A day in the life of a 90 day career pilot student

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That's awesome! I can tell you are having a blast. I hope you always bring a camera with you to take pirctures along the way
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Yup, the canon 10D is always within reach in the back seat!
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Heath

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And where are these pictures.
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j/k.

I cannot imagine how busy you are. Are you planning on putting any of the pics up at some point in time.

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Can I post pics directly here or do they have to be hosted somewhere else?

I've never posted a pic here, so I have no clue. If I can just upload them without having to post them somewhere else and then link to them, I'll post them.

I'll try to post some later and see if it lets me.

Heath
 
Here are some of mine.
ATP photos

Interestingly enough a.net doesn't like pictures that feature pictures about flying. I think they are more interested in making a database on airplane profiles by registrations and stuff like that. I am more into aviation photography, I could care less about following registrations and so on.
 
OK, it's 4/14 and I'm about to take 2129V to NQA(Millington, TN, a Memphis suburb), for anyone bored and wanting to flight track us!

4/13 Wednesday - Day 45

Flew 259AT to ORL(Orlando) and back. The flight was uneventful. We did fly off the coast on V3 on the way back up to get a cool view of the beach from Daytona up to Savanah. 6.3 TT for the day.

Later,
Heath
 
Hey, thanks for the journal--this is great validation that I am about to make the right choice to go to ATP.

Looks like you started around Feb 22. Does this mean you'll be done on May 22?

I just got my 1st class medical am filling out my application and planning to start on June 6th from zero. Crazy me, leaving a posh job at Microsoft and jumping into the wild blue yonder at 38.
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Actually, the first day of ACPP was 2/28. I was time building before then. And yes, I'll be done before 5/28, I'm ahead of schedule and should be done in about 4 weeks.

Today, 4/15, headed in 328JD FTY-RDU, then RDU-TTN, then TTN-HEF. Overnight in HEF, then I don't know where tomorrow.

Switching planes in TTN and I don't know the number, but you can pick the plane out with the TTN-HEF destinations.

Later,
Heath
 
Zippiguy, just curious about your situation. Leaving Microsoft to begin a flying career at age 38? I am 33-year old lawyer and, probably like a lot of guys who lurk on this site, have thought about doing the same thing. Just wondering if you could give us some more background on your decision and general circumstances.

(Perhaps you could start a new thread under the Career Change section so we don't hijack this thread?)


Thanks and good luck to you.
 
For the love of god man! your thinking about quiting practicing law for aviation! DON'T BE STUPID. Get your pilots license and buy your own plane. Keep aviation as a hobby. Take it from a lowly flight instructor- IT AIN'T WORHT IT! Don't get me wrong, I love flying but I wish I would have kept it a hobby and not a career. Now, I'm so far in to it, with debt I'll never be able to pay off, I'm stuck. You guys in your mid to late 30's (or older) need to face the fact that there is a good chance you will never make it to a major. That means you'll be stuck in the regionals making no money for the rest of your careers. You'll always hear people say "it's not about the money, it's about being happy with your career". Your happiness will fade when you do your W-2 at the end of the year. My advice to you would be to do your training at an airport where there is a lot of corporate traffic. Go kiss some serious butt for a few years while instructing and try to go that route.



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Zippiguy, just curious about your situation. Leaving Microsoft to begin a flying career at age 38? I am 33-year old lawyer and, probably like a lot of guys who lurk on this site, have thought about doing the same thing. Just wondering if you could give us some more background on your decision and general circumstances.

(Perhaps you could start a new thread under the Career Change section so we don't hijack this thread?)


Thanks and good luck to you.

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You guys in your mid to late 30's (or older) need to face the fact that there is a good chance you will never make it to a major.

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Duh!! Thanks for your great insight. Maybe we are aware of that. Maybe we don't give a rip if we get to a major. Maybe we are not headed for the 121 route in the first place.
 
Hollywood,
Quit being so pessimisstic (sp). I pay my loan off in 2 more years and even if I make 50-100 g's , its better than being a waiter, construction, sales etc. I love what I'm doing and have been miserable doing what I have.

You make life choices, deal with them. Do not blame us for your choices in life. Some of us have realized that life is more than money!

Good Luck to you and all others!
 
I know this post wasn't directed at me, but I really have to answer to this based on my personal experiences in life:

Quite frankly, some of your advice is good while some of it is...well let's just say, not well thought out.

The way I look at it, life is an adventure. Adventure is never easy but, it has its thrilling moments as well as its depressing moments. Adventure comes through taking action on your dreams. Success comes having a well thought out plan then working hard to achieve the plan for your dream. But, if you just sit there dreaming, things will never happen, will it?

I know some of you out there think money will solve all of your problems--take it from me--it won't--money creates it's own problems. I personally know many miserable millionaires and even a couple of miserable billionaires who are chained to the corporate board room and desperately wish they could bring themselves to do what I am doing.

At various times in my life I have been short of money and other times I have had more than I have ever dared to dream of. Trust me, while money is nice to have, it won't make you any happier, you can never get enough of it, and the more you have, the more certain "undesirable" types come out of the woodwork and attempt to take it away. If you measure your worth by your bank account, you really need to reconsider the definition of success. With that said, yes, it is important to make some money--and, that is a challenge we all have in whatever we do.

I've heard the words "DON'T BE STUPID" so many many times in my life, and you know what? I have always enjoyed the greatest amount of success when I've ignored those words with respect to following my dreams.

Lowly Flight Instructor? In my book you're a god for following your heart. Give yourself some credit, man! Some credit counceling that is. I can tell your choice of career is not the problem--your only problem is that you've made some financial mistakes along the way, which happens to even great lawyers, business men, and software engineers too, believe it or not. Seek help and advice on that from the right people and things will get better, trust me.

Hollywood, I do appreciate your advice on going the corporate route. I will consider anything that will help me as I embark on a new career. So, thank you for that.

My advice to the Oil of Bob: if career in aviation is your dream--go for it! Don't let anyone stand in your way. But, understand what you are getting into first and what is motivating you, compare it to your current "adventure" in life as a lawyer, and have a good and realistic action plan that will take you were you want to go.

Heath, sorry for taking over your thread. You can have it back now. I sure hope I have a chance to meet you someday.

Zippiguy

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For the love of god man! your thinking about quiting practicing law for aviation! DON'T BE STUPID. Get your pilots license and buy your own plane. Keep aviation as a hobby. Take it from a lowly flight instructor- IT AIN'T WORHT IT! Don't get me wrong, I love flying but I wish I would have kept it a hobby and not a career. Now, I'm so far in to it, with debt I'll never be able to pay off, I'm stuck. You guys in your mid to late 30's (or older) need to face the fact that there is a good chance you will never make it to a major. That means you'll be stuck in the regionals making no money for the rest of your careers. You'll always hear people say "it's not about the money, it's about being happy with your career". Your happiness will fade when you do your W-2 at the end of the year. My advice to you would be to do your training at an airport where there is a lot of corporate traffic. Go kiss some serious butt for a few years while instructing and try to go that route.


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Heath's thread has been the source of some great, lively, side topics! It's like reading a story and then all these little sub-plots come into play... but the main story is still ongoing!

Quite frankly... one of the best updated online blogs of an experience at ATP I've read in two years.
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Bob
 
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Heath's thread has been the source of some great, lively, side topics! It's like reading a story and then all these little sub-plots come into play... but the main story is still ongoing!

Quite frankly... one of the best updated online blogs of an experience at ATP I've read in two years.
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Bob

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LOL, I'm gone for a couple of days, and my thread explodes with side topics!
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Hey Bob, how about a day in the life of a new F/O @ XJT blog?!
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Uhg! I just typed a long post to bring the blog up to date, and it crapped out on me and I lost it all!!!
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OK, so one day at a time to prevent a duplicate tragedy, sorry for the mulitple posts, but I only want to do this once more!
 
4/14 Thursday - Day 46

Flew FTY-NQA(Memphis). We had a quick BBQ lunch at Barbarosa's, then off to PNS. First, we were told to fly to FTY, but after filing and calling for our release we were told to fly to PNS (Pensacola, FL). Sooo, amend our flight plan with FSS and then off we go. NQA-PNS, a quick coke and fuel and PNS-FTY. A late evening, getting home after 8:00pm. 2.7 actual and 7.3 TT.
 
4/15 Friday - Day 47

A very cool day today. We flew FTY-RDU (Raleigh-Durham International). It was cool flying into a larger airport. Although the winds were were extremely gusty and 60 degrees across the runway, making for a nerve-racking landing. Lucky us, the local FBO, Piedmont, has a free lunch every 3rd Friday, so we were treated to some NC-style BBQ.
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Then off from RDU-TTN (Trenton, NJ). It was cool flying to Trenton. We were routed directly over Philadelphia and ATC made numerous traffic calls for heavy jets and RJ's crossing in front of and around us to land at Philly!

A quick turn at TTN and we switched planes and off to HEF (Manassas, VA) Flying into Washington was really cool, too. We could see the Washington Monument and the Capital Building off our wing, a shame we could fly over them closer. By day's end at HEF, we were exhausted. A dinner at TGI Friday's where we worked on our CFI pre-tests together at dinner, then off to bed at the Manassas apartments. 7.4 tt.
 
4/16 Saturday - Day 48

Today we were tired from not sleeping in our own beds, and not really looking forward to the flight home. Our heater went out yesterday coming in to Manassas, which wasn't too bad as we didn't have far left to fly. But, today it was 37 on the ground at 8am and we had to fly to 10,000 ft to reach the MEA to cross the mountains to get home. Can anyone say COLD!!!! We flew HEF-HTS (Huntington, WV). We made a turn just long enough to fill up with gas, grab a hot cup of coffee, and let our toes thaw a minute, then back in the air. HTS-FTY. By the time we got home, we were both frozen solid. My feet were still ice cold an hour later when I got home and I don't remember ever being that cold. I'm just glad it didn't happen in the dead of winter! So tired by the time I got home that I just collapsed on the bed and slept for an hour before doing some honey-dos for my wife and going to dinner with her.
 
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