http://www.airlinerworld.com 73earlier days and it no longer held the
same enjoyment and satisfaction for
me as it used to. It had become routine.
I knew, however, that such a career
change, although well researched,
remained a gamble. Yes, I was pas-
sionate about being a pilot, but it was
around this time I naturally began ask-
ing questions of myself. I was 39 years
old and hadn’t undertaken intensive
study for many years – was I capable?
I was embarking on a big task,
historically one taken on by people of
or near school leaving age, individuals
fresh from the theatre of education.
Was I too old to compete? And would I
gel with the younger cadets?
I committed to my new adventure and
relocated to Southampton. I moved
in with three other guys, all from very
different backgrounds and all in their
early 20s – my other fellow cadets were
mostly of the same age. But we were all
equally passionate and motivated and
friendships blossomed from day one.Finding my Feet
From a learning perspective we were
expected to hit the ground running.
The course material was intense, not
so much conceptually or even math-
ematically but the volume of informa-
tion was daunting. Each subject had
its own challenges and I must confess
during the first few weeks of the pro-
gramme I felt the pinch of self-doubt.
Many of my new friends were lapping
up the material with ease and I began
to feel out of my depth – quite simply, I
needed to re-learn how to learn again,
and quickly. I started to find my feet
and gained confidence after passing
my first exams, although there was no
respite and the course remained fastpaced and highly pressured.
It was certainly hard work with real
highs and the occasional low. I even-
tually returned home to await the early
morning email confirming my final
exam result. The day finally arrived
and, breath held with Joanne looking
on, I opened the message – I had
passed and with a good score to finish
on. It was time to start packing again,
this time to begin the flying phase of
training in sunny Arizona. The dream
was becoming a distinct reality.
Any change from an established
career to a new one carries a certain
risk, and leaving this until later in life
can be far more complex and
challenging. If, however, a new
horizon is truly one of passion, then
you’re already halfway there and it may
well be time to push back, start the
engines and line up for take-off.