[woofa.express]

Response to Gerry Allen’s reply to my story of David Link.
I had today’s short story planned but in view of a reply from Gerry Allen I have written a new story. Gerry’s story moved me and his story is similar to mine and many other pilots I know and mix with. The biggest requirements one needs to achieve in aviation is to crawl over 3 miles of broken glass to get there.Nothing else is important. Formal qualifications only massage the ego of the holder and detract future employers attention to applicants knowledge, ability, initiative and work ethic.
This story is about my 2 sons. Whilst I am both pleased and proud of them, their work and determination to achieve, is the point of this story. This is similar to David Link in yesterdays story and to Gerry Allen (fromBirch Bay, Washington state) who is a high time airline pilot and responded to the David Link story yesterday.
My sons are Dennis (Mushy) and Michael (Moo). When they were kids I never asked them to work. I just told them they had to. No misunderstandings there. Part of that work was aeroplane related, washing and loading chemicals, fertilizer or seed.
In their school holidays they worked at a local gliding school (you might call gliders sailplanes). Sweeping, mowing, cleaning and other shitty work. The boss wanted his pound of flesh and that pleased me.
When they finished school they worked for me. No privileges. Drove heavy loading trucks. Big hours, same wages as other employees. They saved sufficient money to pay for their flying licences.
There is a two year age difference. They both towed gliders, same school as mentioned above. Mushy finished with about 700 hours total time and Moo 900. Good experience and good leadership by employer and staff. $60 per week for about 80 hours work. Acceptable by dad.
Mushy found a job in an aeroplane paint shop. Dirty and smelly. Did a short term working for a third level airline then made it to a well known airline.
Moo worked in a furniture manufacturing factory then a third level airline. A well known airline took him too. Today they both are international pilots and have commands on heavy jet airliners.
Why have Itold you this? Not to brag but to demonstrate how determination overcomes the bullshit of ticking boxes and qualifications. Uni graduates in aviation theory and licence issue where it was all provided didn’t do so well. One such kid is the son of a late personal friend. He did however make it to airlines. Today he is a baggage handler.
Today much has changed but there is something that hasn't. Work and determination to succeed is rewarded. Not only in flying but other jobs and professions as well.
There is another subject that is close to my heart. The treatment of farmers by government, media and public. These are the people that toil hard, frequently losing money, even going bankrupt with drought or floods.They grow the food that is placed on our dining table. We all should be gratefulto those people on the land. That story is for another day.