I was first diagnosed with SJS when I was just 10 years old. I was in wood shop when I saw a few kids huddled around a “state of the art” 80386 computer running Microsoft Flight Simulator. I was hooked…on computers…and soon flying jets.
Years went by and I played better and better versions of Microsoft Flight Simulator. My favorite “jets” were from WilcoPub.com. The ERJ and CRJ aircraft are both highly detailed yet easy to use. I couldn’t wait to fly the real thing.
Fast forward to 2006. I decided to start flight training. One of my good friends kept asking me, “so when are you going to fly jets”, as my flying props wasn’t real flying.
When I was first hired by my airline I was flying a regional jet….a “big” one….not one of those “little” ones. In reality all RJs are “little” ones…some more cramped than others.
All airlines adjust fleet count in domiciles. Some domiciles get bigger…some domicilies get smaller…some domiciles disappear.
Last year the aircraft I was assigned too was dropped from my domicile. I was a man without a plane.
I had the opportunity to follow my plane to its new domicile. I’d keep my “big” RJ seat. Nah.
Those who have read for a while know I changed aircraft.
My new RJ isn’t as nice as my old RJ….but it’s still an RJ.
More importantly my QOL is much better on this new RJ. Quality of Life is waaaay more important than the equipment I fly. A Captain who was in the same position as me put it like this, “This is a job. You are paid to fly passengers safely from point A to point B. Who cares what kind of aircraft you fly. As long as it allows you to safely do your job and go home to your family at night, it doesn’t matter. Your family is what matters.”
Couldn’t have said it better myself. I’m home way more now than I was before. This is due to my company seniority increasing and my relative seniority increasing.
I’ve been here 4 1/2 years. I’m holding weekends off (if I want), most Holidays off, 16+ days off a month, getting the vacation I want……and I fly a little dull jet. Life is good.
May 9th, 2012 → 9:02 am @ Geek Pilot