Am I mental ?

ICBM

Emp_Fab said:

I wish I hadn't started this thread now.  It was rather premature, but in my defence, I was very..... very...... drunk.

You’re aware that this is not a very good start, given that the alcohol limit for pilots is far lower than for drivers?

More seriously, have you considered a totally different approach, like getting involved with a vintage jet restoration project? The trust which got the Vulcan back in the air (now sadly grounded for good due to airframe fatigue life limits) have a Canberra which they’re planning to fly. You wouldn’t be able to pilot it I don’t think, but you would probably get to go up in it if you were a major donor. Almost certainly more rewarding and less boring and stressful than being an airborne bus driver...

BloodEagle

So you get upset when people don’t take you seriously, but started the thread because you got pissed one night and thought it would be a good idea. You can’t see why this makes you look like a bit of a clown? 

PC_Dave

Where did you get £50k from as a total for the training?

viz

ourmaninthenorth said:

Emp_Fab said:

What I should have done was to get all the medical, eye and suitability tests out of the way and then come to ask if I was mental....

What like, after all those tests, asking here for a second opinion.....? 

That was very funny and made me lol!

emp, best of luck in your endeavour; I hope you make it, that’d be awesome. 

PC_Dave

viz said:

ourmaninthenorth said:

Emp_Fab said:

What I should have done was to get all the medical, eye and suitability tests out of the way and then come to ask if I was mental....

What like, after all those tests, asking here for a second opinion.....? 

That was very funny and made me lol!

emp, best of luck in your endeavour; I hope you make it, that’d be awesome. 

I’m assuming you don’t go on airplanes? Far too calm a comment if you did. 

Emp_Fab

BloodEagle said:

So you get upset when people don’t take you seriously, but started the thread because you got pissed one night and thought it would be a good idea. You can’t see why this makes you look like a bit of a clown? 

Well, the reason I regret it is not because I'd had a couple and it was a bad idea to start the thread, but that I didn't anticipate the responses I got.  I should have known better.  I'm still deadly serious about it though - thread or no thread.  'Bit of a clown' ?  That's a little strong I fear !

PC_Dave said:

Where did you get £50k from as a total for the training?

I know that figure is off by a considerable margin.  I didn't think it worth correcting tbh, as it makes little difference to the thread and there was a lot of scoffing by that stage.  Explaining the real cost would have just been grist to their mill.  The £50K is the price of a cheaper school's ab-initio frozen ATPL course.  It doesn't include the loss of earnings during the course or the accomodation.  

viz

PC_Dave said:

viz said:

ourmaninthenorth said:

Emp_Fab said:

What I should have done was to get all the medical, eye and suitability tests out of the way and then come to ask if I was mental....

What like, after all those tests, asking here for a second opinion.....? 

That was very funny and made me lol!

emp, best of luck in your endeavour; I hope you make it, that’d be awesome. 

I’m assuming you don’t go on airplanes? Far too calm a comment if you did. 

Well actually I was in Asia last week, Europe this week and US next week, but I’m planning to retire by 2037 anyway 

Handsome_Chris

Emp, you should definitely do this . It's better to regret the things you have done, than those you haven't. If you don't make it, you'll know that you've tried. 

Sporky

Handsome_Chris said:

Emp, you should definitely do this . It's better to regret the things you have done, than those you haven't. 

I think that depends very strongly on what those things are. 

Fighting a tiger, for example, is something you're better to regret not doing. 

Blowing your life savings on a flight of fancy (see what I did there) could be in either category. Depends how much you enjoy retirement in the cold without any food. 

ICBM

Handsome_Chris said:

It's better to regret the things you have done, than those you haven't.

Like "it's better to ask for forgiveness than permission", this is advice that is better in theory than in practice, especially where relationships are concerned...

PC_Dave

PC_Dave said:

Where did you get £50k from as a total for the training?

I know that figure is off by a considerable margin.  I didn't think it worth correcting tbh, as it makes little difference to the thread and there was a lot of scoffing by that stage.  Explaining the real cost would have just been grist to their mill.  The £50K is the price of a cheaper school's ab-initio frozen ATPL course.  It doesn't include the loss of earnings during the course or the accomodation.  

Indeed. I think your figure, in total for all training and courses, exams etc, will be closer to £90k. That’s no exaggeration.

Wazmeister

PC_Dave said:

PC_Dave said:

Where did you get £50k from as a total for the training?

I know that figure is off by a considerable margin.  I didn't think it worth correcting tbh, as it makes little difference to the thread and there was a lot of scoffing by that stage.  Explaining the real cost would have just been grist to their mill.  The £50K is the price of a cheaper school's ab-initio frozen ATPL course.  It doesn't include the loss of earnings during the course or the accomodation.  

Indeed. I think your figure, in total for all training and courses, exams etc, will be closer to £90k. That’s no exaggeration.

I met a Thomas Cook (I think) pilot who said his training had cost £120,000...

But he was young and didn't seem that mental...

ICBM

PC_Dave said:

Indeed. I think your figure, in total for all training and courses, exams etc, will be closer to £90k. That’s no exaggeration.

My young cousin's dad said around £100K, so that's consistent.

TTony

Emp_Fab said:
  I haven't booked that yet as I need to go to London for it on a weekday and there isn't a gap in my work calendar that I can book a day off for in the immediate future.  As soon as I can see a window, I'll book the test 

Ahhhh.

Am I the only one now thinking that this is more of a laminate flooring project.  Or a dig a boat out of the river bank mad dream project.

?


PS - if they ask you, at the vision test, why it took you so long to get there, don't mention anything about not being able to see a window.

chillidoggy

  Emp_Fab said:

chillidoggy said:

Anyone taking bets on how many pages this thread is going to run to? We're 7 pages in, and no sign of the medical yet, so I'm going with 49.

...and you ain't read much of it then have you ?  First up, I only started the thread nine days ago !!!  What are you expecting ?  Are you going to complain because I'm not flying for Thomas Cook by August Bank Holiday ? 

(Rolls eyes... deep breath....  comical patronising tone.....) I've already said that I'm going to tackle the hurdles in the order of the cheapest first.  It makes no sense in coughing up £650 for a full anal-probe style medical if it turns out I still can't get through the colour vision exam.  That test is £150 - and it might be a show-stopper.  I haven't booked that yet as I need to go to London for it on a weekday and there isn't a gap in my work calendar that I can book a day off for in the immediate future.  As soon as I can see a window, I'll book the test and see if I can take the first step towards my goal.

I wish I hadn't started this thread now.  It was rather premature, but in my defence, I was very..... very...... drunk.

What I should have done was to get all the medical, eye and suitability tests out of the way and then come to ask if I was mental - at the point where I was just about to sign on the dotted line for a very expensive training course.

On the contrary, I've read every post in the thread, and the level of interest is impressive, given it's only nine days old and likely to become a Fretboard classic that will be talked about for many years to come.

Your determination is laudable, but I reckon the odds are heavily stacked against success. I suspect you're likely to blow £50K and get nowhere, so in my opinion, yes, you ARE mental in that respect. Plus, I don't believe the profession is anywhere near as desirable as it once was, and the older you get, then shift working is a killer.

I'm 59, staring retirement in the face, and I'm finding it pretty scary trying to work out whether I'm going to have enough income for a reasonable life when I retire. I also have a responsibility to my wife so she's comfortable after I kick the bucket, so it's something else to consider. Time goes by fast, and you'll be facing the same in the not too distant future.

I shall watch the proceedings with interest and hope you come out of this unscathed.

Oh, I will of course be continuing to post piss-taking comments as per usual.

Emp_Fab

Excellent!  I would expect nothing less. 

All joking aside, I am seriously looking at this, despite several folks' assumptions that this is just a wind-up.  I do have an awful lot of hurdles to overcome, any one of which could put the kaibosh on my plans.  Statistically, it's unlikely that the dice will roll in my favour that many times.  If I actually do get past the medical hurdles, it's then down to money.  The initial investment, my chances of getting a job at the end of it, whether I could recoup that expense in the time I have left and still manage to not leave Mrs Fab destitute when I finally peg it.  There are many things to consider.

However, as the saying goes... When in Rome, the squeaky wheel gets the grease.




No... hang on...



"The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step".  That's the one.

richardhomer

It cost my mate who’s a pilot well over £100,000 to qualify. He works for Ryanair and dislikes it immensely....

That said, I’ve recently reached the magic ‘54’ - and as I face my own mortality - would desperately like to shake things up a bit.

So I’m not judging you @Emp_Fab - but I know how important your mum was to you - and on that basis, I would spend your inheritance wisely....

TTony

Emp_Fab said:

"The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step".  That's the one.

As long as the single step is in the right direction ...

Wazmeister

Emp_Fab said:

Excellent!  I would expect nothing less. 

All joking aside, I am seriously looking at this, despite several folks' assumptions that this is just a wind-up.  I do have an awful lot of hurdles to overcome, any one of which could put the kaibosh on my plans.  Statistically, it's unlikely that the dice will roll in my favour that many times.  If I actually do get past the medical hurdles, it's then down to money.  The initial investment, my chances of getting a job at the end of it, whether I could recoup that expense in the time I have left and still manage to not leave Mrs Fab destitute when I finally peg it.  There are many things to consider.

However, as the saying goes... When in Rome, the squeaky wheel gets the grease.




No... hang on...



"The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step".  That's the one.

Well Emps, I think you’re proper bonkers...

but mate, step confidently in the direction of your dreams, and you will meet with unexpected success in the common hours (to paraphrase Mr Thoreau).

octatonic

Back to the thread subject, I think the answer is 'yes'.