Lessons Learned: What to Do When You Can’t Fly
I’ve been going through withdrawals recently, two kinds of withdrawals actually. The first one is writing because I just haven’t felt like I had anything special to share mostly because of the second one: I haven’t been able to fly.
This may come as a surprise to many of you, but being aircrew in the Air Force does not mean that you get to fly all of the time. In fact, we do a whole lot more other stuff than we do flying, but that might be something for another day.
So what does one who is obsessed with planes and flying do when they can’t fly?
Read about it naturally.
It is a lot of fun reading all of the various blogs and news sources out there, most of which I have stumbled across on Twitter, and they do provide incredibly value assets to someone like me who soaks in anything they can find related to planes. I have learned, in my relatively short years, that there is as much information out there to be taken in as you are willing to search for. The awesome thing about the aviation industry is that it is full of people who will talk your ear off about anything you want to know.
For an avgeek, that is a lot of fun, but for someone whose career is in aviation, it can make all the difference in the world. It really makes no difference if you are a flyer or if you work on the ground supporting flight operations, we all stand to gain so much by taking the chance to learn from anyone who is willing to share.
As I mentioned, I haven’t been able to fly for a little while because I keep getting sick every time I am supposed to fly. As much as that sucks, I did have an instructor who has forced me to take advantage of this time and not waste it.
He gave me a couple of exercises that forced me to get into the regulations and expand my knowledge. Admittedly, I was a little annoyed at first because I was in the middle of other things, but once I got past the initial reaction and started digging into the books it reminded me why I love my job, and how cool it can actually be. There is just something about feeling like you have expanded your own knowledge base that is incredibly rewarding.
While studying the FARs may not be as exciting as studying military tactics, there is still plenty that can be learned that is very exciting, and may just save your life. The best example is Capt Sullenberger who landed his plane on the Hudson. He had spent countless hours studying and learning for a situation just like that. There is a quote from an interview that he did with Katie Couric that really sums this all up perfectly:
“One way of looking at this might be that for 42 years, I’ve been making small, regular deposits in this bank of experience, education and training. And on January 15 the balance was sufficient so that I could make a very large withdrawal.” -Capt Sullenberger
I apologize that I couldn’t find a solid reference for that quote, but whether he said it or not, the message remains true. We work in an industry where serious accidents are a very real possibility every single day. The only way to be prepared for those accidents is to put in the time and effort now, at ground speed zero. There is no way to know everything all at once, but a solid foundation of safety can be developed over time if we only put forth the effort.
So as much as it sucks to be grounded for long periods of time, that doesn’t mean that we can’t take advantage of that time to become better aviators or improve our abilities on the ground. There is an unending fountain of knowledge that we all can partake in, if only we put forth the effort to take it in.
Great article, and well worth paying attention to. You can never learn too much.
In regards to the quote, Captain Sullenberger did say it, and it was to Katie Couric in a CBS interview. Here’s a link that contains both a video, and a partial summary of the interview:
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/capt-sully-worried-about-airline-industry/
Thanks Anders. I thought it was probably legit, but wasn’t confident enough to claim it. It is a very profound thought.
Don’t worry buddy, we all get pulled from our primary duty for one reason or another. The experience itself tests how well you act outside your element, and makes you uneasy. Don’t dread this feeling. Welcome it and figure out how you cope. Others will recognize or discredit you based on how you handle these situations.
I think that is the most frustrating thing about it Chris, I didn’t get pulled off, I had to pull myself because I was sick, and I almost never get sick. It is just frustrating, but I am back flying again so it’s all good.
This article really fits my position now. I wanted to be a commercial pilot but paying for flight training is so expensive that I have to wait periods before I can start up flying again. Also to mention that my dad owns a flight training school, and I STILL can not afford the training with the discounts. It is so frustrating. So the only thing that can keep me going and hold my motivation, is reading about aviation articles, watching videos, or studying aviation related work.
So recently I committed myself to join AFROTC and train to become a CSO. I may not be the pilot but I have compromised with myself that I can still be in some awesome aircraft. Having great navigation skills is something I am looking forward to gaining that can help me when I hopefully get to further my pilot education.
I just have to say I love all your articles, they are informative and helpful! Thanks!
Don’t sell yourself short Mia, you can do anything if you want it bad enough. I understand the cost challenges myself. I just had my dreams of finishing my PPL in the first of the year crushed, so I understand. But I will find a way, and so can you. You can go for a pilot slot out of ROTC too. Most of the pilots I work with were ROTC guys. Just work your butt off and you can have it to. There are lots of people willing to help too, so don’t be afraid to ask.
Dave
Thanks Dave! I definitely thought about going for the pilot spot in the air force. However, I do not feel confident at all. It seems to me becoming a pilot in the air force is one of the most wanted and competitive jobs. I’m mostly scared I won’t get selected, then what? It almost sounds like a unrealistic goal for me because if all the people aiming for it.
I’m actually content with the goal of becoming a navigator. Anything related to being in air force aircraft is exciting for me!
If you have any desire whatsoever to be a pilot then I would put that as your first choice with navigator as your second choice. While it is incredibly competitive let them decide someone else is more deserving. With that being said, if you don’t want to be a pilot then by all means only put navigator. While there is great competition for pilot slots, there are also a ton more slots available. We navigators are slowly going away whereas the pilot level is staying about the same. I would also make sure you research what planes still carry navs and make sure those missions interest you. Either way you can have a lot of great experiences and a great career.