Losing my drive

Tangodelta29 said:
I feel like over the last week or two I've experienced a huge decrease in my age old desire to fly. It is quite an unfamiliar feeling as I haven't changed it in about a decade. It just seems like I'm not as motivated as I used to be :confused:, and it comes as a shock to me. Have you guys ever experienced temporary downfalls, or mini depressions, as far as flying is concerned? It's like I don't care anymore, maybe its because of all the bad times and hardships and furloughs and stuff, I don't know.

I feel lost. Like the thing I've admired so much for so long, isn't really what I thought it was. :(

Any Ideas?
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I hope that's a normal feeling... I feel the same way.. I can't wait to be done with my CFI stuff. I'll be taking a nice long break from flying. I think I'm to the point where if I have to discuss aerodynamics or FARs again I'm going to go insane.

Keep your head up, everything's got ups and downs.
 
mtsu_av8er said:
Oh, but because as pilots here on JC, we like to call people lame for loving aviation, it is unacceptable for others to talk about aviation at a party?

Come on, man - that's just silly.
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There are exceptions though. I know/knew a guy that used the pilot line to try to pick up chicks constantly! This was 10 years ago and we were working on our private together, and talked as if he was Maverick. That's real corny!

I have a lot of friends I grew up with that I still go out and have drinks with that I never talk about aviation with. Not because I dont want to, but because we dont have it in common. We talk about old times, movies, music...

BUT I am not young anymore and dont really make new friends. I have been with my wife ever since i've been flying so I never had to use it as a pick up line. (doubt I would anyways)

Plus I hate most people.
 
mtsu_av8er said:
Max, you're my brother, but I gotta call you on the silliness of that statement.

Would they be equally as lame if they were in the Fine Art department, and they talked about fine art at a party?

What if they were pre-med, and they talked about medicine at a party?

What if they were on the football team, and they talked about football at a party?

What if they're involved in student government, and they talked about student government affairs at a party?

Oh, but because as pilots here on JC, we like to call people lame for loving aviation, it is unacceptable for others to talk about aviation at a party?

Come on, man - that's just silly.
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I happen to agree with Lloyd. :) Max is making the assumption that only pilots are interested in aviation. That's not true! I love hearing aviation stories and did even before I was a FA. Aviation was always something that fascinated me. Besides, it's nice to learn about something you have limited knowledge of. Broadens one's horizons!

Now if we're talking about someone monopolizing the conversation, when the people you're talking to look as if they couldn't care less, that's a whole different story. ;)

Besides, I'd rather hear someone who loves their career talk about it than someone bitch and moan about their career. :panic:
 
Tld said:
Maybe go fly one of these...it'll give you your flying mojo back with the first aileron roll...:D
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yeah that would be nice and all, id really like to take my acro to the national/international level.

unfortunately MONEY makes planes fly, of which i have none, i owe a lot, and have no job that is going to make me any significant amount of it.

i have pretty much quit. unless you are rich, aviation is not for you.
 
Tangodelta29 said:
Yeah that's exactly how I am now. I mean at one point just picking someone up was an EVENT, because I had the chance of seeing one of these babies (just parked even)

It might be a little bit of both. I've always told myself "it'll be different for me" and "since I LOVE flying, any job will be okay" and "ill get by, because I'll be happy"

Well I feel like I've grown up a bit, and maybe I'm looking at what I've told myself to see whether its truly valid.

There is a small part of me that feels like the job just is not the same it used to be, and I don't even mean like 30 years ago. It's confusing, because I guess I really don't know what is causing this mini depression. I got on and off planes like it was anything else, and I didn't find myself in awe of the process.

I'm not that little kid glued to the terminal windows anymore if you know what I mean. :(
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I had a Capt at AA tell me that he knows too many people that left the industry after the mess in 2001. He also said that most regreted leaving.
 
n57flyguy said:
I had a Capt at AA tell me that he knows too many people that left the industry after the mess in 2001. He also said that most regretted leaving.
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It's crazy, there's so many PRO's for leaving, and so many CON's for leaving.

Hard decision.

Even just in this forum, many say QUIT and SAVE. Others say STAY flat out.
 
It is strange how this all plays out. I got the most confused once I made it to the major/legacy carrier!! I thought ok this is it! Oh crap this is it, now what?! I guess I got so used to the climb that once I accomplished my goal I felt a little lost. It didnt last long though, the climb, the years, dollars, frustration, etc. of getting there were worth it!

Along the climb I was excited the night before each lesson and couldn't wait for my next one. And later, I enjoyed instructing and my students - ok, most of them. I got 'stuck' instructing through 9/11 for about five years and was bummed about the career and had many of the shoulda, coulda thoughts. Then things picked up, I did regional flying then off to a major.

We never know how or when we will get to our goal, or even if the goal will change! But the journey is fun too, even when it's tough! So far it has all been worthwhile and I would definitely do it again...

Many of the guys I fly with are ~ 20+ years at the airline and when asked if they would do it again most say, absolutely!! Wouldnt want to do anything else, its been pretty good to me!
 
Any professional pilots on here that don't care much for flying general aviation type aircraft? I don't know if the training for the PPL ruined it for me, but I see it as more of a means to an end than a hobby.
 
BCTAv8r said:
Any professional pilots on here that don't care much for flying general aviation type aircraft? I don't know if the training for the PPL ruined it for me, but I see it as more of a means to an end than a hobby.
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We have a couple that hate GA altogether, and everything that it stands for!
 
BCTAv8r said:
Any professional pilots on here that don't care much for flying general aviation type aircraft? I don't know if the training for the PPL ruined it for me, but I see it as more of a means to an end than a hobby.
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It is brother, at least for us that don't have a couple of million in the bank.
 
flyer2 said:
We never know how or when we will get to our goal, or even if the goal will change! But the journey is fun too, even when it's tough!
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This is really quite a profound statement. It applies regardless of career choice. I tend to have a difficult time 'enjoying the ride' and focus too much on achieving the goal.

What I have learned is that you really must have peaks and valleys to be able to appreciate anything. If it always is blissful, then you will inevitably become numb to the blissful feeling, and get bored.
 
BCTAv8r said:
Any professional pilots on here that don't care much for flying general aviation type aircraft? I don't know if the training for the PPL ruined it for me, but I see it as more of a means to an end than a hobby.
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I fly freighter Metroliners and have been doing it for a few years. At this point in my life I have no desire to fly a 172 or a warrior around. The only airplane I could see myself wanting to buy in the future would be an Aeronca Champ or something similar. That could change, I don't forsee it changing, but there have been a lot of changes I've made in life I hadn't seen coming years earlier. I'm not a GA hater, I just fly 6 days a week for work and on my time off pursue other non-aviation things.

That being said, I don't think I would have continued flight training beyond my private if I hit a huge roadblock during my private (I hate leaving things half done so probably would have finished that no matter what). As I stated in an earlier post I had the same feelings as you while working on my commercial. But, at the time, I had 300 plus hours and was getting tired of the training mode. To do it again I probably would've flown for fun and done a seaplane rating or something at that phase. It all worked out and I enjoy what I'm doing now. I don't think you should force yourself through 300 hours of training if it's not something you enjoy.

If I were you I'd definitely finish the private. Financially it doesn't make a whole lot of sense to invest a lot of money in something and not finish unless you're only a few hours in. Once you have that, go out and fly for fun. You'll need a fair number of hours of cross country for the instrument anyway, so just go fly and have fun. If you don't enjoy the freedom of flying and still feel it's a chore, reevaluate then. I wouldn't make too many decisions until you have the freedom away from your instructor (maybe an instructor change would be good for you?? you may want to try that too) and burn a few gallons of gas taking friends/family up.
 
mtsu_av8er said:
Is he?

YIPEE!!!

Wait - is it the guy that I'm thinking about? The guy that promises to deny Jesus the jumpseat, just because he once rode a regional jet?

BTW - AWESOME signature!!!
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Thats the guy! Velo...somthinorother.

Chuck Taylors know no race, age, sex, or religion. They are Gods gift to use!

Plus, there is nothing hotter than a girl wearing some worn Chucks! :)
 
Take some time off and if/when you get the itch to continue...go backseat with someone first, just enjoy the ride as opposed to the flying/learning/working part of it. I ran into a rut too about 2/3 of the way through my private cuz i had to do it in a hurry to get credit for school so i could graduate and get a job..yea i know, why was i in such a hurry to get out of school? i'm an idiot...anyway, i took a few days off, back seated a coupla times and that really reinvigorated (if that's a word) me, relaxing in a plane for once and enjoying the ride, the view, the beauty of it all. Try that:):)
 
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