Originally Posted by Qotsaautopilot

Who wants to do all that. Sounds exhausting.

Originally Posted by likenotomorow

Didn't go the ex-pat route though I knew a few who did. Seemed like a tough existence that wasn't conducive to family life, or Americans.

What I have found is that nobody, in a purely economic sense, has the ability to "destroy" anyone's life or livelihood.

While we as pilots, are part of the so-called professional class, we are in reality skilled tradesmen. In college, I pursued and attained a four-year degree in English Lit while obtaining my ratings as electives, simply because the airlines required a four-year degree. I took the path of least resistance because I like to read and English is my native tongue. And business classes are utterly eye watering. But it's a totally useless qualification. Unless I wished to endlessly regurgitate the ideas and arguments of my professors regarding the Transcendentalist movement in an academic career, nobody hires an English major to fly their jet. No, the thing I was pursuing was a trade, not different than that of an HVAC technician, an electrician or an A&P. Like my dad, who obtained all of his ratings at the local aerodrome whilst he was a DC-3 cabin attendant, a trade offers sanctioned, often internationally recognized credentials that are specific to the trade. And therefore salable.

I explained this concept early to my children: a bachelor's or master's degree confers no ability to make a living unless it comes with a salable credential, and often some kind of apprenticeship period. Thus the world is littered with useless undergrad degrees. If your major has the term "studies" or references some bygone era of world history, you have been taken and will likely find no employment in your field of endeavor. Good luck.

I realized, while fuming and sputtering through my airline career, that unless I was happy with other people making my career decisions, I would have to put my credentials to the test in the marketplace. And I wasn't happy. I also knew that sitting in the right seat of a baby Boeing, connecting 12 city pairs together for the next decade or two wasn't doing anything for my credentials - or my attitude. I also understood that as long as I didn't sexually harass somebody, passed my physical and showed up for training, nobody really gave a damn whether it was me, or somebody that looked like me, that showed up that day. I could then pursue a life of acquiring stuff without regard for where I was headed professionally: it was out of my hands.

So after the dreams of falling, suffocation and drowning became too much and my wife mused on the likelihood of pleading temporary insanity to the impending violent death of her husband, I went forth, with some help and encouragement from friends to another, more vibrant sector of aviation where I have apparently, unaccountably...prospered.

Originally Posted by NYC Pilot

Being that you are an English Major you probably already know this but sentences don't start with AND or BUT...Just sayin, cheers!

Originally Posted by UALfor25

He's smart enough to know that you're incorrect. Search it up for yourself, Ace.

To the OP - beautifully written post. I enjoyed it. Kudos to you for bringing something nice to this acerbic forum.