and IR...instead of 2
So, I'm sorry if I'm coming across as a pain in the arse, but this IS really the biggest decision in my life...
and I really need some info on corporate flying, to see if I should dedicate my life to it.
And don't give me that "if you love flying, you shouldn't have doubts about it"
I love airplanes, whether flying or designing them. I'm not considering going into Law or Medicine or Economics. I'm only trying to decide between "designing" and "flying" airplanes
Archer