Wednesday, April 08, 2009

Being A Pilot

I love my job; who wouldn't?!

There are days when it gets me down. When I ask myself why, for the sake of a mediocre salary I willingly live far from those I love, from home comforts and true friendship. Why each day, and many nights, I find myself battling through 60,000ft thunderstorms threaded with lighting and bashing heads with idiot passengers! But then I think to myself, I’m a pilot!

That in itself seems cool enough to justify all kinds of inconvenience. It’s something I have wanted to be since I can remember. It’s a cliché, but I must confess to fitting the cliché perfectly. As a little boy there was no greater treat than to ride in my grandfather's plane, while on the ground, I built endless models and pestered my parents for the ultimate toy, a radio controlled plane.

For the sake of my job I have moved much too often, loosing friends and saying goodbye to places where I was completely content. But then I have made new friends, more than any guy deserves and seen so many incredible things. How many people have experienced what I have? Flown over oceans, both Indian and Atlantic, into jungle villages and tropical islands, along great portions of the Congo and Zambezi, and watched the sun rise over Kilimanjaro to name but a few.

For the love of aviation I have lost true love and don’t clearly see how it could happen again. This is a hole that is hard to fill. But then, on a golden afternoon when the controller clears me to take off and my plane reaches for the sky, all I think of is that I am flying, and it fills me with a soaring joy.

If you have never flown you just cannot understand the obsession; but an obsession it is. One day I hope to have recovered enough from the addiction to perhaps give it up, or get my fill from the occasional fix. I desperately want to spend weekends with good friends, and evenings playing scrabble with my family in a real home; to wake up with someone I love and to be back for dinner. When that finally happens, I’ll hang up pictures of my adventuring days and rebuild that radio controlled plane that, on my first flight so many years ago, crashed into a million little bits!

But, until then; I’m a pilot! I love my job. Who wouldn’t!

16 comments:

Janelle said...

oh oh oh my oh my...what a fine piece of writing robbi darlin'! honestly. made me choke up. flip. not only a blerrie pilot eh? BEAUTIFUL ROBBI!!!! post more post more.,..yes please. love ya babes. XXX j

Janelle said...

read it while listening to that jack johnson..perfect combo...x j

Mukosha said...

Ah Janelle! Thank you xxx

alex said...

I love your passion Rob. You are blessed to realise it in spite of all the sacrifice. And I love your writing, its honest and true and moving. and maybe you will find a lady pilot?! x

Lori ann said...

Coming over from Janelle's, thank you for letting me have a look around, your photos are seriously gorgeous.
What does Chalo Chesu mean?
x Lori

Val said...

came here from Janelles and glad i did. really enjoyed reading..and those wonderful photographs! will be back for sure.

scary said...

Dream lofty dreams, and as you dream, so you shall become. Your vision is the promise of what you shall one day be; your ideal is the prophecy of what you shall at last unveil.
-- James Allen

Dream big Robbie, you never really leave behind your friends and family. You can take them with you always just as they all hold you in their hearts.

Marianthe said...

you love soaring in the skies but I love flying in your words....fly more and write more..love you

Mukosha said...

Thanks Alex.. most days I certainly think its worth it..

Lori, Chalo Chesu means "Our World" in Bemba which is the Zambian language I grew up with..

Look forward to having you back
Val!! Oh the pressure!! :)

Scary... You are so right, but having them so close and yet out of reach is probably the hardest part... and dreams... ah they get you in trouble!!

Marianthe... My unbiased fan!! :)

Mom de Plume said...

Came over from Janelle's - great writing and well done for living your dream! My parents left home when we were all old enough and now we are scattered to the 4 corners of the earth. 5 of us on 4 continents. I still feel VERY close to all of my family - only difference is we can't clink our wine glasses together in the evenings!

Keep taking pictures - you have a gift!

nmj said...

Hey there, Came over from Janelle's, your blog is extremely interesting, I will follow from now on. My brother is passionate about flying, it is his hobby though, not his job, and he has to fit it round his family, he is a little older than you, but I recognise your 'addiction' in him. I have been up with him a couple of times over the years but the last time, I freaked and asked him to land again, we'd only been up for five minutes and I was not impressed by the helicopter in the distance... I was sure it would clip us. I am not a good flyer as you can guess, though it doesn't actually stop me from getting on a plane. My brother is an aeroengineer and gets truly fed up explaining how safe the damn thing is to me! But all the thrust, drag, lift and weight in the world will not convince me.

karine said...

Very nice post,Rob.
I am in love with a pilot and I know that one day he may go to fly new skies.
I guess I am the other side of your story...

Simon said...

Nice one mate, I can definitely relate to this. Its a great job, however it does involve a great deal of sacrifice. I really do miss the African flying scene, nothing has come close since. Hope to chat soon mate. Cheers Simon

Unknown said...

LOVE your photos- brilliant:)
Love Pierra

Anonymous said...

Please post again. You are a romantic figure - flying around in exotic places. We want to hear more.

Just Another Savage! said...

From Janelle to your side. Soak it up, you will miss it if you ever stop, I suggest you put that notion out of your head. Great words, I'll be back. AP