>why we fly

as i am preparing for my checkride tomorrow by continually going through my flows, profiles and callouts in my head, it hits me again that this is what the rest of my life will look like: always preparing for the next checkride, recurrent training, line check, or in my case next year, probationary checkride. the training and tests never stop as long we are in this career. if we fail any of these training events and tests during our careers, we can start looking for another job. so why do we do it?

is it the money?...NO. first year airline pilots are paid somewhere between $15/hr-$21/hr. that translates to around $18,000 - $25,200 per year assuming you fly the maximum number of legal hours per month of 100.

is it the quality of life?...NO. ever heard of a crash pad? i will get the chance to get very familiar with a crash pad in the next few weeks, if all goes according to plan. my residence will remain in dallas, but i will get the opportunity to also call the great city of chicago home.

so why do we fly?

for most of us, it is our passion. it is the reason we wake up at 3:00 am in the morning to get to a 4:30 am show time. what other job can you travel all over the US for free, meet tons of people and enjoy the best of what every destination has to offer? unless you are donald trump and have money to go whenever you want, wherever you want, the average person might only experience travel a few times a year.

there is something to be said for having the ability to look down on the two-dimensional form of the earth and know that the safety, speed and efficiency of your aircraft somehow elevates you above every car you see driving around on the ground. you know deep in the back of your mind that your ride will get you there faster. not to mention, your sleek and sexy. chicks dig pilots because of the inherent perceived risks associated with operating a machine that can be "dangerous" at times.
deep inside every pilot is the need for speed, being pushed back into your seat as you advance the thrust to takeoff power and accelerating down a 10,000 foot runway.
then there are the approaches that are flown in near zero-zero conditions. for pilots, this is the true test of skill and proficiency. getting your aircraft to the ground safely in conditions that once used to wreak havoc on ships and in the early days of aviation. flying an ILS approach to minimums are what each of us live for. there is nothing more gratifying than getting the contents of your aircraft safely to their destination, despite the obstacles. because pilots are mission-oriented, this is what we live for and provides ultimate professional fulfillment.

to put it simply, it's like a siberian husky who gets the chance to pull his sled with his team of dogs. huskies live for running, being critical to the success of a team and working hard. they are most fulfilled when they do what they were made to do, which is being part of a sled team.

pilots are made to fly. we want the chance to test our skill on a daily basis and overcome the elements to arrive safely at our destination, contents safely intact.

this is why we fly.

are all the tests and checkrides, relatively small pay and decreased quality of life worth this career? ABSOLUTELY. i wouldn't change it for anything. this is what keeps me going.