What about me ?

A view from the cockpit

In Italy the quarantine regulations are slowly being relaxed. In other parts of the world, the chains that bound us are slowly being loosened. People strive to regain their old lives in any way they can. For those returning to work, this will in and of itself be a stressful process as many things changed when our backs were turned. We watch many go about their business in much the same way that they did before. For others however, who have lost jobs, who are furloughed with no real insight as to their future or for those who fear for their future, we grieve for yesterday. We watch others going about resurrecting their lives and, as with the loss of a loved one we feel, "How can life continue to simply go on when my life has been torn apart?" We feel cut off from normality and we scream "when is my turn, what about me!?"

What about me

What about me? It isn't fair

I've had enough, now I want my share

Can't you see, I want to live

But you just take more than you give

Shannon Noll

The aviation, tourism and hospitality industries seem to have been disproportionately hit by the pandemic and so for those of us who watch the "new normal" slowly establish itself, we wait on the sidelines. We contemplate our place in the sky whilst endeavouring to rationalise our dreams of flight, versus the imperative to pay the bills, to survive.

Our plight gains little sympathy from the general public. We are often seen as highly paid and privileged. Many see us as the face of companies that they consider were greedy and manipulative. There is a "schadenfreude" towards us.

As some may seek to belittle our pain, it means that we must be ever more the people we once were. Self starters, motivated, independent, driven, logical, practical, innovative, mission driven, leaders and an example to others.

In the haze of uncertainty and confusion that pervades at this time, many might say "So what? It's just a job?" But for those of us who now sit and wait, lets just take a moment to look at what our place in aviation gave us:

• Status
• Wealth (not for all)
• A rules driven existence (you know where you stand)
• A roster (sometimes a piece of fiction)
• Travel and financial benefits (not for all)
• An ability to hang the job up with the uniform

For most of us, flying wasn't just a job. It was the culmination of many costs and sacrifices made leading towards a dream. So as we contemplate uncertainty, our loss is real. It has an impact on us financially, practically, but most of all it affects us mentally. In speaking with my friends and colleagues I have noticed several common themes which I would like you to consider.

Status

We are not defined by our jobs. A confident person doesn't need a uniform, bars or a badge to know they matter. We have a role to play in this life whatever means we use to earn our living. As Albert Einstein said

Try not to become a man of success, but rather a man of value.

We nevertheless have received excellent training in the art of teamwork and leadership. Never underestimate, or allow others to underestimate the power you have to bring people together for a common aim, however high or low that aim may be.

Wealth

I have to smile as not all companies pay well. We didn't all get muscle fatigue carrying our own wallets. Few people outside of aviation understand or even care about bonds, pay to fly, hours building. The pay some received went to paying off large debts. For those that still carry large debts this must be a continuing concern. May I however suggest that wealth does not just come in the form of a salary. A poor man can feel wealthy when surrounded by those he loves. This may sound trite to some but this now is an opportunity to look again at our lives and to see that we have so much. To be grateful for what you already have is one of the strongest tools you have to obtain and maintain happiness.

A life / career away from flying.

Yes, we have sacrificed so much and incurred such great costs that to contemplate any career or job now other than flying seems like:

• An act of self sabotage. An act of treason against "the dream".
• A terrible waste of money.
• A recipe for losing currency and "your edge".
• An act of surrender.
• Social suicide (people used to think I was cool because I was a pilot).
• Earning below your lifestyle or aspirations.

These are people's genuine feelings even when contemplating imminent poverty. It is hard to look at a change in direction even if only temporarily. We procrastinate, we reassure ourselves all will be well if we just "wait things out". All the meanwhile, others adapt and survive, accept change "for the time being" and move on to a place of self determination and control rather than waiting for Jupiter to align with Mars thus providing that coveted flying job.

The cost of loyalty

A real concern that many express is the idea of, what happens if you receive a job offer for flying but they want you to start immediately. You may have taken a job elsewhere and you feel uncomfortable being put in a position where you have to decide between not giving much notice to your existing employer or giving up the chance of the flying job. This has been a tricky decision for as long as jobs have existed. In other words, what does loyalty cost?

For many, the decision boils down simply to how badly you want the flying job. Beware references. Can you get references from other than your existing employer so you don't have the conundrum of leaving untimely and getting a poor reference, or not getting the job at all? In other cases it may be that your new employer has treated you well and you feel bad about leaving early. Might I suggest that open communication can achieve great things. An accommodation, a special arrangement might be reached. If they understand you and your dream, maybe they will support you in your efforts. Have the courage to ask.

Decisions, decisions

Finally my sky brothers and sisters, as we watch others making their lives anew, it requires us to make some life changing decisions. The decision may be, to do nothing new in any way. However, to do justice to yourself, your loved ones and your future, it would be best to take a cool and calm evaluation of your situation to arrive at the best solution for you all.

Can I therefore take you back to your CRM class. You may remember from the depths of your memory a decision making algorithm with the acronym of TDODAR. There are several others but this is the one I learned. These are not just for simulator sessions. They are for real life emergencies... just like the one we are experiencing now. When you find it hard to think clearly, when everything seems strange and weirdly unreal, unworldly, this is the time to use a decision making tool. Lets have a crack at it shall we?

T is for Time

How long do we have to make our decision? Years, months, weeks, minutes? Set a date or time that you must have made your decision by, based on the nature of the problem you are trying to solve.

D is for Diagnose or Define

State the problem and ALL its implications for you. List the implications out, and if you can, list them in order of importance or severity (for a problem like ours, best put it all down on paper).

O is for Options

What are your options? As many as you have, write them ALL down individually. As you review various options you should annotate the risks and benefits that attach to each option. This will undoubtedly require a lot of background research on your part. Do the best you can because as with any computer program "garbage in, garbage out".

D is for Decide

Time to make your decision. Will you involve others? It has been noted that when more than one person is involved in the decision making, the end decision is often more risky than had one single person made it. This is "risky shift". But is the decision uniquely yours to make? You must decide. You must also decide on your criteria for decision. What is your ultimate aim? Against that aim place your different options and look at the different risks and benefits attached to them. Come up with a pecking order and then decide. What option will you choose? Do you need more information? If so, go back to Options and start again from there.

A is for Allocate resources.

Now that you have made your decision, it's time to make things happen. You need to allocate, your time, your effort, money to the job in hand. Do you need the help of others? Get them involved asap. Keep good communications with all involved. Your situation is as important to others, as the time and effort you are seen putting into it. Patience needs to be allocated. Rome wasn't built in a day and others may set you back. Keep calm and carry on.

R is for Review

We are maybe halfway down the road towards enacting your decision. Its time to have a look at the decision we originally made. Has anything changed in the way of data we obtained during our options stage? Has your criteria for decision changed. How are you doing on your timescale? Are you on plan, up to speed? Does your original decision still make sense? There can be a cost to changing your mind, but maybe the benefit of a new decision is worth it? Only you can decide.

So now as we watch others making their way in life, we no longer need to feel left out, sidelined and unimportant. We are powerful. We are highly trained professionals. Change is our way of life and we are ready. Your wings are always with you. You are a flyer whether you carry your wings on your chest or not. Take your strength and knowledge out into the world and make everyone wish they were a flyer, by your actions and contributions.

Clear take off. All power to you.

Robin Ferrier, as well as being an airline Captain, is a Life Coach and a licensed "Feel the Fear And Do It Anyway" instructor.

Available for online one-to-one sessions to suit you. FREE for aviation employees!

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