Lurkers, Lurkers, Lurkers!

[b_r]

Welcome Heath, I look forward to lurking your story.

Doug-I love these "Lurkers come out" threads we get occaisionally--they really work, someone new always signs up and quiet folks like me chime in for a bit. Since you mentioned the free JetCareers frisbee idea, here are a few more I came up with.

Every month on JCs, there'll be a Lurker NoLonger Drive much like a NPR pledge drive, only sign up is for free and there will be monthly giveaways--such as:

+ A trip to Vegas on the virtual airline of your choice
+ Amnesty from ridicule for at least your first 5 posts-10 if you're in high school!
+ A free carton of milk delivered to your door within a week of signup (we'll need more corporate sponsorship for this one)

There's no limit! Except financially, I suppose.

Well there you have it, again, welcome Heath.

And if you're out there lurking, debating signing up like all of us once did, do it! You won't regret it, but your boss might!

 

[Kristie]

We need to hear from our new Rugby51 friend too... I take it your into Rugby AND flying??

tell us your story guys!

 

[derg]

Good ideas!

I like the amnesty idea!

 

[Heath]

Yeah, too late for the amnesty for me. Gee, I didn't realize my eyes were so far apart,

!!

Oh well, it makes for better depth perception, which makes me a MUCH better pilot than average!!

My story:

Grew up infatuated with airplanes and all things aviation. Flew remote control planes as a teenager. My best friend and I had dreams of flying in the military and then "making it big" in the airlines. Then, I was crushed to discover that my vision was not 20/20, and as I got closer to graduation from H.S. it got significantly worse. My parents agreed to pay for laser surgery if I got accepted into the academy, but then I was informed that even with laser surgery, I wouldn't be able to fly in the military. I was devastated, and believed that the only way to fly professionally was through the military. So, I switched gears and pursued a 'normal' career, got a business degree, and have worked in the insurance industry for 10 years.

This summer, I decided to partially fulfill my dream by getting pilot's license, as I finally had the means to pay for training and get my own plane (didn't buy a plane, but knew I could when I wanted to). I LOVE flying. I find myself thinking about it all the time and sneaking out of the office all the time to put hours in. It was then, in talking to my CFI's that I discovered that it is possible to fly in the airlines as a civilian.

I've been decidedly unhappy with my present career. And, I've been contemplating pursuing law school. In a recent soul-searching conversation with my gf, I have come to the conclusion that money isn't everything and that I should pursue a career that makes me happy, not rich. I know that flying for a living is a REALLY tough way to make a go of things, but I'm committed to doing a job that I get up every morning and look forward to it, and I KNOW that is in aviation.

So, now I'm just trying to decide the best way to make it happen, and really value the advice I see on this site. I'm thinking of selling the house, taking my commissions and heading off to ATP to get my ratings and then building time as a CFI with them till I could land a job. The pros, it would build the time reasonably quickly; it would be mostly multi time; its not as expensive as, say ERAU's CAPT program. The cons, its still a LARGE outlay of cash; will the market for pilots have turned around in the year-and-a-half that it would take me to build up to airline minimums (I'm thinking maybe as the economy is starting a measurable upturn and the regionals have been hiring some); it will be an adjustment going from having plenty of money, to having to eat ramen and pbj again. I could go the FBO route, but that would take forever to build 1,500 hours in my small community, probably 3+ years, and I'm not getting any younger at 33.

I am debt free and have a girlfriend that I'm certain will be my wife very shortly who is a nurse, so we could conceivably get by with me making very little for a while. And, we've talked at length about the sacrifices involved and she's really excited about the change and says she would support me 100%.

So really, I'm just trying to decide between paying as I go locally and it taking WAY longer to build time working as a CFI somewhere local, or plunking down $35k, getting tickets quickly with the understanding that I have a shot at getting hired where I could build the time in about a year, and build it in multi.

So, that's where I'm at. WOW! that's one HUGE post.

Careful what you ask for, you just might get it!

Heath

 

[Rugby51]

[ QUOTE ]
We need to hear from our new Rugby51 friend too... I take it your into Rugby AND flying??

[/ QUOTE ]

Played a little rugby in my younger years - one year at the Air Force School for Boys (&girls) in CO, then three season at U of Washington.

But then grown-up life set in (six months work in Freetown, followed by a wedding and a couple of chitlins) and just didn't have the time to keep playing. Fun sport, though, I highly reccomend it!

Anywho, I'm getting kinda tired of that whole grown-up life thing and I'm tapping into my youthful dream of flying.

Mark

 

[Kristie]

Dang Heath, Debt free - now that's the way to go!!! we keep trying to get there but ugh... so... difficult...

How far have you tapped into your flying Mark?

me - I'm still just the "pilots wife" but i've been thinking of going up and learning a thing or two about a thing or two...since the "pilot" in my life likes to stay on ground when he's home

 

[ready2fly]

[ QUOTE ]
Yeah, too late for the amnesty for me. Gee, I didn't realize my eyes were so far apart, !!


[/ QUOTE ]
It was a joke.

GREAT story, Heath. Very much like my own. I, too, had no idea one could ascend to the Major Airline through the civilian route until I checked into getting my PPL.

Flash forward 1.5 years later and I'm about 1/2 way through my Commercial Rating and I hold both Single and Multi-engine/Land - Instrument Certificates.

Good stuff!

Best of luck!! Welcome!

R2F

 

[Rugby51]

[ QUOTE ]
How far have you tapped into your flying Mark?

[/ QUOTE ]
I'm finishing a Part 141 ground school in a couple of weeks, and stashing away a little bit of cash to start flying. Hopefully, the flyin' will start sometime next month. Course, being in Western Washington, there will probably be about 3 VFR days a month until May!
[ QUOTE ]
...since the "pilot" in my life likes to stay on ground when he's home


[/ QUOTE ]
So Doug's not eager to hope in the ol' cessna when he gets home from a trip?

 

[derg]

Well, welcome to the website, it's your forum and it can be as friendly or as "p-o'd caged monkey flinging poo" as you want it to be but I prefer the 'friendly' side!

 

[montanapilot]

Hey Doug,

how often do you go flying in small GA aircraft since you've been flying for delta?

 

[ready2fly]

[ QUOTE ]
Well, welcome to the website, it's your forum and it can be as friendly or as "p-o'd caged monkey flinging poo" as you want it to be but I prefer the 'friendly' side!

[/ QUOTE ]
I think we all do.... well... MOST of us.. There are some desparately bitter, egomaniacle, self-important, miscreants who GO and COME around here.

Those of us who have been here on an almost daily basis for years, though - we'll try to treat ya right.

<ducks for cover

>

 

[derg]

Three times.

 

[ready2fly]

Or maybe "they" never really left at all......

Doo doodoo doo, doo doodoo doo<-----theme from Twilight Zone

 

[Kristie]

[ QUOTE ]
Hey Doug,

how often do you go flying in small GA aircraft since you've been flying for delta?


[/ QUOTE ]

he hasn't... the last time he took me up was over 2 years ago when we were living in florida...

I keep begging - but it still gets me nowhere (boo hooo)...

 

[Heath]

Too funny Kristie, classic case of "the cobblers kids have no shoes!"

Well, I think you guys need to break down and move to Peachtree City, and then I'll know someone there besides my girlfriend! I'll have my CFI then and I can give you lessons to help build my time!!!