Career Day

FlyGuy had the honor of being invited to the annual “Career Days” events at the local middle schools. I have been participating in this for the past six years or so and enjoy it more and more every year. These bright and talented young people range in age from 12 to 15, the 7^th, 8^th, and 9^th graders. I am highly impressed with the adults who show up to interact with the students. A plethora of careers including doctors, veterinarians, college professors, scientists, business owners, bankers, bakers, nurses, law enforcement, state workers, firefighters, EMTs, salesman, lawyers, restaurateurs, and of course, one pilot. I always let the students know at the outset of my talk that I am here for them, they are not here for me. I encourage them to ask questions anytime they want. I start my talk by telling them how lucky they are to be living in these times, that they will probably live to be 100, and in that case they may as well enjoy the remaining 90 years or so that they have left. I tell them how much I enjoy going to work and how much I enjoy being home. If you have to work you may as well be happy in some career that you enjoy rather than being miserable in one you don’t. What is in store for their future I have no idea I tell them. It has only been 100 years that airplanes have been around so I have no clue what airplanes and aviation will be like when they are my age.

As I ramble on to the students about what they would have to do to be a commercial pilot and what that life is like, the questions start rolling in. I do offer an incentive for good questions, that being full size candy bars. The first one of those I throw to a student, the hands go flying up. I make it clear that asking me if I like my shoes or how often I see my dentist, does not count as a good question. I get asked all kinds of things due to the wide age spread. The questions are good ones and sometimes I really have to think about the answer. The following are some of the unusual questions I have gotten and my answers to them.

1. Have you ever shot someone? FlyGuy: “Not that I know of.”

2. If you could shoot someone, would you? FlyGuy: “Only my ex wife’s husband if he wanted to give her back.”

3. If I have to pass a drug test how long do drugs stay in my body? FlyGuy: “You should be asking yourself why you have to ask that question in the first place. If you take drugs, you most likely will get caught. The tests are getting better and better improving the odds against you every day. People, please stay away from drugs. If you are taking drugs go see your counselor, clergyman, relative, trusted friend, and most importantly your parents. Get help in any way you can, please.” Don’t blow your chances to get your dream career and ruin your life.”

4. What is the most scared you have ever been? FlyGuy: “The day my daughters became teenagers.”

5. Have you ever crashed and killed people? FlyGuy: “Not yet.”

6. How come you don’t carry a gun? FlyGuy: “I am as untalented as you can get with a gun. I would end up killing my copilot instead of the bad guys.”

7. Is it true that you can get sucked through the little hole a bullet makes in the airplane? FlyGuy: “No, sorry, just makes a loud and boring whistling noise.” I don’t think I have ever seen anything Hollywood has made about flying that is accurate.

8. Have you ever done loops in the air? FlyGuy: “No, the passengers get really upset when you do that.”

9. Are there any hot guys who are pilots or are they all old guys like you?

This was a tough one. I wrote a phone number on the board, turned around, and walked right up to the girl in the front row who asked the question. I put my hands on my hips, looked right into her eyes, handed her my cell phone and said, “Call that number on the board and ask the woman answering the phone if I am hot. If she says no, I will shave my head, wear a pink thong in public for a week, and buy all the junk food you can eat for a year, give you the keys to my car, pay for your insurance as well, get you the newest cell phone, and take you shopping for new clothes.” She stared at me, not blinking or moving. “That is a totally unfair answer”, she said. The phone number was my girlfriends and the student was her daughter. Be Safe, FlyGuy.