Satisfied where you are?

[AirScorp]

Crossposting from another forum:

One fine hot summer's afternoon saw a Cessna 150 flying in the pattern at a
quiet country airfield. The instructor was getting quite bothered with the
student's inability to maintain altitude in the thermals and was getting
impatient at sometimes having to take over the controls. Just then he saw a
twin engine Cessna 5,000 ft above him and thought "Another 1,000 hrs of this
and I qualify for that twin charter job! Aaahh.. to be a real pilot.. going
somewhere!"

The Cessna 402 was already late and the boss told him this charter was for
one of the company's premier clients. He'd already set MCT and the cylinders
didn't like it in the heat of this summer's day. He was at 6,000 ft and the
winds were now a 20 kt headwind.

Today was the 6th day straight and he was pretty damn tired of fighting
these engines. Maybe if he got 10,000 ft out of them the wind might die
off... geez those cylinder temps! He looked out momentarily and saw a B737
leaving a contrail at 33,000ft in the serene blue sky. "Oh man" he thought,
"My interview is next month. I hope I just don't blow it! Outa G/A, nice jet
job, above the weather... no snotty passengers to wait for ... aahhh."

The Boeing 737 bucked and weaved in the heavy CAT at FL330 and ATC advised
that lower levels were not available due traffic. The Captain, who was only
recently advised that his destination was below RVR minimums had slowed to
LRC to try and hold off a possible inflight diversion, and arrange an ETA
that would helpfully ensure the fog had lifted to CATII minima. The Company
negotiations broke down yesterday and looked as if everyone was going to
take a damn pay cut. The F/O's will be particularly hard hit as their pay
wasn't anything to speak of anyway. Finally deciding on a speed compromise
between LRC and turbulence penetration, the Captain looked up and saw
Concorde at Mach 2+. Tapping his F/O's shoulder as the 737 took another
bashing, he said "Now THAT'S what we should be on... huge pay ... super
fast... not too many routes... not too many legs... above the CAT... yep!
What a life...!"

FL590 was not what he wanted anyway and considered FL570. Already the TAT
was creeping up again and either they would have to descend or slow down.
That damn rear fuel transfer pump was becoming unreliable and the F/E had
said moments ago that the radiation meter was not reading numbers that he'd
like to see. Concorde descended to FL570 but the radiation was still quite
high even though the NOTAM indicated hunky dory below FL610. Fuel flow was
up and the transfer pump was intermittent. Evening turned into night as they
passed over the Atlantic. Looking up, the F/O could see a tiny white dot
moving against the backdrop of a myriad of stars. "Hey Captain" he called as
he pointed. "Must be the Shuttle. "The Captain looked for a moment and
agreed. Quietly he thought how a Shuttle mission, while complicated, must be
the be all and end all in aviation. Above the crap, no radiation problems,
no damn fuel transfer problems... aaah. Must be a great way to earn a buck."

Discovery was into its 27th orbit and perigee was 200 ft out from nominated
rendezvous altitude with the commsat. The robot arm was virtually U/S and a
walk may become necessary. The 200 ft predicted error would necessitate a
corrective burn and Discovery needed that fuel if a walk was to be required.
Houston continually asked what the Commander wanted to do but the advice
they proffered wasn't much help. The Commander had already been 12 hours on
station sorting out the problem and just wanted 10 minutes to himself to
take a leak. Just then a mission specialist, who had tilted the telescope
down to the surface for a minute or two, called the Commander to the scope.

"Have a look at this Sir, isn't this the kinda flying you said you wanted to
do after you finish up with NASA?" The Commander peered through the
telescope and cried "Ooooohhhhh yeah! Now THAT'S flying! Man, that's what
it's all about! Geez I'd give my left nut just to be doing THAT down there!"

What the Discovery Commander was looking at was a Cessna 150 in the pattern
at a quiet country airfield on a nice bright sunny afternoon.

Boy, I'll tell you... pilots are never happy unless they are drinking beer
and looking for a better job!

[airtac]

That is sooooo true!!

[TheSoccerMom]

VERRRRRRRY true!!!!!!!!!   

 


 

[tundra_flier]

I fly a Cessna 150 and dream about Ultralights, does that mean I've already completed a very small circle?   

Phil

[leiafee]

I love that story.

[Mike]

what a (true) story!! 

where did you find it?

[AirScorp]

Tried to trace it to the original source but it seems it's a crosspost of a crosspost of a crosspost! So I gave up.. And did more constructive things 

BTW, Monday comes, I'll be in boot camp! The time has finally come. Already cut the hair, stashed the ponytail in the drawer and I'm getting ready.

Now, when the first plane overflies the camp, I'll resemble this little story in full! 

[tundra_flier]

Now, when the first plane overflies the camp, I'll resemble this little story in full! 

Except the first plane will likely be a C-130 or C-17 

Phil

[AirScorp]

Except the first plane will likely be a C-130 or C-17 

Phil

Soooooooooooo? I'l still wanna fly it! 

Nothing wrong with a big ole C-130, or even the retired DCs for that matter (remembered reading about Alaskan DC-4s now ).

***Mental note: Take the plane on my first transfer, meet the pilots, sit in cockpit, shoot the approach myself.***

[AirScorp]

Oh, and a friend said to me this exact phrase yesterday:

"Turn out good that they didn't enlist you in the airforce after all. They're bringing in new F-16s at the local airbase now they've retired the A-7s. Too much work"

And I was like 

[Oddball]

I must be doing this story in miniture, building and flying  R/C models and wanting to work on the 1:1 scale stuff 

[Rooster Cruiser]

Tried to trace it to the original source but it seems it's a crosspost of a crosspost of a crosspost! So I gave up.. And did more constructive things 

BTW, Monday comes, I'll be in boot camp! The time has finally come. Already cut the hair, stashed the ponytail in the drawer and I'm getting ready.

Now, when the first plane overflies the camp, I'll resemble this little story in full! 

Oh boy...  boot camp!!!  How well I remember it even 25 years later!   

However I have no one to blame but myself since I volunteered for it!  What a dummy!

Good luck to you Nick.  We'll be pulling for you.  Make sure you post something for us once you get through it so we know you are OK.   

RC

[Oddball]

aye good luck Nick like Rooster I volunteered for Queen and Country you'll be fine.

    "You're in the army now, you're in the army now, you wont get rich by ditch you're in the army now" 

[leiafee]

Drop us a line when you getthe chance won't you.

[AirScorp]

Of course I will!

Bad thing they don't allow cameras or even camera phones at that! So, guess I won't have any pics to put up any time soon! But will see!

Think I'm gonna start a thread and try and record this.. Would be a nice thing to look back to if I manage to post a couple of times!
Stef, I know it's not about planes but I'll put it up anyway. Hope it's okay!