What would it take?

[HeliVane]

For those who have been doing this for a long time, what keeps you in the life?

For those that are about to do this, what motivates you and would be the catalyst that starts your career?

[apiaguy]

persuit of money

[Flying Pig]

Chicks Dig It

[Wally]

For those who have been doing this for a long time, what keeps you in the life?

For those that are about to do this, what motivates you and would be the catalyst that starts your career?

 

I'm a slow learner?

I've had real jobs that paid a lot more. "Money won't buy happiness" although you can rent it, that becomes expensive real quick. Being paid to do what I like is cheaper than paying somebody else... Wait, that didn't sound right?

[pilot#476398]

...what... would be the catalyst that starts your career?

 

A pilot shortage!

[WolftalonID]

Im not buying he short pilot bit....I am 6'2".

 

But for me....finding my life dream and making it real!

[Velocity173]

The job is super easy and I live exactly where I wanted to live.

[Flying Pig]

 

A pilot shortage!

I hear the Vietnam era pilots should start retiring any day now.

 

On a serious note... I started flying in high school and got my glider private the day before I left for boot camp. My dad was a private airplane pilot and I grew up in Civil Air Patrol.

 

When I became a cop I hadnt really thought much about flying as a career. I wanted to do cop stuff. As i was doing cop stuff I started thinking back to my flying days and noticing that the dept pilots and aircrews were ALWAYS in the middle of all the good action. I paid for my dual CFI out of my own pocket, ended up in the air unit in 2005 and havnt looked back. Ive been able to do some pretty cool stuff, fly some sweet machines and still have a 20yr career ahead of me and just transitioned into Hueys and fire fighting.

 

So what got me really serious about flying? Ive worked patrol, training, narcs. SWAT and to me LE aviation is the pinnacle of being in law enforcement. What keeps me going is the people I work with, the mission and that every flight matters.

Edited September 13, 2013 by Flying Pig

[rotormandan]

Schedule. 2 weeks vacation each month and able to live where I want is pretty cool. Plus it's still fun most of the time.

[rotornut67]

Getting paid to do what I love to do...it's really that simple. Bumps and trials along the way...yes, but it is what it is and I personally do not want to do anything else but fly a helicopter until some AME tells me I can't.

[jeffs]

Living the dream of doing what I always wanted to do. I would love to teach how to fly since I love teaching but I know that may not happen. My office will be a helicopter. That's my dream job I can eat top ramen and hot dogs forever I grew up on it

[aeroscout]

Hobbies are intrinsically more enjoyable than having your hobby become work. It can suck all the fun right out of it. Getting my private was somewhat of a hobby, but since then, it has been all work. Not to say that there is no fun to be had flying for a living, but just having the option could be all the difference.