Success, then and now

[JeppsOnFire]

I haven't posted here for a while, so long in fact I couldn't recover my username and password. Seems to me I've forgotten, or been forgotten. Not sure why I feel the urge to post but whatever, here goes. So I've been catching up on the AvCanada drama over my last few days off. I've been reading about the difficulties faced by both ends of the spectrum. The young kids' struggle to find that first job to the grizzled veterans having their hard earned retirement plans scuttled before their eyes. Largely negative, although occasionally positive and punctuated with some good old fashioned Bravo Sierra.

It made me think of my own career and if I would be considered successful by those engaging this board. I started out like most: young, ambitious and completely ignorant. Dreams of contrails, rolly bags and sandy beaches. I was fortunate to actually land a job shortly after finishing my MIFR. I'm not just being modest, I was lucky. Many people think that by being qualified (technically speaking) and simply working hard is enough. It's generally required, but it is not enough - you have to have been given an opportunity. This is something you have little to no control over. You can be the best pilot, work the hardest and be devastatingly handsome, but without someone giving you an opportunity you have nothing. Opportunities often mirror the economic tides.
I've worked doing patrols, medevac, survey, cargo, charter and corporate. I did just about everything other than Airline flying. This is generally where some people believe I have failed as a pilot. I would like to speak to that.
Although I imagine operating a Boeing or Airbus around the globe competently would be deeply satisfying, the job security of a major airline comforting and the defined schedule a bonus to my family life, I have intentionally stayed with the corporate side. The benefits that keep me in my job, I believe, would best be portrayed in a short, 'day in the life' type of format.

I wake up around 6am. Actually it's about 5 minutes to 6. I generally seem wake just before the alarm and don't have to disturb my wife. It's been a good 5 days off. I went all-out on my honey-do list and I'm really quite proud of it. I took my young daughter out on a couple 'coffee' dates where we could just hang out and maybe colour a Dora picture or two. My son is still quite young but I was in the kitchen making a latte when I turned around and he 'walked' from the couch to the chair for the first time. That was pretty cool. One of the days I spent the afternoon in my workshop outside putting the final touches on the coffee table I've been working on. No rush, I'll finish it when I finish, and I don't want to be embarrassed when I tell people I made it. I really love the smell of fresh cut maple. At some point I sat at the computer and paid the bills. Hey look, I made enough money to pay all the bills and even have some mad money left over. Maybe I'll be super boring and dump it into my investment fund, or maybe put it into the travel account - we usually go somewhere once a year because we love travelling. Finally, after all the years making just enough money to pay the rent and the minimum credit card payment, I have a respectable income.
Now the days off are over and I have to whore myself out, right? Well, depends on what you consider work. I drive the 12 minute commute to the hangar. The airplane is cleaned and outside, awaiting a fuel order. I sit in the big bright flightplanning room and get to work. Look at the weather awaiting us a couple thousand miles away, the winds enroute and decide the best route to take. Plug in all the numbers and let the software compute our numbers. Only 3 legs. Takes about 45 minutes to square all the paperwork, customs etc. Meanwhile, my colleague is busy in the airplane - firing up the APU, cooling the cabin and programming the FMS with the filed routes that would've been received via email. Catering and commissary all being taken care of behind her as she does this. An hour later the twin turbo fans are hot and turning fast behind us. Through 80 KIAS I say-you have control and she accepts. Rotate smoothly and we push off both mains earnestly into the air. A little hand flying initially, because really, why not? We're a little heavy and it's also a little warm so we level off a little lower than normal and watch the mach climb to about 0.78. That'll do. A few hundred miles down the road when we're lighter, we'll climb and get the fuel flows back a bit more. For now we're happy. Sun is behind us and the view is amazing. Starbucks in the drink holder and the mood light. We'll make our first stop then another, shorter leg to final destination. This is an airport my colleague hasn't flown into before so I figured she might enjoy flying the leg into there. Which she does with ease.
Button the plane up for the night, hop into the rental car and head for the hotel. A nice hotel - always. Not extravagant but nice. We meet in the lobby and head out to the beach front restaurant. Have a nice meal and some non-work conversation and then go our separate ways for the night. I unwind on my balcony with a glass of wine and maybe a book. Another hard day at work.
The following morning is breakfast and I catch up with the newspaper. Amazing what can happen in a day. Depends on whom I'm with, but generally if we have the day off we'll explore the area or see some tourist attraction. Dinner in a different place, usually a local recommend and lights out for the night.
Other than bad weather, the flight home the next day is the same. We brief the departure and deal with some lines of thunderstorms on the way home but nothing terribly unusual. Shake our passengers hands and wish them well, the tug pushes our plane inside and I finish up the paperwork. Always paperwork. I don't mind though. Before I leave I usually check my schedule - next flight is in 3 days. Just a day trip. Think I can handle it.

I expect some AvCanadians will attack this and point out the error of my ways and explain how their job is better. It might very well be, for them. To each their own. I just wanted to let others (mostly the new crop) know that although the Airline business was, without question, the best show in town in the past, it may not actually be the pinnacle of aviation moving forward. I am dubious after reading all the posts about foreign workers, ultra low cost carriers, regional subcontractors fighting over marginally profitable contracts, etc. There is so much more out there than that. Maybe I would be happy flying the big iron, but I can't say for sure. I can say for sure that my job now gives me everything I've been looking for since I started in this game, and I am able to achieve it many years before I could as an Airline pilot. So am I just a bum who didn't make it to the majors and deserves no respect? Maybe.

Or maybe there's a new best show in town.

[Tail-Chaser]

Sounds like paradise.

[cdnpilot77]

Sounds like paradise.

For those of us not "chasing tail" it is!

[esp803]

What they said ^

[NeverBlue]

That was a cool post Jepps...the same can be said for many jobs in the industry besides the airline ones.

Thanks for sharing

[JohnnyHotRocks]

Please refrain from such posts in the future....we don't want the secret to get out...I think that is twice in the last month I have had post this!

[boogs82]

A good friend of mine flies corporate. It doesn't seem all that bad.

[arctic_slim]

That's a very good post. I would not say that you failed in any way because you didn't go airline. as you said, everyone has their own goals and ideas in life. For some the airline pay/schedule is the best, for some the corporate pay/schedule is better and for some going up north and flying floats/bush has the best pay/schedule. In my opinion, you have had success in your career as long as you are where you want to be.

I am probably considered one of the new/fresh/young guys withbig dreams with only 1000 hours total and I don't know yet what I want to do. I have always wanted to go airline but the more I learn about other sides of aviation the more intrigued I am. I think that as long as you survive those first 5-10 years of the career then you have a lot more opportunities to go any direction you want and achieve any lifestyle you want.

[Colonel Sanders]

I don't think a (good) corporate job is
anything to be ashamed of! It's a great
retirement gig for an older guy who isn't
looking for any more hours or qualifications.

Just be sure to have a "plan B" in case your
medical vaporizes, which is more likely to
happen as you age. Three of my retired
air canada friends have had heart attacks
recently, one of them fatal. The other two
will never fly again.

[Sulako]

Corporate doesn't suck.

[imac0960]

It really is about being lucky in getting the first job, sometimes even the higher job. Right place, right time, right connections. Good luck to all in their job hunt. I got my start as Skydive Pilot and will be moving to the float world this summer in NWO. (If summer ever arrives)

[cdnpilot77]

Right place, right time, right connections.

This is no myth! There's definitely some luck, but you also have to foster your own luck!

[Giggidy]

Right place, right time, right connections.

This is no myth! There's definitely some luck, but you also have to foster your own luck!

Well said..

[SmokinJoe]

Hire me lol

[JeppsOnFire]

Maybe the airline folks don't slum it in General Comments too often. I thought I might hear a good argument for making a move to the dark side.
I did think of one major drawback to the Biz Jet world - you are forced to see how the .001%-ers live, from the outside looking in of course..

[xsbank]

I have never flown for an (we're talking majors, right?) airline but having spent some time a night or so ago with an old friend who did, not only does his pension make mine look like chump change but he pretty much enjoyed a lot lower risk in his career than I did. He did get laid off in his early years (but I don't specifically mean to compare finances) although his pay was better for some of his years. When he was noodling around in DC8s, 10s, '67s and 37s and Buses ( in whatever order you like) I was losing colleagues who spun in, hit mountains or otherwise smoked it in.

Despite the decline of pensions and working conditions and all that, the airline pilot is still the most likely to make it to retirement in this crazy, dangerous industry.