Do you enjoy your career/job?

See below

  • A

    Votes: 9 40.9%
  • B

    Votes: 10 45.5%
  • C

    Votes: 3 13.6%
  • D

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • E

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Total voters
    22
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Customer of mine..25 years ago said something that resonated and stuck with me...He owned night clubs,had plenty of money and I remarked on his life of endless cruises..He said he would ""trade it all for youth!"".
 
Before that I was flying in the Air Force, a
What years were those? What did you fly? I remember going to Biggin Hill at 16 for aircrew "tests in advance" and feeling out of my depth amongst the posh accents and "my father is a Squadron leader" brigade.
 
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Its how you achieve work/life balance. You could have a great job, good money/pension, but work long hours and be knackered when you get home. Alternatively you could have a **** job but can switch off at the end of the day and enjoy the family time.
Me personally, I retired from the navy in 2010 and now work a 3 day/21hr week at a desk. No responsibility and the rest of the team are a good social bunch.
My work/life balance is now spot on and I have no urge to fully retire just yet. The thought of being a full time baby sitter to my grandchildren is not a pleasant one, even though I love them all to bits.
 
What years were those? What did you fly? I remember going to Biggin Hill at 16 for aircrew "tests in advance" and feeling out of my depth amongst the posh accents and "my father is a Squadron leader" brigade.

Well, I'm from one of the most deprived estates in S.Wales, and recognise your Biggin experience - not that I felt 'looked down on' there, the opposite. I was a Loadie (so Crewman) on Pumas for 2 tours in UK and Germany; and a combat survival instructor for the 18 months before I left. (I passed the pilot aptitude, but my background was lacking for pilot training.) I served 79-87, on an 8 year direct entry engagement. I was going to respond to your post to say, the draw of flying can be much bigger and better than the reality. There wasn't enough in it to keep me in- it wasn't demanding enough. I'm very careful who I say that to among my ex mil buddies! And I was only a cold warrior: nobody was shooting at me (well except in one sunlit corner of the UK where there was the desire!)
 
Well, I'm from one of the most deprived estates in S.Wales, and recognise your Biggin experience - not that I felt 'looked down on' there, the opposite. I was a Loadie (so Crewman) on Pumas for 2 tours in UK and Germany; and a combat survival instructor for the 18 months before I left. (I passed the pilot aptitude, but my background was lacking for pilot training.) I served 79-87, on an 8 year direct entry engagement. I was going to respond to your post to say, the draw of flying can be much bigger and better than the reality. There wasn't enough in it to keep me in- it wasn't demanding enough. I'm very careful who I say that to among my ex mil buddies! And I was only a cold warrior: nobody was shooting at me (well except in one sunlit corner of the UK where there was the desire!)

Is a candidate's 'background' really considered that significant for pilot training in the RAF?
 
Is a candidate's 'background' really considered that significant for pilot training in the RAF?

Only to the extent that they select you as an officer/leader of men first, pilot second. I needed to to be a bit more worldly-wise that I was at the time. I'm not suggesting that they judged me for my 'station in life', rather that I didn't meet that part of the standard. I was/am an introvert, so didn't set the world alight in a 20 min interview amongst 4 days of selection.
 
I was/am an introvert, so didn't set the world alight in a 20 min interview
Likewise.For pilots,they can afford to be very selective in every aspect of personality and ability.Even more so for fast jets.
 
Only to the extent that they select you as an officer/leader of men first, pilot second. I needed to to be a bit more worldly-wise that I was at the time. I'm not suggesting that they judged me for my 'station in life', rather that I didn't meet that part of the standard. I was/am an introvert, so didn't set the world alight in a 20 min interview amongst 4 days of selection.

At the Admiralty Board interview for officer selection, to admit that you read the Sun or Daily Star to catch up on international affairs would not go down well ;)
 
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