If you had the chance to go back and change anything about your career path what would it be?

Marry rich.

Never have applied for that last FTU OC.

Two (probably malignant) thoughts come to mind:

1) "I spent most of my money on airplanes and women. The rest I wasted"

2) "Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming -- "WOW -- What a Ride!" "

I'd keep my pecker in my pants.

Puke on the owner instead of the instructor...

Run for president..

to all the "Canada doesn't have a President."

- Yeah, no sh*t and look we're the only country in the world to have spent 1 billion dollars on "gun control" and the city right beside me(Scarborough) has a shooting daily, but you're right, sometimes it works and they're forced to use a machete..

Tightened a few more oil caps before doing anything silly inverted...

Instructed far too long (6yrs) . Most of that time was as a CFI, only because it paid better than simply instructing. I got sucked into the money thing and lost focus of my goal. I should have looked around a little harder for that all-important rampie/fueler job as an in. Instead 14yrs in the industry and I am just getting on with a major. Well I certainly didn't do it for the money this time . But that's another story. Regrets - yes, but I am sure that we all have some.

Would have done the float thing and then to hicks and lawerence. Work all summer, unviersity in the winter. Would have come out with time and a degree.....if the industry goes to shit again, thats what im going to do, summer contract bird dogging, university in the fall.

Well to be perfectly honest for me I would stop at my private and just fly for fun. I have spent a ton of money (my own, not loans or grants) in this business for very, very ,very little return. Financially I would have been miles ahead to stop earlier on. My advice to my nephews is, fly for fun if you want use my airplanes but choose another profession as your mainstay and forget living hand to mouth like you will in aviation.

I'd make the good decisions again and make them even better. The mistakes I'd leave alone. That's what builds character and shapes who you are.

Make the same mistakes all over again.

I would resurrect a 17 year old thread to reflect on the poor decisions I had made in that time!

Taken more pictures.

....of married the blonde one.

Interesting question. I am back in the software industry making more money as I am furloughed now but I will jump back to flying when I can. Money isn't everything. If I could have been a race car driver or astronaut I would have done that over flying though.

Good question. I think for me, I'd take every penny that I invested in my flying career and invest in Microsoft, Apple and BitCoin, and WestJet. THEN I'd sell them all, and start flying with the proceeds from my gains...and still have a fortune in the bank.

I'd do my whole CPL on floats rather than waste money on "professionalism" courses and a worthless diploma.

Same.

Drop out of school to eventually become a degenerate pajama trader.

N2 wrote: ↑Wed Apr 07, 2004 8:17 am Well to be perfectly honest for me I would stop at my private and just fly for fun. I have spent a ton of money (my own, not loans or grants) in this business for very, very ,very little return. Financially I would have been miles ahead to stop earlier on. My advice to my nephews is, fly for fun if you want use my airplanes but choose another profession as your mainstay and forget living hand to mouth like you will in aviation.

This cuts deep, and a more criminal offence than anything else by owners / operators etc that set the bar so high with wages so low.

rookiepilot wrote: ↑Thu Apr 29, 2021 7:29 pm Same.

Drop out of school to eventually become a degenerate pajama trader.

Better than fixing and flying this garbage in Canada! LOL

Nothing. Money isn’t the finality. Freedom is. See my parents and invest more.

...maybe take Air Canada up on their offer of employment in early 1964 instead of turning them down...?

dash8dave wrote: ↑Thu Apr 29, 2021 11:14 am Good question. I think for me, I'd take every penny that I invested in my flying career and invest in Microsoft, Apple and BitCoin, and WestJet. THEN I'd sell them all, and start flying with the proceeds from my gains...and still have a fortune in the bank.

There you go, I still remember the day a WJ exec came to my aviation class and told us about their IPO 2 weeks before it happened. Had I only taken my 18 K in student loans and bet it all on teal....