To Fly

Have you felt the need? The need for speed.

Tom Cruise

To paraphrase the famous line from Tom Cruise's high flying hit film Top Gun.

That may sound like fun to some... but surely there's much more to piloting a 10 ton hunk of metal through the clouds than just "going fast".

So how does one get a real understanding of what life is like to be a pilot? They are usually pretty busy on the job and don't have time to sit for interviews. (Well, maybe if you can catch a pilot in between impromptu jazz concerts.)

The real reason cockpit doors now have locks? Private concerts.

Honestly, if we are to believe the movies... planes are quick-starting, upside-down landing, tiny vacuum hole-sucking, gravity-defying time machines... full of snakes.

Surely that can't be right. Of course it's not... and don't call me Shirley.  

There was an ancient time when passengers actually dressed up to fly. And airlines served real food with metal silverware. Hard to believe today.

So if a few hours playing a flight simulator has peeked your interest, or maybe you just love to travel by air and wonder what sitting behind the stick in charge of all that thrust would really feel like, Ben is here to pull back the curtain and tell it like it is. 

http://uwannadu.com/airline-pilot/

He's a young pilot who sat down with uwannadu to answer the 15 most-asked questions to offer insight into being an airline pilot. Not acting in a movie. But in real life. And it might not be as difficult as you think. Many celebrities have pilot's licenses just for fun. Actor Harrison Ford can fly more than just the Millennium Falcon, as he's rated for both fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters. And unlike his Indiana Jones character in Temple of Doom, he can land a plane too! Other celebs with a license to fly include: Clint Eastwood, Morgan Freeman, Angelina Jolie, Jimmy Buffet, John Travolta, Kurt Russell, half of the band Pink Floyd, Victoria's Secret model Gisele Bundchen and yes, even Tom Cruise.    

Like any career, it's not all well-dressed glamour and private lounges, nor is it all action-movie explosiveness and nail-biting suspense. The reality lies somewhere in the middle.

And understanding that reality is crucial to making the best decision for your own future.

Hear much more from Ben about his career choice.
Explore thousands of other careers and discover what YOU wanna do at uwannadu.com