A bit of a Personal Dilemma

Jfk-Pilot

Well-Known Member
Alright Guys and Gals i need your help in making a decision.

Background Information:

Back in November I made plans to visit a buddy of mine, for new years in chicago, my trip would last from the Dec31st to Jan4th (arriving back home at 10:30Pm) . I got time off from work, and everything was planned out pretty well.

Well as some of you might know, Less then a week ago, i got offered a Flight Instructor Position with FIT aviation and there standardization class is scheduled for Jan 5th 2009

The Conflict:

My Whole Dilemma is basically caused by the current weather situation that is occurring in the Midwest. As much as i want to go to Chicago, and party my face off with my buddies, i've come to the realization that with the way the weather is, I might run into a possibility of not making it back in time for my standardization class, whether it be because of a canceled or delayed flight.

So now i need to decide if i should take a chance and still go on the trip and hope for the best, or should I stay home, and avoid losing out on my first flight instructor job, because my flight got delayed, canceled... etc

-Stan
 
Dilemma?:laff: Will the friends pay the bills? Now that answer should be your answer for the other question.

Note - A dilemma is along the lines of being in jail and you remind the inmates of their girlfriends with the big booty.
 
should I stay home, and avoid losing out on my first flight instructor job, because my flight got delayed

I find it hard to believe that any reputable employer would fire you because you missed the first day of class due to forces outside of your control. Pre-existing vacation plans are often an issue with new jobs and new employers usually are willing to make some accommodation for it.

If you're worried, then address it head on. Express your concern about the return flight to your employer and ask what options are available to you if you miss the first day. Surely they have some backup plan if an instructor misses a day due to illness or some such thing. If you go, get a phone number of someone to call if the flight is indeed delayed.
 
Not knowing anything about FIT, I'd assume that since they're a flight school they're not reputable and would not hesitate to find someone else to fill the slot.
Like tgrayson said-talk to them about it in advance (don't mention the party your face off part, just pre-existing travel plans).
 
I find it hard to believe that any reputable employer would fire you because you missed the first day of class due to forces outside of your control. Pre-existing vacation plans are often an issue with new jobs and new employers usually are willing to make some accommodation for it.

If you're worried, then address it head on. Express your concern about the return flight to your employer and ask what options are available to you if you miss the first day. Surely they have some backup plan if an instructor misses a day due to illness or some such thing. If you go, get a phone number of someone to call if the flight is indeed delayed.
Why does this answer sound so incredibly obvious to me?
 
If it was your first airline gig would you risk missing the first day of training? They call that an instant resume updater at the chief pilots office. Work first my friend especally in this industry.
 
Here's how I see it: You are trying (hopefully) to set the right kind of impression with your new employer. The last thing you want to do (regardless of how "valid" the reason) is to essentially not show up on your FIRST day of work! I'm sure that you know a "good" pilot isn't always about flying skill...it's primarily about someone who shows GOOD JUDGEMENT.

So your options are:

1. Apologize to your friends and tell them you will party with them later (and if they are really your friends they WILL understand..)

OR....

2. Go to ORD and party and spend the entire time up there stressing about getting back home in time to start your new job. I think that your post shows that you are at least mature enough to get some wisdom before making your decision, but this one is pretty clear cut imho.

If it helps any, I just came from ORD and flying around in the Northeast a few days ago. You can COUNT on delays/cancellations if some kind of lousy weather creeps into the NE. Keep in mind that anything that happens generally in the NE regarding inclement weather pretty much rocks ORD in every way imaginable -- heck we were delayed coming into and leaving ORD with NO inclement weather! Why risk it? Are you really going to enjoy yourself in ORD while worrying about getting back on time? Don't do it.
 
If you're that worried about making it back in time, then don't go & you won't miss your first day of training. Your friends will understand. This does not seem that hard to figure out IMO. Good luck w/ the training.
 
first of all I would like to thank every one who posted their opinions, even though the answer might seem clear to some of you, this is one of the reasons I like this forum so much because I can always count on somebody giving me good advice.

I decided not to go to chicago, its not worth losing out on an opportunity to finally instruct and progress in my aviation career.

-stan
 
first of all I would like to thank every one who posted their opinions, even though the answer might seem clear to some of you, this is one of the reasons I like this forum so much because I can always count on somebody giving me good advice.

I decided not to go to chicago, its not worth losing out on an opportunity to finally instruct and progress in my aviation career.

-stan

Good decision Stan; I promise you, you won't regret it :)
 
Succeeding in this job doesn't require lightning fast reflexes, nerves of steel, or good looks (although I happen to have those too). It does require being able to make a decision without referring to a committee.
 
Eh, how about using all available resources to make the best decision possible.


As far as the original question... stay till Jan 3rd. Best of both worlds!
 
first of all I would like to thank every one who posted their opinions, even though the answer might seem clear to some of you, this is one of the reasons I like this forum so much because I can always count on somebody giving me good advice.

I decided not to go to chicago, its not worth losing out on an opportunity to finally instruct and progress in my aviation career.

-stan
Good call. New Years comes every year, party twice as hard next year!!!
 
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