486G!

Where's this Tomcat headed?

As many of my peers can attest, the purpose of gaining admission and spending at least another 4 years in the school system is to prepare yourself for a career in the real world. In the Sauder School of Business, there exist aspiring financiers and accountants and a whole array of students looking to ‘make it’ one day.

After watching a great speech on www.TED.com, I thought, I have no passion in any business discipline, and I bet a ton of other kids don’t either. Yet they all dream of counting numbers and the paychecks that accompany that.

In fact, atypical of the average business student, my dream is becoming a pilot.

It all started when I was a kid I guess, first plane trip at 5 months, flown at least once or twice a year since. I remember reading a catalogue of all the planes in WW2, and picking my favourites. And I remember describing my ‘what I want to be when I grow up’ in French class in grade 5; subconsciously or not, this was the moment I knew I wanted to fly planes.

Favourite Propeller Aircraft

My interest was prodded by video games, and some tv shows, especially one call JAG, if you’ve ever seen it. Even a job aptitude test  in Grade 10 recommended becoming a pilot! I was hooked! Anyways to cut to the point, it’s been a long time coming, and something I’ve always wanted to do. Now for the university part of my life.

Enter confusion and uncertainty.

How on earth do I actually know I’ll like it? Maybe the idea of flying is appealing, but what does the pilot actually do? Especially nowadays with computers becoming more and more competent. Is it really my passion, or is the perception what I’m passionate about?

I’ve started talking to some people, trying to get a foot in the door of the aviation industry, just to see what it’s like. First off I’ve already talked to another Sauder student, Azwin Lam, and he explained to me the process of ‘earning your wings’, as well as introducing me to another one of his contacts. Secondly, I’m planning to contact the Canadian Federal Pilots Association with hopes of attaining membership as well as attending meetings. Thirdly if piloting is right for me, and I have no real idea how to do this, I need to figure out which path is the best: Military training, or Flight School. Both have their ups and downs, both are stepping stones to where I want to be.

I try not to think of the ‘what if?’ If piloting is not for me, then I truly have no direction, which is a very scary thought.

Favourite Helicopter

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