Rick6a
Well Known Member
Many of my friends are current or retired airline pilots. Some of these grey beards were only dimly aware of "experimental" aviation and immediate impressions of homebuilt aircraft were generally not very flattering. Alpha types tend to form and hold fast to strong opinions. I flew to Oshkosh this year with a 30 year veteran so far removed from the experimental movement, he's never even been to AirVenture before! He may never have made the trip had I not first introduced him to RV flight a few months ago. He reluctantly requested a lift to an airport to pick up his twin after enduring yet another costly maintenance problem. Clearly uneasy as he stepped aboard and strapped into the first experimental airplane in his life, all that concern quickly evaporated as we departed the traffic pattern. Another active airline pilot friend happens to be my next door neighbor. He has spent years commanding the left seat of one "heavy" or another. Yet when I gave him his first light plane ride in over two decades, renewed feelings of wonderment washed all over him again. A career high timer who flew E2-C's in the Navy and has had more than his share of career ups and downs while flying for a major, marveled at something we tend to take for granted, seeing the world from 2000'. Yet another naturally wary airline pilot, my friend Roger is a Citabria owner. He finally took me up on a long standing offer after turning me down on at least four other occasions. I gave him plenty of stick time during that flight of discovery and when his very first RV flight ended and I taxied into the hangar (nice perk), he did not want to get out of the airplane and sat there in amazement looking around for a full 5 minutes.
Frankly, I was surprised at their common reactions. You would think "airline pilots" have seen and done it all. Maybe they have but for some of these folks, something has long since been forgotten. We may nurture Young Eagles, but there are Old Eagles too. I have to say...and this comment is based purely on my anecdotal impressions...the majority of my airline friends *may* have reconsidered their chosen career path if they knew then what they know now. All I know is flying has always been a blast for me and I hope never to become so jaded as to lose that singular thrill. I was a blue collar worker all my life thus for me, flying has always been an expensive elective. I inserted Grant's quote at the top of this post. It was taken from another recent thread because I did not want to hijack that thread but had to use his quote because it seems so appropriate. I know for a fact that economic imperatives have a way of making something that is supposed to be pleasant (or at least tolerable) into something far less than that. I've seen it happen too many times in my own work place when a promotion with more pay promised more than it really delivered. Now I don't intend for even a milli-second to dis on anybody's dream. Far from it. I say chase your dream for all its worth. But go for it with eyes wide open and adjust expectations for the long haul, when at some point the initial thrill and romance of it all will inevitably "mellow" and be displaced by the tedium of daily routine. Away from home & family for days at a time while overnighting in countless motel rooms is as much a part of an airline pilot's life as commanding a heavy and flirting with Mach 1 at the flight levels. As in all things in this life, choose your path wisely and then jump in with both feet.
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