I don't know, but I managed to get a job working as an Aircraft Dispatcher, for Servisair the airline handling agent. I used to co-ordinate the operations involved in the turn around. Fuelling, boarding, loading, catering etc. No two turn-arounds were ever the same. There was always something happening to make it interesting.
I enjoyed the job while it lasted, it was a valuable experience. I learned a lot of what goes on behind the scenes in airline travel.
Very slowly and gradually, through fire covers, aircraft washing, and whatever pennies I had left, I trained for my IMC Rating. This is for flying in Instrument Meteorological Conditions. It is like a very basic instrument rating in the United Kingdom, allowing me to fly legally in and above cloud on instruments. It enabled me to enhance my skills and log instrument time. Instrument time was something I needed to build up for the future, as well as hours generally. It also meant that I could get back to the airfield on instruments, if adverse weather conditions occurred while I was out.
There was a privately owned Piper Cherokee on the airfield, which was quite under utilized. The owner didn’t have much time to fly it. It isn’t very good for an aircraft to sit around for too long. So we helped each other out for a while. I flew his aircraft on an agreed non-profit hourly rate that covered all the expenses of me flying it. In return, his aircraft was utilized more which done it the world of good. It was short lived, as the aircraft was eventually sold. But I enjoyed it while it lasted.
Everyone I knew that were putting themselves through commercial ratings were a lot older than me, and had other career's which earned them enough money to fund the hours and all the training. Putting myself through all that training as an 18 year old working on minimum wage was something which seemed very far out of my reach. I wasn’t sure exactly how I was going to get there myself. I didn’t get phased at anytime though. I always knew I would find a way into this career somehow.
