Sunday 12 August 2012

Faith in a Dream

We're stable at 41000ft, it's deeply dark out there apart from a brighter spot on the horizon in our 9 o'clock. The dimmed flightdeck lets us enjoy an amazing canopy of stars. As I lean forward, I relish the reddish horizon just above the Captain's shoulders.
The view is about to get fantastic. I wish you were here to see this.

"Airline pilot? Come on, stop dreaming! There's no job out there".

Turning left by 10°, the morning light is slowly starting to flood the cockpit. The Alps are taking a sharper shape in the orange darkness as we progress further South. This never fails to be magical, I don't know how to describe it to you but this is truely awesome!

"Get a normal job and fly on your spare time rather, that's the best thing to do".

The Captain is glued to the window, some of the finest landscape is now seating all around us.
A mighty 747 crosses us 1000ft above, leaving miles of bright orange contrails behind.
The sun is cracking the horizon, God this is magnificient!

"Be realistic young boy, this industry is no longer what it used to be, find something else".

The mighty Mont Blanc, standing at some 15,800 ft in our 1 o'clock, is getting a truely amazing golden coat.
I'm speechless, the view from the flightdeck is incredible!
I grab my camera to catch the action, but no picture nor words can describe what we're gaping at.
I can't help but think of those who gave me these wise advice, probably stuck in the traffic at this time of day on their way to some boring job. If I had followed their recommendations, I'd probably be seating at a desk with no window either, wondering why I listened to those who once told me I would never achieve my goal.
Among them, a lot were people who dreamt of becoming pilots themselves but ended up letting the dream go.
Someone once said, people too weak to follow their dream will always try to discourage yours. There might be a clue there...

The Captain invites one by one our four Flight Attendants in the cockpit. They are as amazed as we are. I'm looking down at the approach charts with a smile spreading across my face. At destination I'll be flying a "non-precision approach" (no ILS) with a 30° turn on short final and a steeper than normal approach angle, a very nice procedure to fly. I remember quite well all those who claimed that flying an airliner was all about pushing buttons. They would have loved the ride if they were here today.

After the up-and-downs, the never ending struggle, the hits-and-misses and years of hard work, I'm pondering on how my job is awesome.

For every risk I took, there was someone to tell me I would not make it.
When I was looking for a tow pilot job, I called every single flying club in the country. Lots of them can be quite agressive on the phone, they don't need you, they want you to have such and such licences and ratings that you don't have, they are looking for people already experienced in this area, they expect you to be from the city, you have to be available on the next morning, you must be ok with working for them while earning nothing and having to do the cleaning, paperwork and maintenance, ...
You're never the person they're looking for, and when they do have something to offer, it is miles from what you were hoping for. So you keep looking, you get on a bus, you travel across the country and you do what you are supposed to do: you don't give up.
Then one day comes when fortune favors you, when fortune favors the bold.

The sun is now intensely bright, sunglasses on, time to set up the stunning six-month old 737 for my approach.

Hold on to your dreams,

Hang in there.





25 comments:

Anonymous said...

Amazing blog post again.

I flew with bmibaby over the alps the other day. Very nice sight indeed.

Hope the flyings going good.

Alex (Hamham500 on YouTube).

Unknown said...

So do you think there is demand for commercial pilots?

Unknown said...

That's the spirit ! Keep it going mate, and enjoy your flights !

AlphaFloor said...

Super blog et belles photos !! Tu en as de la chance !
Je vais ajouter ton blog dans la liste de blogs sympas !

A+ et bon vol !!!

Fabien (LFOJ_ATC / EP PPL)
http://jfab45.blogspot.fr

Carlos Vilela said...

This is one of the reasons I'm chasing my dream.
It took me 10 years since my PPL to pursue it, but I never gave up, so here I am.
If all goes well, I will finish my (frozen) ATPL until the end of the year.
Your blog and your posts have been one of my motivational factors since I decided to start this adventure, 15 months ago.
Keep it up!

Michael said...

Love your blog. I fly dash-8's in Sydney Australia, and i would give everything to fly jets in europe. Hope you are well, fly safe.

Michael

Luke Pabari said...

'Inspirational' is how I'll describe this!

Cedarglen said...

How about a simple YES!!!

inplaneview said...

As always, a very inspirational post. Just love this blog! Great to see you have reached your dream through absolute determination. Fantastic!

Rich

http://inplaneview-rich.blogspot.co.uk/

Florent said...

Ça me rappelle un vieux billet de Jacques Darolles posté sur la liste. A la place du Mont Blanc, le Kilimandjaro...

Merci pour ton blog, bon vols !

Carl said...

Yesterday I discovered your blog and I've read all of the post on one and a half days!!!

It's trully inspiring for people like me, trying to follow your path, but way behind.

I got my PPL 4 years ago and finally decided it was stupid to stay there, and started my ATPL. I'm about to finish my ATPL theory with very good results, and about to do my 100 hours flying.

I have a couple of friends hired by a company last year. I'm guessing they where with you on the TR. ;)

Anonymous said...

Excellent site. I love reading your blog posts, keep it up.

Anonymous said...

Excellent site. I love reading your blog posts, keep it up.

Anonymous said...

You write beautifully.

Rand

Magical Button said...

Once again an amazing post. You only influence me more in completely my dream of becoming a commercial pilot.Keep up the great work.

Arnie said...

Dear Colleague

I have been reading your blog since the PPL stage years ago. I have just managed to get my first job as a comercial pilot flying a Baron58.

Very happy here and dreaming of comercial airliners one day. Time will come and I will never give up.

Your posts were among all this time (and still is) trully inspiring to me.

Regards from Brazil


Arnold

Thibault said...

Hi Thanks for your wonderful blog. You gave me faith in my dream again ... Post some more stories !

YOeLL said...

Great stories, fantastic blog. I'll be back here :)

Regards from EPWA

Fabrizio said...

Another good post. Thanks.
Two questions: where is the approach you are talking about and are you still using the same camera, the small Sony one?

Anonymous said...

A pilot. A writer. Great video editor.

Truly great.

Best wishes always.

Anwar

BigDive said...

Truly amazing this blog!!!
Thank you for everything you´ve been blogging.You are a true airman!!
Finished my ATPL....and now with 36 years old and around 300h flying the battle begins!!!Retirement´s at 65, so i guess i still have around 30 years to give to the cause.
Cheers from Portugal m8!!!

Jacob W said...

You leave me with my jaw hanging. I would love to have your job and hope to when I grow up!

Kind Regards,
Jacob

Jacob W said...

Truly amazing. I wish and hope to become an airline pilot when I grow up. Magnificent.

David Woodward said...

The dream never fades for me, however a restricted Class 1 medical puts it just out of reach...

Juan Rossiasco said...

dude it's just awsome and i migth be just like you as everybody tells me to think in something else and i don't want to. since i was 14(you posted this on my birthday) i've known what i wanted to the future: being a pilot... you encouraged me with this post and even more as i'll reach my dream and make it true!!!