Why I Chose To Be An Airline Pilot – Personal Essay
I have a love of flying that I have had since I was a young child. The fascination of flying has never left me. I remember I would have vivid waking dreams of flying when
I was a child, and later as a teenager all that I wanted was to buy or build an ultra-light aircraft so that I could fly it around the river area near our home. Thankfully my father convinced me to take some flying lessons instead, and I never stopped the lessons.
So I have chosen to be an airline pilot because I love flying and to me being an airline pilot is one of the most satisfying achievements in aviation.
Personal satisfaction is one of the reasons I have chosen to be an airline pilot. Having worked many jobs in different industries, I have learned that job satisfaction is personally very important, i.e. the feeling of a good job well done.The personal satisfaction that comes from being part of a professional and successful team/organization. Being an airline pilot for Qantas will bring me those feelings of fulfillment and achievement.
The challenges I have encountered have been many and varied. I completed my restricted private pilots license during high school, and later worked two and sometimes three jobs at once to pay for my PPL, CPL and IFR training.
I have uprooted and moved home many times, often with very short notice. The permanent bases I have had for flying include Mildura, Melbourne, Wagga Wagga, Alice Springs, Mackay, and Coonabarabran. I have enjoyed seeing different parts of our country while building up my flying hours.