mrivc211
Well-Known Member
"The road to my goal"
Well, no one said it would be easy. But here I am, a CFI with all but the CFII and MEI completed. I'm where I wanted to be two years ago. Have I realized what its taken me to get this far? I do a little more now than before because of the hardships that I"m enduring. Since I had a steady good paying job on the weekends, I never really realized how difficult flying can really be financially. Now that my sole source of income is aviation, I find it difficult to survive. by that I mean, treat my girlfriend to a simple thing such as lunch.
Some of you senior guys that have been doing this a while are saying welcome to the club, and "get used to it", well I must admit it is not only embarrassing and humiliating, but I also am at a point in my life like no other before. I've always been provided for by either my parents or had a job thats supported my expenses, but now I find myself struggling to keep my head up high because my bank account has sunk down low. And I have to admit, its not just that but rather the feeling of not being able to provide when my girlfriend and I go out. I was brought up to always be a gentleman and open doors, and pay for dinner, and as some of you may not have experienced this yet, but not being able to for me is a hard thing to accept.
I now can see why so many pilots have had divorces. First, I thinks its because they are away so often, secondly, they have to endure the hardships of not making any money for a long time. I mean you really have to love flying to want stay in this business at a time like this. Sometimes I can see it in her eyes, wondering how we'll be able to ever be on our own, if things continue this way. Thats what scares me the most! Wondering if shes going to hang in for the long run. I hope she does.
How have all the guys before me done this? They must have been through the same things that I'm experiencing now. Maybe and most likely worse. How much worse can it be? Huh. Have I seen the bottom? Whats more to come? What if I;m 35 have two kids, and mortgage, and a couple of cars, and I get laid off? What then? Should I consider myself lucky that I don't have to face kids at a time when I struggle to face myself.
I've come this far, and I can't give up now. A few things I've realized in the past few years is I have to stop saying, "in six months when ______ gets finished, I'll finally be happy and done!". You have to live for today, because before you know it, you've lived your whole life saying this and have never had the chance to enjoy it like your suppossed to.
When I'm up there with a few of my students, looking out the window during climb out, just living in the clouds for that brief moment, while the student is sweating and his hearts racing at a million miles per hour, I think to myself, this is what its all about. There are no words to describe the feeling. But my one wish while I'm up there is that I hope that I'm able to do this for the rest of my life and be able to live a normal life doing it.
The inspiration that I need is slowly starting to wonder if shes made out for this type of life. And the true test will be if I can go on with out her. The reason why I attach aviation and her together so much is because you could say she got me into aviation. I would never be where I"m at today if it wasn't for her pushing me to realize my dream. And I guess you could say that without her being there, is like losing 50% of the dream.
One thing I can say is whenever I walk upto the bank teller and make my $120 deposit for one weeks pay, I open my wallet to find my Commercial pilot certificate and Certified Flight Instructor Certificate. And thats what makes me feel like my money has been well spent!
So to some of you guys out there, I ask.......what types of hardships are you enduring, or have endured? I'd like to hear the stories of determination and sacrifice to not only get myself going, but to keep other students aware of what they're getting into!
Omar
Well, no one said it would be easy. But here I am, a CFI with all but the CFII and MEI completed. I'm where I wanted to be two years ago. Have I realized what its taken me to get this far? I do a little more now than before because of the hardships that I"m enduring. Since I had a steady good paying job on the weekends, I never really realized how difficult flying can really be financially. Now that my sole source of income is aviation, I find it difficult to survive. by that I mean, treat my girlfriend to a simple thing such as lunch.
Some of you senior guys that have been doing this a while are saying welcome to the club, and "get used to it", well I must admit it is not only embarrassing and humiliating, but I also am at a point in my life like no other before. I've always been provided for by either my parents or had a job thats supported my expenses, but now I find myself struggling to keep my head up high because my bank account has sunk down low. And I have to admit, its not just that but rather the feeling of not being able to provide when my girlfriend and I go out. I was brought up to always be a gentleman and open doors, and pay for dinner, and as some of you may not have experienced this yet, but not being able to for me is a hard thing to accept.
I now can see why so many pilots have had divorces. First, I thinks its because they are away so often, secondly, they have to endure the hardships of not making any money for a long time. I mean you really have to love flying to want stay in this business at a time like this. Sometimes I can see it in her eyes, wondering how we'll be able to ever be on our own, if things continue this way. Thats what scares me the most! Wondering if shes going to hang in for the long run. I hope she does.
How have all the guys before me done this? They must have been through the same things that I'm experiencing now. Maybe and most likely worse. How much worse can it be? Huh. Have I seen the bottom? Whats more to come? What if I;m 35 have two kids, and mortgage, and a couple of cars, and I get laid off? What then? Should I consider myself lucky that I don't have to face kids at a time when I struggle to face myself.
I've come this far, and I can't give up now. A few things I've realized in the past few years is I have to stop saying, "in six months when ______ gets finished, I'll finally be happy and done!". You have to live for today, because before you know it, you've lived your whole life saying this and have never had the chance to enjoy it like your suppossed to.
When I'm up there with a few of my students, looking out the window during climb out, just living in the clouds for that brief moment, while the student is sweating and his hearts racing at a million miles per hour, I think to myself, this is what its all about. There are no words to describe the feeling. But my one wish while I'm up there is that I hope that I'm able to do this for the rest of my life and be able to live a normal life doing it.
The inspiration that I need is slowly starting to wonder if shes made out for this type of life. And the true test will be if I can go on with out her. The reason why I attach aviation and her together so much is because you could say she got me into aviation. I would never be where I"m at today if it wasn't for her pushing me to realize my dream. And I guess you could say that without her being there, is like losing 50% of the dream.
One thing I can say is whenever I walk upto the bank teller and make my $120 deposit for one weeks pay, I open my wallet to find my Commercial pilot certificate and Certified Flight Instructor Certificate. And thats what makes me feel like my money has been well spent!
So to some of you guys out there, I ask.......what types of hardships are you enduring, or have endured? I'd like to hear the stories of determination and sacrifice to not only get myself going, but to keep other students aware of what they're getting into!
Omar
