So why aren't you all "Real World" pilots?

[DBE]

Everyone in this forum enjoys virtual flying.

So why didn't you actually pursue your dream and become a real world pilot?

Finance, opportunities? Tell us! And while your at it: what do you now do for a living?

As for me: I simply grew up in the wrong town! Ever since I can remember, I wanted to become one of those "grey-heared ever-smiling" Swissair pilots.
At school I went through every channel possible only to be told, every time, that it would mean "moving to Zürich". As I was 16 at the time, and was
growing up in Geneva, my parents, although pretty understanding, decided that my dad's job was more important.

So I finally consoled myself by purchasing my first computer in 1978 (a Sinclair Spectrum 48K) and zoomed around a green/cyan world for a while before
I saw Sublogic's FS1 in a store window: it took my entire hard-earned summer earnings to purchase my first PC (approx. $3'000), but oh boy: I now was
a bona fidae pilot!

Currently I'm managing the Groupware & Messaging infrastructure of 11 different companies for a really Blue IT company.

[Dutch64]

For me it was simply financial matter. My parents could simply not afford the study/training. Then i had a test for militairy pilot training but i was
simply too tall Well, our stories are a bit similar, started with a sinclair also and nowadays i'm an architect/consultant, designing messaging and
other ICT related systems for major companies. However, my last project was a messaging system for the airforce and so all day i was surrounded by
f16's and chinooks That was great!

[Jetsgo]

I'm not old yet!

Lots of time to be a pilot

[SWAFO]

How old are you Ryan? I'm guessing you're around the 16-18 range. No offense intended if you're older


I would think financial limitations are the number one thing holding most people back. Not everyone can become a military pilot, so most
people unfortunately have to pay out of their own pockets for flight training. Not the cheapest thing around. It's also not the easiest field to
make a career of (especially these days). It's hard to find a job with limited experience in the aviation industry, and some airlines
exclusively hire ex-military pilots.

[Fritz Bayerlein]

My eyesight (uncorrected anyway) is not good enough for the air force so I didn't try.

[SWAFO]

There's another common reason! The requirements for military aviators are very strict. Even very slight differences in height/weight, or
vision can cause immediate disqualification.

[Glasgow_Approach]

When I was in university a friend of mine flew bulldogs for the RAF cadets, when he went for the RAF proper he failed because his upper
leg was 2mm too short jeez.

GA

[SE-TMA]

Same here. I have a defect colorsight and also I am very short-sighted (sorry for the pun). I can see clearly up to 5-6 feet, then it gets blurry. 50
feet away, I can't even recognize a person without correction. All I see is a blurry humanoid.

So...unless I get surgery, there will be no flying for me. And the surgery is like 2000$ per eye... ouchie.

[TonyH]

I flew Bulldogs with UAS when I was a student, great way to learn to fly free. But I didn't fancy military life afterwards, and couldn't afford to
fly any more privately for several years until I discovered gliding. Very affordable and a great way to fly. My longest flight was over 6 1/2
hours without an engine !

I don't fly gliders in FS, it just isn't at all realistic.

[DanSteph]

I stopped after 29 hours because I ran totally out of money... ( I even used a part
of the money intended to construct our house.. mhhh well )

Now even I would have finished my PPL I knew that I would not have
enough money to maintain it... money money... I thinks that's what keep us
mostly on ground.

Anyway at least I had what I wanted: to try it one time for REAL in my life and to
fly the beast alone ( 6 hours solo)

me proudly on the DR400 F-GSRO before take-off for my 2nd solo



Dan



Post Edited ( 09-29-05 01:29 )

[SWAFO]

Hopefully you'll get some money from FSP to start up the real world flying again Dan! You're truely missing out! It's unfortunate that
money is such a factor in flying. I'd be happy to take you up in a 737 here in the states if you ever visit (it'd have to be a scheduled flight of
course... I'd just buy you a ticket though )

[alphaone]

I'm not old enough yet. I'm only 17, and I'm hoping to get into the air force academy next year. Which I'm hoping will put me on a path to be a
pilot someday.

[Jackal]

money here too and even if i had the money to pay for instruction there are so few jobs and so many applicants that it's still a long shot
even then... im 22 and the window is closing extremely fast (if it hasn't already)... it gets me down... another dream goes on the fire.

[Dan M]

Hi
Iam a 5000 hour pilot, however because of money and time I never got beyond my single engine land
rating. I came to Oceanside Ca. in 1969 bought a 1959 Piper Tripacer and soloed January 1st 1970
at Oceanside Airport, Brad you might know just where that is. I though the years owned four more
airplanes another Tripacer, two 172s and my last was a 182. The last time I flew was 1994, I was
a sales mgr. for John and Martha King at King Schools and one of the perks was flying the company
Mooney. I have been a virtual pilot since FS4 and I love it . I am amazed how much it has improved.
Dan let me say that your FSP addon has made me love it even more, great job. Well guys thats a part
of my aviation story, however I did try to go for my instrument rating twice both time got all of my duel
out of the way, so I have a ton of instrument duel with no written.

Dan

[HH-60CC]

Student Pilot here, a whopping 38.4 hours logged, currently Stage II Cross Country.

alphaone: the FAR states you must be atleast 16 years old to start training, but to obtain and earn your PPL, you must be 17, you're good to go brother!

Jackal, I started when I was 22, you are nowhere near late, I see 30+ year old student pilots all the time