Ok, serious questionFollow

This thread is for my Asylumite family. All others need not respond.

As many of you know, I am an EMS helicopter pilot living and working in the Central Valley of California. I have been doing this for almost fifteen years, make a good wage, and have a pretty good life that includes a wonderful home, lovely wife who I really enjoy spending time with, two poodles that I get to molest regularly, and a job that is increasingly... dull.

Maybe I'm just getting tired of working nights picking up drunks and gangbangers or maybe I'm just wired to always think that there is something more exciting around the next bend, but here I am looking at trying something new. My ability to recover after a week of nights is slowly fading and I find myself dreading that rotation knowing I'm consigned to get up six or seven times a night to go drop off some idiot who should have been home in bed-- a place I'd be if I had any choice in the matter.

I have a strong possibility at a job in Africa-- Angola to be specific --flying the oilfields on a 28 day on, 28 day off schedule for well into the six figures. Airfare is taken care of, they handle the meals, have a gym, a 9 hole golf course, and operate right on the beach. It is highly secure, being guarded by former South African elite troopers and has been in business for over 30 years, even through the worst of the proxy wars between the US and Sovs. I'd never have to fly nights again, can meet my bride anywhere in the world since the company gives me the equivilent of a flight from home to Angola, which is only one thousand miles away from being diametrically on the opposite side of the earth (they provide airfare round trip regardless of where it is you want to go as long as it is equal to or less than the distance between your home and the base). They even provide beer for the pilots at the end of the day.

So what's the dilemma you might ask? The problem is I really enjoy spending time with Mrs. Totem. Being away for a month at a time poses a real burden on us, especially since we know what all it entails having flown in the Gulf of Mexico doing 7/7 and 14/7 rotations waaay back when I first started flying. The difference now is we don't have kids in the house and can go travel the world seeing places we always wanted to see together.

I dunno. I haven't taken a vacation in five years now, so maybe that's the real problem. Maybe I'm just burnt out and need a few weeks off to recuperate. Maybe I'm just a little whiny ***** and should shut up and appreciate what I've got.

Whatdya think? Make a bold move and do something new and different? Or stand pat and continue to hate life every 4th week wishing those people I am supposed to save would just die a horrible and firey death before I lift off?

Totem

It's ******* ANGOLA. The UNITA rebels shoot at helicopters for fun. Sometimes they get their hands on old russian Man-portable SAM launchers...

But if you need a change, by all means, seek out a change. Though the ones they pay suspiciously well for, there is usually a reason.

I've actually given that some thought-- sans Paris Hilton, of course, but yes, going into the flying business. Sadly, I have zero business acumen and floating the biz would wipe out our funds earmarked for retirement. Too risky for my blood.

That being said, I can spend literally all of my time with Mrs. Totem and not suffer deleterious effects from prolonged exposure to shopping, washing dishes, vacuuming, and long moonlit walks along the beach. We just jibe quite well together. In a nutshell? She is my best friend.

However, however taking on this new job would allow for us to travel the world, spend more concentrated time together (instead of only a few hours most days), dump tons more filthy dinero into our IRAs, and I wouldn't always be feeling exhausted recovering from 7 days of little to no sleep.

It's become a quality of life issue now. My schedule is such where I am fearing for my long term health. While I'm healthy now, doing this has definitely taken its toll on me. Going to Angola would mean flying only days and mostly for only 2-3 hours a day. Cake. I just don't like the idea of being away for 30 days.
:(

Totem

Wouldn't touch Angola with a barge-pole. What's wrong with crop-spraying in Colombia or pleasure-flights over Gaza?

You could make a decent living touring England in a Freak Show - "Come see the man with {insert number} Teeth!"

I almost applied to STAR flight out of Austin, Texas. they're looking for someone with my qualifications. It's the premier EMS outfit in the US right now, except that would just be doing more of the same, just with a household move added in. A lateral job move.

/double sigh

Totem

Well, we'd be in a compound that is guarded by solid heavily armed non-native troops and we'd not go outside the wire except to fly back to Luanda or Johannesburg for the flight back stateside, so our interaction with the locals is minimal from what I understand. The pay is $150,000-ish with lower taxes and a nice per diem and travel expenses.

All in all it's a pretty sweet deal considering I'd be only doing day VFR work to oil rigs 20 NM offshore for 2-3 hours a day. Easy money. My understanding is some of these guys have been there 20 years and are quite happy with it.

Totem

Hmm, choose something new and exciting, or stick with the same old boring crap. Tough choice.

What would Bruce Willis do? Clint Eastwood? Rambo? The Austrian kindergarden cop?

I know it's hard being away from the wifey, but Angola will be so much more of an adventure. You'll have so many cool stories to tell, you'll see so many different people, ways of life, sceneries, your great-grand-kids will look up to you as some sort of modern-day Vasco de Gama, it will be fullfilling and it will, as my dad says, create memories.

I say stop being such a democrat, and just go for it.

It could be worse...

In the last 12 months i have spent 4 nights away from home every week i wasn't on Holiday.

Before that i was away from home for 18 of 30 months, and of the 12 months i was home i was often away for mon-fri.

I am considered fortunate by my peers, to have had so much time at home...

This makes it sound so much worse, to me.

It won't be an adventure.

It won't be fun.

It'll be like being in prison. As a trustee, maybe, but still in prison.

In short, it sounds awful.

Look for the third option, seriously.

The ****? You live in the central valley too?

Find a 3th option. Soon, as health and wife are more important then money and working yourself to death.

Type A people should be made to take at least 6 weeks off work, each year by law. The saving in medical bills could well cover cost of making sure they have someone to cover a person while they take a mandatory vacation on a remote island.

Large bubbles may be needed to keep Type A's from escaping.

If you were 25 and unmarried it would be absolutely fricking marvelous job. But you are old, like the earth.

People will focus on the fact that Angola is a ********* and lets face it, it is. Minefields, continued guerrilla action since the 2002 ceasefire etc. But as you stated you have security and spend most of your time totally away from that.

I think end of the day its 28 days on, which is not bad really in terms of work but it is bad in terms of 28 days of not seeing your wife, kids, friends or family. Even looking at it short term 6 months to 12 months where you are going 28 day stretches without them, it sucks. I know when the brother in law was going through officer training with the army and was gone for stretches like that without leave it was really hard on him and my sister cause they got along so well.

There is also the fact that your blackness will be taken for granted.

Airscan is good to work for, I'd do it.