I Feel Odd, But . . .

It is a mixture of getting the breaks and making the breaks. I wouldn't get irritated about someones perspective.

As for me:

I feel as if I bought the winning lottery ticket. Now, had I not looked at the day of the week, walked into the store, and had a dollar to put down, and then followed up by reading the paper to see if I won, then the luck wouldn't have mattered, but since I did all of those things then I was able to take advantage of the luck I had.
Get my analogy?

I wanted to be a captain at an airline, so I read JC and figured out how to get to an airline
(lucky I found JC: worked the info I found there)
I got hired with OO at the perfect time to upgrade at 1.5 years, the guys a year behind me won't get to and the ones in front had to wait longer
(lucky timing: preparation for the opportunity when it came)
I wanted to do firefighting someday, it seemed nearly impossible but I logged all of the time I needed for the eventuality.
(luck I made a connection here on JC: worked it by reading between the lines on posts and guessed that someone here was involved in firefighting)

I didn't think there would be a job for me this year, but we were working on VLA's for our crews and I was working at getting an opportunity just in case.
Lucky that I got a contract and that the VLA program happened the same week, (timing) now VLA's are not being awarded because our company found a way to utilize our crews Prepared by putting in for the VLA the first week!

SO everything is preparation/luck/timing.

Dough knows that, he was just saying that the job didn't fall in his lap like some new folks think, just that he worked hard, networked and when the opportunity presented he was ready. He is also a very lucky guy as well. (just look at his wife):D
 
Doug Taylor said:
Well before there's a raging mob with pitchforks and torches at my door, I figure it's like this: I went to Skyway when no one wanted to go to Skyway because all they had were Beech 1900's and billions of tiny bases in small towns. A lot of guys left for bigger regionals but I just stayed primarily because I didn't want to make any lateral moves.

When I got hired by Southernjets, it was *not* the place to be at all. A long career of riding side-saddle in a huge fleet of 727s. Out of a class of 30, at least 5 left for United because they had better bases, larger aircraft and 3 year upgrades to captain and new hires flying 777's and 747's was supposed to be the industry "norm" and there was no way I was going to get that type of advancement staying where I was. Hell, one of my classmates even left for USAir.

Well, there's no luck involved in being prepared for the opportunity when it presents itself, and I had a networking net like a deep Atlantic fish trawler so it was a lot of worn-out shoes, huge telephone bills, and a lot of lunches bought on a CFI's salary.

It looks a lot rosier from the outside, but don't forget that I've been through two massive paycuts, airline bankruptcy and while it looks like a somewhat fashionable place to be today, that wasn't necessarily the case a few years ago and it's unrealistic to think it'll be the fashionable place to be in a few years. Ebb and flow.

I've had a good career thus far looking backwards, but you never know what's just around the corner in this business. I could literally be working at Subway sandwiches telling stories of lore about traveling around the world and having to explain "No, not the faucet company, GEEZ, the airline!!! Haven't you ever heard of it?!" :)

If being prepared for opportunity when it presented itself is considered luck, well, so be it. I think if you look at the whole life/career story, I think you'll see that I had a lot of determination. If you just look at the "good parts" it might look like it just fell in my lap for some.

I consider luck like a waking up one day, driving down the street to the Chevron and someone saying, "Hey! Our G5 captain just quit, come work for us! I assume you're a pilot?" :)
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So...Cliff's Notes version...you agree you were lucky? :D
 
I think it's preparation + luck + timing is what he meant. Perhaps I'm wrong! ;)
 
WacoFan said:
So...Cliff's Notes version...you agree you were lucky? :D
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I've had moments of luck, sure. When some short guy stepped out of a pickup truck and walked in the front door of our flight school, stood there ignored for about five minutes and I put down my lunch, walked out into the lobby and apologized that no one had helped him earlier, it turned out to be UPS Captain Aaron Gould who taught me the core principles of networking and that you must 'pay it forward' over the next couple of years. That was luck.
 
I highly doubt there are many of us here that do not love flying. Personally, I still truly love my job. I am frustrated with it at the moment, mainly because of financial uncertainty and the current economic environment. I think once I can get myself in a more comfortable financial position, not living paycheck to paycheck, I will be much, much happier. It just seems every time I'm about to get ahead, something happens that puts a damper on things. Adding to that worry is the instability of our company at the moment.

Even though these are stressful times, I still generally enjoy going to work and having this career. I honestly am not sure what else I would do for a living.
 
Doug Taylor said:
I think it's preparation + luck + timing is what he meant. Perhaps I'm wrong! ;)
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Yup.

My preparation was great... my luck... so-so, and my timing downright terrible. I got turned down by NWA and UAL before going to AA in the spring of 2001. When I got hired there, life was great. The first 6 months in ORD were the Garden of Eden. It was amazing, I truly had found paradise. Then 19 hijackers used 2 of my airplanes as airborne missiles and killed 17 of my co-workers. I ended up on the street, and my career is now over because of it. On 9/10 I had 1000 people junior to me, they were putting through classes of 50 every week. AA had lost my background check info that put me in class 4 weeks after when I should have been, resulting in me being 10 days behind the TWA people instead of a couple weeks ahead of them (and still working today).

That's the way the cards fell. I had no control over 9/11 or the background check info loss. Life's a card game and you can only play the cards you're dealt. I took my hand and played it, and now I'm here. I have chosen not to be angry, resentful or bitter about things, and simply move forward and make my life great from here on out working with the "cards I'm dealt". So-to-speak. Play your cards well, know how to bluff, and learn to hide your tells. :)
 
FlyChicaga said:
. I am frustrated with it at the moment, mainly because of financial uncertainty and the current economic environment.
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FlyC,

After 35 years of 121 flying, I can tell you that'll never change but just affect you differently depending where you are in your career path. In fact, it's the only thing you can count on...even after retirement.

It's like Frank said:

That's life, that's what all the people say.
You're riding high in April,
Shot down in May
But I know I'm gonna change that tune,
When I'm back on top, back on top in June.
 
MQAAord said:
Yup.

My preparation was great... my luck... so-so, and my timing downright terrible. I got turned down by NWA and UAL before going to AA in the spring of 2001. When I got hired there, life was great. The first 6 months in ORD were the Garden of Eden. It was amazing, I truly had found paradise. Then 19 hijackers used 2 of my airplanes as airborne missiles and killed 17 of my co-workers. I ended up on the street, and my career is now over because of it. On 9/10 I had 1000 people junior to me, they were putting through classes of 50 every week. AA had lost my background check info that put me in class 4 weeks after when I should have been, resulting in me being 10 days behind the TWA people instead of a couple weeks ahead of them (and still working today).

That's the way the cards fell. I had no control over 9/11 or the background check info loss. Life's a card game and you can only play the cards you're dealt. I took my hand and played it, and now I'm here. I have chosen not to be angry, resentful or bitter about things, and simply move forward and make my life great from here on out working with the "cards I'm dealt". So-to-speak. Play your cards well, know how to bluff, and learn to hide your tells. :)
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This is a blend of luck/preparation/timing as well ;)

It just didn't turn out how Amber expected, now she's in the looney bin while a cat studies the FAR/AIM manual (or should I say FAR + AIM):laff: . . . Life IS like a box of chocolates!

I was going to be an air attack pilot but a drunk driver went through a fence at an airport and totaled my ride, bad luck, the next day SkyW announced the first open interviews in several years, good luck . . . results may vary!
 
Funny timing for this thread.

I was climbing out this morning watching a stream of traffic on the highway below all headed for their cubicles in the city and had one of those "man, I love this job" moments.

Felt like the luckiest guy in the world.
 
wheelsup said:
Thing of it is, even the best preparation is ruined by bad luck or timing. You really can't group them together.
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Just as even the best luck can be ruined by bad preparation. How many times have we heard of athletes "lucky" enough to be born with incredible athletic ability throw it down the drain?(Michael Vick anyone?)

Luck is just a part of life. We're lucky we were born with the ability to do this job because we've all met someone that was an aspiring pilot that you knew would come no where close to reaching a 121 cockpit.

So I completely agree with Doug, always prepare yourself to take advantage of an opportunity when it presents itself. That combined with determination will take you somewhere.

Even our prime example of bad luck and timing Zap, ended up in a comfortable place because he kept his determination and preparation.
 
Trip7 said:
Luck is just a part of life. We're lucky we were born with the ability to do this job because we've all met someone that was an aspiring pilot that you knew would come no where close to reaching a 121 cockpit.
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Tap the brakes a little Marcus.

Maybe not last long in a 121 cockpit, but I have met atleast one person that shouldn't be driving a car and he is in a 121 cockpit. Been there for a couple years.

Jtrain and Kellwolf know exactly who I'm talking about.
 
Doug Taylor said:
I don't know how y'all fly for an hour, take all of your crap out of the airplane, find food, move into another aircraft, get rerouted and repeat it four or five times with a whopping 10 hour "long" layover. :)
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I want to do exactly what you do when I'm a big boy!

But really, Doug, you're my role model. ;)
 
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