Sunday, April 02, 2006

Leaving It All Behind

It's kind of melancholy leaving everyone and everything, because I've developed not only friends, but a lot of specialized skills on this job that I won't need on the next one. In the course of saying good-bye to people I'm receiving comments and cards and kudos that confirm that I've done my job well. I know I can do the next one well, too, but it will take a while to go from the new person who has to be watched to the one who can be counted on.

I know every rivet and idiosyncracy of my current fleet. I may know where another company's airplane is going from its callsign. I know the people, the places, the approaches. I know where the bumps are, where the winds are going to be, and how to solve the problems unique to this specialty. And I'm going to walk away and let the knowledge decay.

I've been looking at charts. The VNCs are predominately different colours, the MDAs all seem odd, and the 100 nm safe altitudes are startling. The weather will be different, too.

Initailly I'm flying to my new company. I can drive out later to bring my stuff. The jet bringing me there will take off and fly right over my airport. My old airport. I will probably be able to see it through the scratchy window, if the weather is good.

I've flown over it a thousand times, maybe three thousand times. I learned to fly there. I've worked other places, but this is the first time I've got a job somewhere that I haven't flown to or over during previous jobs. I'll no longer hear the voices of my former colleagues on frequency. There will be new colleagues, new airplanes, new expertise.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Leaving one part of your life for another is always bittersweet.

I bet it won't be long before you're the one who can be counted on instead of the one that needs to be watched.

You're a professional 'Trix and that penetrates all parts of your life.

Be safe... and how about giving some hints about which province you are moving to, if indeed you are moving provinces? East or West? Was that Fort Mac comment related? inquiring (nosy?) minds want to know.

D

Anonymous said...

For some reason this post brought Elton John's "Daniel" to mind... may the thermals always rise up to meet you.

--aas

Anonymous said...

You'll do fine. It is sometimes tough to pick up and change everything. You won't just let all your old skills decay, though. You will add new ones, and the combination will make you unique. Just be yourself, and you'll soon be fitting in just as well as you have at the old job.

GC said...

Best of luck in your new endeavour!! Keep us posted as to how it goes!!

Anonymous said...

Yours is the first blog I read, and I always look forward to finding out the "next episode" of your life.

It has been great fun reading of your quest to find a new and improved job: I reckon you thoroughly deserve it, so well done!

And now I'm looking forward to hearing of the ups (and occasional downs) of your new job too!

Paul