More Of Why JetCareers is Awesome

[killbilly]

I find it particularly auspicious to be posting this on the same day of @DPApilot's success.

I passed my ATP initial checkride today - I'm officially an EMB-145 FO.

It has taken me more than 10 years to get here on a very roundabout journey. I do wish Bob Moyer was around to see this - he sorta kicked me off in the right direction and pointed me here, and the rest of you lot have been been around for me ever since. I owe a great debt to the men and women of this forum who have taught me a ton about what is important and not important in professional aviation. I'd have made many costly mistakes had I not made the choices I made.

This moment also makes me painfully aware of losing Chris Dupin and wishing he could see this. I never saw a clear path forward before he was my instructor for CSEL and a later mentor for CFI. I gave my first hour of dual instruction on the day he died....one of the last conversations we had, he said, "see it through, even if it means you decide to change later. Finish." When they flew the missing man formation at his funeral, I said a silent little prayer and told him I would.

There's a whole lot more of you to thank for this and if I accidentally omit you, my deepest apologies...but @Derg , @Kristie, @SteveC , @mikecweb , @Seggy, Mike, John, Bill, Buck, @milleR , @NovemberEcho Matt, @Boris Badenov and @Maximilian_Jenius, @Richman, and @Acrofox and especially @MikeD and @MikeFavinger ....all of you have been part of this journey, and I've marked the time by each of you in some way as we went along.

I owe you all. Thank you. This site is forever embedded in my history. That means something to me.

It still hasn't sunk in....but I'm out of the IT/telecom game for good now. IOE starts in a couple weeks.

-billy

 

[SteveC]

Congratulations! That first jet and ATP ride is a heck of an accomplishment - be very proud!

 

[ASpilot2be]

Congratulations! That's awesome. It's been fun to watch the journey.

 

[NovemberEcho]

First ground stop’s on me!

 

[killbilly]

First ground stop’s on me!

Thank God we don’t fly to Newark.


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[drunkenbeagle]

It still hasn't sunk in....but I'm out of the IT/telecom game for good now. IOE starts in a couple weeks.

So, now that your schedule has opened up somewhat -- feel like coming by to buck rivets on the RV-7?

 

[bimmerphile]

congrats man!!

 

[killbilly]

So, now that your schedule has opened up somewhat -- feel like coming by to buck rivets on the RV-7?

Eventually, sure.

I owe Tara some significant work on the house in my off time over the next couple months. But come spring…why not?


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[DPApilot]

Congratulations again!

 

[DE727UPS]

Congratz. Don't let your CFI lapse. You've got too much background there to let it go.

 

[Shiftace]

Congrats.

 

[Boris Badenov]

Congrats, my dude. As to the thanks, I think I probably speak for everyone who did even the smallest bit of helping (and I'd put myself at the very bottom of that list) when I say "Your success is Our success." But, crucially, *you* earned it, they don't give out type ratings for free.

 

[drunkenbeagle]

Congratz. Don't let your CFI lapse. You've got too much background there to let it go.

As the years tick by, teaching seems most often to be what the universe is asking for. Keep it current, and keep teaching. The greybeards I learned from are dying off. But they have also started telling me that it is my turn to start filling some shoes. But, you know, no pressure and all. Enjoy IOE.

 

[///AMG]

Congrats, that's awesome!

 

[EIR]

Congratulations!

 

[Hiboglossi]

Congratulations!!!

 

[guywhoflies]

Congrats!

Enjoy IOE, it's a very different world than the "everything is failing and on fire all the time" sim training. You'll be hanging on by the tail as your LCP pushes the thrust levers up for the first takeoff. Don't worry, by day three you'll be banging out your flows and not missing any call outs like you've been doing it for years.

While I am certainly happy to have moved on from the regionals, I do miss the camaraderie of flying --and sometimes suffering through -- a four day trip with the same captain and flight attendant.

You will always remember your first airline job. There will be the good, the bad, and the ugly, but it is a helluva ride!

 

[N826AW]

Congrats! Let me know the next time you're around for a hangar beer or two.

 

[bike21]

Heck yeah, congrats!

 

[jmc4]

Congrats Billy, huge accomplishment. Don’t forget to congratulate yourself as well. You are the one who made the decision to do it, and you were the one who put in (most of) the work. (Thanks Tara!)

Remember how proud of your students you are when they solo, since it was about them and their accomplishment? Yea big dawg, this is your time.