Kieron747 From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Posted (3 years 10 months 3 weeks 2 days 15 hours ago) and read 1649 times:
Hi
I have been interested in aeroplanes since I could walk and talk according to my mum. I absolutely love them, be it just watching them, flying in them, reading about them, joining crazy forums and talking about them!
I always, always wanted to be a pilot and then BAM! I found out at school that I was colour-blind, so that career path went out of the window! Alas, I am now a bloody synthetic chemist!
Not as much fun as being a pilot I'll wager!
How many of you wanted to be a pilot, and actually managed it? Did you manage to become a commercial pilot or a private pilot? How long does it take to become a pilot?
FutureUALpilot From United States, joined May 2000, 2175 posts, RR: 6 Reply 1, posted (3 years 10 months 3 weeks 2 days 11 hours ago) and read 1602 times:
Ive always wanted to be a Naval Aviator, and eventually an airline pilot. I have my Private Pilot License, but the Naval Aviator/airline pilot thing wont happen for a while yet. Hopefully after college it'll all come together.
AirWillie6475 From United States, joined Jan 2005, 2436 posts, RR: 1 Reply 3, posted (3 years 10 months 3 weeks 1 day 11 hours ago) and read 1563 times:
Dear chemist, sorry to hear that. I really don't know if your allowed to fly small airplanes with your condition but you should look into it. You could probably fly during the day. I am currently a student pilot and getting a degree. I really hope that by the time im 25 I will be in the right seat.
AT502B From South Africa, joined Dec 2004, 347 posts, RR: 0 Reply 6, posted (3 years 10 months 3 weeks 1 day ago) and read 1535 times:
There are pilots out there (at least here in the US) that are color blind. The best thing to do is contact your Medical Examiner and get the requirements for the medical you're shooting for, from what I understand there are varying degrees of Color Blindness?
While an airline job is probably beyond reach (mostly because of the Airline requirements) there are plenty of other flying opportunities available- making a living or just for fun!
Backfire From Germany, joined Oct 2006, 0 posts, RR: 1 Reply 7, posted (3 years 10 months 3 weeks 1 day ago) and read 1532 times:
I went through the tests and interviews to become a BA pilot but was turned down at the final stage - unbelievably frustrating.
But I met the guy who interviewed me about a decade later, and he said I'd probably had a narrow escape - he said a lot of pilots are disillusioned with the job, saying it's been reduced to 'bus driver' status, and that the fun has gone out of it since the security measures (like closed cockpit doors) have prevented them interacting with the passengers.
SlamClick From United States, joined Nov 2003, 9994 posts, RR: 72 Reply 9, posted (3 years 10 months 3 weeks 17 hours ago) and read 1506 times:
I have a couple of pilot friends who are colorblind. One was my roommate in pilot training. He faked it for a full career and is now retired. The other applied for a waiver. The FAA took him out onto a taxiway at a large airport and had the tower flash red, green and white signals at them with the Aldis lamp. He got them all wrong and was denied a medical. He went on to other careers with a commercial license in his pocket.
The first one passed his Army flight physicals because he noticed something. The test for colorblindness was a booklet with circles of dots, hiding a numeral within the dots. If you have proper color vision the numerals will stand out from the rest of the dots. He noticed that the medical staff giving that part of the physical had penciled very lightly what the number was on the opposite page. All he had to do was be able to read a very faint, small number upside down on the page across the table from him.
He was a fine pilot and I only ever recall one incident relating to his color blindness. The Army was one of the pioneers in the portable, tri-color VASI which shows amber if you are too high, green if you are on glide path and red if you are too low. Two problems with it, one the red and green can combine visually to make a sort of amber light and the other is that red-green is the most common form of color blindness.
So on final into a grass strip surrounded by pine trees one night he asked me (I was in the back seat) if the VASI was red or green. Got my attention so I grabbed his parachute harness and pulled myself up to look over his shoulder. "RED!"
No sooner did I shout "RED" and we were flying through the tops of the pine trees. We went around, landed at a nearby municipal airport and pulled pine needles and small branches out of our airplane, then flew back to the Army strip for the night.
The need for color vision is largely an artificial one, as best I can tell. But the red for limitations and green for normal indications are pretty well entrenched by now.
Still you might try to get a waiver if it is not too serious. (Not familiar with UK rules.)
edit: Despite all the bad things that have come along in the profession it is still a wonderful way to go through life if you like flying. I'd start over today if I could. Anyway, best of luck to you.
FlyMIA From United States, joined Jun 2001, 3499 posts, RR: 3 Reply 10, posted (3 years 10 months 3 weeks 16 hours ago) and read 1499 times:
I hope to be a commercial pilot by age of 27. I hope to start my PPL training in maybe a year.
MADtoCAE: Most airlines have a limit of 21 I think. You can start training for your PPL now. It can be at any age. You can fly with a CFI or just study. I know you fly FS that helps too.
Wilco: I see you have a new job. 737-500 now with a different airline. You wanted to change with them for a better chance at the 744 and A340's?
Congrats on the new job.
It was just four of us on the flight deck, trying to do our job" (Captain Al Haynes)
Fbgdavidson From United Kingdom (England), joined Oct 2004, 3290 posts, RR: 22 Reply 11, posted (3 years 10 months 3 weeks 15 hours ago) and read 1493 times:
I was really keen from about the age of 11 and despite not doing RAF combined cadet force at school (was a Marine cadet instead) or doing ATC as soon as I went to University I joined the University Air Squadron, basically in the UK a group of Universities in your area pool together some students to form a University Air Squadron (UAS). UAS is a way for University students to learn how to fly and complete a set flying programme across three years of University study. Out of the approximately 300 people who went through the application process I was in the final 25 and passed medicals, interviews and the like and spent my first year of University flying Grob Tutor out of Boscombe Down on a weekly basis, and since we were enrolled as Officer Cadets we got use of all Officers Mess and associated facilities. Got to hang out with guys from Empire Test Pilot school and had some awesome experiences (flypasts in Sea Kings, backseating in a Tucano, touring the Apache Longbow up close and personal, 85p pints in Officers Mess ).....and I got paid to do so!
At the end of the year though only about half a dozen pupils got to go through to the second year of flying programme. Alas I wasn't one of them and had the option to join the RAF on a short term commission (8yrs) as ground branch or could carry on as a nobody. I decided I wanted to fly and despite some pleading from my CFI I somewhat reluctantly packed it in after my first year. My housemate is still in the UAS although not in a flying capacity
"My first job was selling doors, door to door, that's a tough job innit" - Bill Bailey
AirEuropeUK733 From United Kingdom (England), joined Apr 2004, 916 posts, RR: 11 Reply 13, posted (3 years 10 months 2 weeks 5 days 22 hours ago) and read 1433 times:
I always wanted to be an airline pilot since I went on my first flight when I was 9 years old (Orion Airways B737-200 LGW-TFS!).
Didn't make it though and ended up being an accountant!
ThePinnacleKid From United States, joined Feb 2005, 351 posts, RR: 2 Reply 14, posted (3 years 10 months 2 weeks 5 days 13 hours ago) and read 1418 times:
I couldn't tell you when I decided I wanted to fly. I asked my parents once and they said sometime around four years old. So I have to take them at that.
As far as making it. I'm so close yet so far away it seems. I have my Commercial SEL/MEL/Instrument, CFI/CFII/MEI.. and have worked in cust. service for the airlines since '00 (current employer since '01). Finally graduating from univ. with a degree in Aviation Management. As we speak, I'm in that process of making the jump. I have my transfer papers in for a First Officer spot flyin our CRJ's. -Time will tell...
"That hard landing wasn't the pilots fault, it wasn't the flight attendants fault, it was the asphalt"
ATCisgreat From Germany, joined Apr 2004, 103 posts, RR: 0 Reply 16, posted (3 years 10 months 2 weeks 2 days 23 hours ago) and read 1372 times:
When I was a kid, I wanted to become an astronaut.
Then I realised that there wasn't really an education for that. And my physics or biological skills weren't that grand that I could hope for a career in science and get in via that door.
So I wanted to become a pilot then.
But I finished school one year earlier than the average German kid and Lufthansa refused to test me until I turned 19. I didn't feel anything for spending a year with I-don't-know-what just for being told in the tests that I wasn't suited.
So I looked around again. Ah, Air Traffic Control.
But it was the same story with the DFS: too young, we only test you when you're 19.
And then I found Eurocontrol. They tested me the age I was, they accepted me, they trained me and here I am:
A happy Air Traffic Controller.
Looking back I'm very glad that things went the way they did. My ATC-education started the week after 9-11. If I would have made it into pilot-education, I'd probably be unemployed now, driving taxi...
ZKEOJ From New Zealand, joined Feb 2005, 596 posts, RR: 1 Reply 17, posted (3 years 10 months 1 week 5 days 12 hours ago) and read 1314 times:
I was never too keen to make it a job (although as a kid I of course dreamt of it as well). I stayed in the tourism business, and I love to fly as a passenger. About 4 years ago I made my dream come true and did my PPL. And for a brief moment I pondered about changing careers, but then thought that I'd rather want to fly for fun. I love my job, and I don;t really want to do anything else. Flying for fun is great!
How long does it take to get a PPL? That depends on how many hours you do per week, and how quick you are with studying theory. I saved up and did my PPL in one go. Basically, I went up every morning at 8am for an hour before work (weather and available planes permitting), and doing it that way I got my PPL within 3 months. What a better way to start your working day than having a spin before you go to your office? And I was lucky to do my PPL in Dunedin, New Zealand, so the scenery was great too!
If you still want it, I would strongly recommend to get your PPL. It might not become your job, but can make your dream of sitting on the left seat come true! Even if it is a 2-seater C152
Jm017 From Jamaica, joined Jun 2002, 758 posts, RR: 0 Reply 18, posted (3 years 10 months 6 days 13 hours ago) and read 1257 times:
I have always wanted to be a pilot, but I have a feeling that with my less than perfect vision, that it would not be possible. My right eye is corrected to 20/20, but my left eye is useless: not totally blind there, but so bad I cannot use it to read, drive (or fly). I don't think they allow one-eyed pilots. Please correct me if I am wrong.
"Behind every successful man is a woman, behind her is his wife." - Groucho Marx
PDXtriple7 From United States, joined Dec 2004, 597 posts, RR: 0 Reply 19, posted (3 years 10 months 6 days 13 hours ago) and read 1257 times:
I've wanted to be a pilot for a long time, but I have decided to:
a) Make a bunch of money so that I can fly my private jet/ fly first class all over the world.
or
b) Do something in the aviation field, whether it be building or designing new airplanes, or marketing, etc. Preferrably I make the big bucks as a CEO in about 30 to 35 years so I can do a). I wouldn't mind working as a flight attendant for a year just to fly all over, but the senority system would mean I wouldn't get to pick interesting flights.
I will just have to settle with getting my PPL this summer!
Atco2b From United Kingdom (England), joined Mar 2005, 1114 posts, RR: 7 Reply 21, posted (3 years 10 months 6 days 3 hours ago) and read 1242 times:
Since my first flight in 1994, ive had a love for Aviation. I joined the Air Training Corps in 2001, hoping to be a Military or Commercial Pilot. This then changed to either a Commercial or Military Air Traffic Controller, then a Commercial Air Traffic Controller.
Recently, ive decided, even though i still love aircraft (oooh man, I LOVE the aircraft!) i wanna follow another dream since when i was younger - to become a Paramedic.
Still deciding though...!
Tom
Hey, you want to go out for pizza and some sex? What, you don't like pizza?
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).....and I got paid to do so!
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