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2022: Lesson Learnt

by Jennifer Yhaye

2022: Lesson Learnt
The lessons I have learnt in 2022 as a Gen z Pilot

Hello everyone! I hope this heartfelt letter finds you well. If you’ve made it this far into 2022, give yourself a pat on the shoulder because what a year! Just when some of us were finding our balance, the planet is in economical shambles but that’s a topic for another day.

On the first Sunday of November, I was having brunch with my best friends, and one of them basically called me a fraud for getting them hooked with my blog during lockdown and ghosting the site afterwards. So, this is me proving to her that I
still got it. Even though the truth is, I have been writing even more now than before, but just didn’t feel the urge to post it on here. And it has nothing to do with the fact that I may or may not have forgotten my username and password …

Let’s dive right in.

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My two cents

WHY DID I GIVE UP BECOMING A PILOT ?

by Jennifer Yhaye

I just took a break from an intensive study session: It’s all so much information! And I am laughing at myself for the life I chose. As the west-African expression says “Who sent me message?”

It is however in these candid moments that I reflect the most on my career path.

To think that, had I listened to most people, I’d be standing in front of my mirror asking myself “Why did I give up becoming a pilot ?”

From the silent nights with tears flowing down my astigmatic eyes pondering on discouraging statements like “You can’t become a pilot; you wear glasses” or infuriating comments like “you did not get an A in your Physics A-levels, how do you think you can survive flight school ?”, I’m glad I did not take anybody’s advice. It surely was God’s way to guard my heart and save my dream.

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My two cents

Is this truly the worst time to become a pilot ?

by Jennifer Yhaye

You may have watched or read here and there that the aviation industry is undergoing some significant economic tensions.
[Check my last article on the subject if not]

For a regular passenger, it may sound like it could all be fixed once borders worldwide finally open, however, aviation enthusiasts around the world may be faced with deeper concerns such as, “Is this the right time to be/become a pilot ?”

Let me be straightforward and answer: No, it is not. In fact, it is not the right time to be anything that requires you to be exposed to the Coronavirus at the moment. [in times like these, I wish remote/self-flying airplanes for commercial operation was not just a utopian foreshadowing for the next century]

On the other hand, let’s look at another aspect of the matter: “Is this the worst time to become a pilot ?”

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THE DAY MY COUNTRY HONOURED ME

by Jennifer Yhaye

(3 mins read)

It all began with 5 missed calls from a private number. I was in between two flights and I did not pay much attention to them. (I rarely take calls when I’m at work, plus it was a private number. Creep!)

I took-off from Lomé, and landed in Abidjan an hour later for a night stop.

My ritual whenever I am in my hometown, is to meet my dad for lunch and dessert, then visit my grandmother if I get enough time, and back to my hotel room.

When Papa came to pick me up this time around, he said “The president is looking for you“ I was like “HUH ?..”.

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Will the Aviation Industry Survive?

by Jennifer Yhaye

(3 mins read)

A question I have asked myself from the day I last stepped into an airplane.
Yet in my mind, it would be just a couple weeks off and we’d be back in the game.
Well, it’s been ‘4 months since March 23rd and the questions keep rising.
-When will we fly again?
-How many more jobs lost?
-When things go back to normal, who will fly these airplanes on the ground?
-Meanwhile, is maintenance done regularly?
-When will my next vacation be? (Because somehow, COVID-19 has stripped some of us of our annual leave bank.)
-The recycling of all this idling labour force
-the cost of COVID-19 preventive measures
-the mental state of [ex] employees who have seen their lives being rated as liabilities to a company they vowed to
-the plausible yet unlikely expansion of fleets all over the world.
The last time the situation was this critical was during 9/11 [to give you some perspective]
Now, where does the growth of my career fit in ? Some pilots were this close from an upgrade. Some had side businesses about to launch
and some, if not all of us, just really miss flying!

(more…)
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