Originally Posted by ATCsaidDoWhat

DreamtoFlyy..

I had originally planned on sending you a p/m on this, however after some thought decided to post it here.

Regarding this post from TallFlyer:



Excellent advice.

Some advice for what it's worth from an older head. Most of the posters have a chip on their shoulder. They came into the industry thinking they had a right to get what they wanted when they wanted it. They have no clue about the history of the profession and how each generation fought for this industry. As long as you don't fall into that mindset, you'll be fine.

A few suggestions:

* LEARN the history of the industry. Understand how pilots got to where they were and now are. Get your hands on "Flying the Line" Vol's 1 & 2. Yes, it's the history of ALPA and tells it from that perspective. You really need to understand it to understand the industry and how the past relates to the future. Big mistakes have been made by both sides. And a lot of the guys posting snark at you have no idea that it took decades for things to get good and not so long to get bad...and that you can't just wave a magic wand to make it right.

* Don't learn to fly in airplanes that are all "glass." A truly GOOD pilot learns to FLY the plane, not just how program it. I can't tell you the number of F/O's I have flown with who can program the hell out of the FMC's, but can't hand fly the plane worth a damn. When the screens go blank, you still have to fly the plane.

* The cockpit isn't the place to read the paper, flip through a magazine, listen to your iPod, iPad or whatever. The cockpit is where you listen, keep your head on a swivel and keep your eyes open. It's your office. Treat it with respect from your first lesson until the day you retire.

* An old WWII pilot I knew who flew with Chuck Yeager and Bob Hoover once told me that an honest pilot only logs IFR if he's truly IN the clouds or under the hood. No exceptions.

* Buy an E6-B. Learn how to use it. Never forget.

* Don't buy into the hype of ANY pilot mill. Learn the craft, work hard...plan on having to fly at some places for not a lot of money to learn the business...what you learn will save your butt in the long run.

* Think...and think ahead...don't let the magic do it for you. It will only give you answers based on the information you give it. And the information may be wrong, or change rapidly. Use the computer between your ears.

* Read Earnest K. Gann...

* Until you have that dream job, be willing to own nothing more than you can pack in your car and be ready to drive to a new job on 48 hours notice. Having toys is nice...needing to pay for them has kept more than one person tied to a job they hate. And that hate festers.

* Remember that no one forced this career path on you. Anyone who complains about it only needs look in the mirror to see the person who filled their heads with unrealistic expectations.

* Study the people you learn from and fly with. Emulate the positive traits and reject the bad. It will make you a better pilot and a respected F/O...and later, Captain. (Thanks for that advice, Dad)

There's more, but you will be able to figure it out as you go. Enjoy the sunsets, the sundogs and the smell of a good cup of coffee mixed with the smell of jet fuel in the early cold before the dawn and the warm glow of all the annunciators and the panel at dusk.

The career is what you make it, not what others didn't give you.


Good luck.