I feel incredibly fortunate to have had the opportunity to pursue a career in aviation for almost 46 years. Throughout this time, I have witnessed remarkable advancements and enhancements in this profession. It has lead to a better quality of life, increased respect, and excellent compensation. As I look back, I have seen encouraging trends that might intrigue those who follow my journey here.
When I started taking flying lessons in the summer of 1978, little did I know that I would eventually become a professional pilot. As an 18-year-old fresh out of high school, I didn’t have much ambition or interest in pursuing further education. However, my dad, being an amazing father, had different plans for me! He recognized that I needed structure, purpose, and motivation. One day, after seeing me lounging around doing nothing, he told me that I needed to find a job, pursue education, or receive vocational training. He made it clear that I couldn’t just idle away at home all day long. I understood his message and realized that I had to embrace a new set of rules and responsibilities as I embarked on this new journey. Consequently, “Rules” quickly became an integral part of my life! By adhering to his guidance, I developed a natural inclination to comply with regulations and standards. I am truly grateful to him for instilling this in me!
In the aviation profession, whether it’s General Aviation, Airline, or Military, rules serve as the guiding principles that shape our actions and protect both ourselves and the flying public. We are held to an exceptionally high standard of skill and achievement, often surpassing those of many other industries. From day one, we are taught the importance of adhering to these rules, as the consequences of not doing so can be catastrophic. Our knowledge of these rules is tested through written, oral, and practical examinations, which must be successfully completed before advancing to the next level. To enhance our understanding beyond the ground school and flight training that we must complete, we study accident reports, listen to pilot testimonies, and reflect on our own experiences. We learn from the mistakes of others who have failed to comply with even the simplest of rules. One of the most effective ways to gain a comprehensive understanding of the industry’s rules and to grow as a professional pilot is by seeking guidance from experienced mentors who can share their wisdom with young pilots entering the field.
Every pilot entering the industry plays a unique role. As a new pilot, we start off as a “Student Pilot”, eager to join the ranks and willing to put in the hard work, pay the price, and learn everything there is to know about flying! It’s an exciting and sometimes overwhelming experience for aviation rookies. However, the effort put in brings a reward that not many get to experience. As they progress in their careers, many pilots become Certified Flight Instructors (CFI’s) and follow Yoda’s wise words, “Pass on what you have learned!” Personally, I had a blast as an instructor back in 1982, but it was only a brief stop before I landed my first flying job with just 500 hours under my belt. (I’ll share more about that in another post!)
As a pilot’s career takes off, they continue to grow professionally by acquiring more ratings, training on different and more complex aircraft, and gaining that invaluable experience we all strive for. The pilot career offers countless options to explore.
I’ve listed below what some of them are:
| CFI’s (Flight Instructors) | Management Pilots (Director of Operations, Chief Pilots, Assistant Chief Pilots, Director of Training) |
| Line Pilots Flying as: | Airline Pilots Cargo Pilots Charter Pilots |
| FAA Pilots / Investigators / Inspectors | Corporate Pilots |
My entire career has been extensively as a “Line Pilot” for every company that I’ve flown for. That job is what the non flying public might consider as a “Worker Bee”. We make the product move! My current company offers a unique advantage to the new line pilots that we hire. The FAA has a program in place that they have designated as “PDP” or Professional Development Program. This program has been approved for my company, and as far as I know, we are the only company locally that even offers it. It allows new lower time pilots the opportunity to come to work for us, train under our programs, be mentored by senior experienced pilots and become fully qualified line pilots allowing their time here to be counted towards their total time. That is important as they are building time, getting experience from seasoned professionals and becoming prepared to advance on to the next step in the progression of their careers. So as I move on in my career, I consider it a privilege to be able to offer my council and experience to be a part of this program.
However hard we may strive, there comes a point where our journey must reach its end! The moment approaches when the exhilarating days of soaring through the skies as a full time pilot faces the harsh reality of the truth that dawns upon us with a cruel jolt: Retirement beckons!
It is my desire that one day in the future, I be able to retire at my current employer. I have enjoyed the flexibility that they have offered me in my schedule and have increased my quality of life to a very comfortable level. But, as far as I’m concerned that day is not here yet! I have more that I would like to do in this career and I’m searching diligently to reach that point here with them. So until that next step presents itself, and the days flying as a line pilot come to an end, I plan on pouring myself into the new pilots that come across my path and hope that just maybe I can provide a little more insight and wisdom into our future aviation professionals!
Logbook Tales 