I threw in the 320 "regular line only" captain bid, for a number of bases right after 330 school thinking there wasn't a snowballs chance in hell of me getting awarded that for a few more years. And, as some of you know, it popped up for NYC in May and I kind of freaked, didn't want to do it and tried to get out of it.
Then I had an epiphany.
I had gotten comfortable. The 767ER out of New York the past few years has been comfortable as hell and, well, I could do it with my eyes closed. Going to some dive bar in an Eastern European country or even walking the streets of Mumbai felt as familiar as taking a stroll in downtown Phoenix.
Some of the cities went to the 330 and, well, I figured I'd both get some Airbus experience and go for the pay raise. Easier commute, a little more scratch and, at the time, more varied flying. However, in DTW, I ended up doing primarily AMS and CDG. Uptown problems, yes, but to go from "Hmm, I think I'll do an IST, an ATH, then a PRG and call it a month" to seeing the same two damned cities isn't what I necessarily consider "joie de vivre". Lots of super senior people that have been doing the same layover, go to the same restaurants, hit the same bars, do the same thing every month. Zzz.
But international wide body FO is comfortable.
And easy.
Dammit, I think I just volunteered myself for hell by flying domestic captain.
Then I had an epiphany a few weeks ago. I'm checking into the hotel in Manhattan and there's another FO in front of me. Over 60, pushing 300 lbs, unkempt and bitching at the front desk clerk about not "immediately' divulging which other crew members were there that would be doing his flight to Asia the next day. A 747 FO.
Presumptuous, of course, but I presume this guy at his age could probably hold captain, but I assume he had gotten comfortable and unchallenged. So the smallest nuances would "set him off" because the fact that the hotel didn't instantly give him a roster of the other cockpit crew members was clearly the most challenging thing he had seen that day judging by the tantrum he was throwing, in full uniform, in front of other customers.
Then I thought, "What decisions am I making today, not to be 'that guy' in another twenty years?" Am I going to seek the comfortable, easy route and "let myself go"?
At that point, I was like "Eff it". It's time. I needed something like this to again, get me out of my comfort zone. I'm sharper, more successful and have a better overall attitude when I'm hungry, a little 'out of my element' and challenged.
So at that point, I knew I've got to knock the bottom out of the 320 captain upgrade. I'm partnered with a new hire who is just starting his new career at my airline and I can help mold him the way the captains that I still confide in helped mold me during my freshman year. @MikeFavinger wrote me a note a month ago about embracing the opportunity because it's a natural extension of what I'm trying to do with Jetcareers and he's absolutely correct.
I'm going to go out and kill this thing. And, some of you guys reading this right now are going to get the "Oh man, you're a new hire. I knew I should have brought more beer money. Welcome."
The folks that can afford to stay FO for their whole career. Rock on. Enjoy that same flipping bike ride in AMS or go all "fap-o-licious" because you can hold weekends off on the 787. But at the end of the day, you're still the worst captain on the seniority-lists's lackey. I have no trust fund, no side-hustle, nothing so I have to go out and bust bigger rocks if I want more goods and prizes.
I'm not going to be that 60-plus 747 FO bitching about unimportant BS who never accepted command.
Naysayers, kiss my ass. Seriously.
Derg is back… bitches.
Then I had an epiphany.
I had gotten comfortable. The 767ER out of New York the past few years has been comfortable as hell and, well, I could do it with my eyes closed. Going to some dive bar in an Eastern European country or even walking the streets of Mumbai felt as familiar as taking a stroll in downtown Phoenix.
Some of the cities went to the 330 and, well, I figured I'd both get some Airbus experience and go for the pay raise. Easier commute, a little more scratch and, at the time, more varied flying. However, in DTW, I ended up doing primarily AMS and CDG. Uptown problems, yes, but to go from "Hmm, I think I'll do an IST, an ATH, then a PRG and call it a month" to seeing the same two damned cities isn't what I necessarily consider "joie de vivre". Lots of super senior people that have been doing the same layover, go to the same restaurants, hit the same bars, do the same thing every month. Zzz.
But international wide body FO is comfortable.
And easy.
Dammit, I think I just volunteered myself for hell by flying domestic captain.
Then I had an epiphany a few weeks ago. I'm checking into the hotel in Manhattan and there's another FO in front of me. Over 60, pushing 300 lbs, unkempt and bitching at the front desk clerk about not "immediately' divulging which other crew members were there that would be doing his flight to Asia the next day. A 747 FO.
Presumptuous, of course, but I presume this guy at his age could probably hold captain, but I assume he had gotten comfortable and unchallenged. So the smallest nuances would "set him off" because the fact that the hotel didn't instantly give him a roster of the other cockpit crew members was clearly the most challenging thing he had seen that day judging by the tantrum he was throwing, in full uniform, in front of other customers.
Then I thought, "What decisions am I making today, not to be 'that guy' in another twenty years?" Am I going to seek the comfortable, easy route and "let myself go"?
At that point, I was like "Eff it". It's time. I needed something like this to again, get me out of my comfort zone. I'm sharper, more successful and have a better overall attitude when I'm hungry, a little 'out of my element' and challenged.
So at that point, I knew I've got to knock the bottom out of the 320 captain upgrade. I'm partnered with a new hire who is just starting his new career at my airline and I can help mold him the way the captains that I still confide in helped mold me during my freshman year. @MikeFavinger wrote me a note a month ago about embracing the opportunity because it's a natural extension of what I'm trying to do with Jetcareers and he's absolutely correct.
I'm going to go out and kill this thing. And, some of you guys reading this right now are going to get the "Oh man, you're a new hire. I knew I should have brought more beer money. Welcome."
The folks that can afford to stay FO for their whole career. Rock on. Enjoy that same flipping bike ride in AMS or go all "fap-o-licious" because you can hold weekends off on the 787. But at the end of the day, you're still the worst captain on the seniority-lists's lackey. I have no trust fund, no side-hustle, nothing so I have to go out and bust bigger rocks if I want more goods and prizes.
I'm not going to be that 60-plus 747 FO bitching about unimportant BS who never accepted command.
Naysayers, kiss my ass. Seriously.
Derg is back… bitches.
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I guess that means no more lunch at Origami with you....?
