Image: Spirit Airlines.

A Pilot’s Career – The Spirit Airlines Collapse.

To some outsiders, the career of an airline pilot can seem like a linear pathway – learn to fly and get a job flying a jet. While some have that express path, for the majority it is more akin to a game of snakes and ladders.

Personally, my life before airlines was nomadic, from living in a caravan in the Kimberley to sleeping on open verandahs in New Guinea as monsoonal rain smashed down overhead. And I loved it. However, when I finally found the job security of an airline position, I was relieved and looked forward to having the same address for many of the years ahead. Little did I know that eight years later as a captaincy position loomed, that dream would come crashing down at the grand old age of 37.

This week as my social media feed filled with news of the collapse of Spirit Airlines, my mind immediately shot back to the collapse of Ansett Australia and what it meant for me. There had been murmurings but even on the day of the collapse, I was scheduled to fly AN1 to Melbourne at 6am and the harsh reality only struck when the doors to the terminal refused to open. Security escorted me to my letterbox in the crew room and then back to the kerbside where I was left to contemplate my future. But I didn’t contemplate too long.

Image: Wikipedia.

I drove straight from Sydney International Airport to the local regional airport and waited on the doorstep for the Chief Pilot to arrive. That day I secured part time work teaching aviation theory. This was critical as from ‘day one’ it gave me a reason to maintain my discipline, to get up, put on a shirt and tie and breathe aviation. In fact, throughout the various hurdles my career has faced, I can unequivocally state that the sooner one can recognise the situation and move forward, the better the outcome. After all, isn’t that what we are trained to do in the cockpit?

Despite the unemployment office telling me that I was “highly skilled but totally unemployable”, I ultimately did secure another airline position. Yes, I had to start at the bottom of the seniority ladder again but in all honesty, I believe the collapse was a career disadvantage but a life advantage. It forced me to venture out of my comfort zone and the amazing opportunities that my writing and other undertakings have brought would probably never have happened without the demise of Ansett.

I feel deeply for those affected by the Sprit Airlines collapse, as I did for those at Tiger and other extinct carriers. However, where there is life, there is hope. If one can recover from the initial shock and implement a plan as quickly as possible, there may well be new opportunities on the horizon. And on the other side of the disappointment, one’s personal resilience inevitably improves and you are better prepared for whatever life chooses to challenge you with in the future. I know that is my experience.

The aviation business is tough and operators both big and small face obstacles every day, Many of these are beyond their control – fuel prices, global threats, pandemics, volcanoes, typhoons, etc, etc Even so, it is the field that we choose and love despite the inevitable disappointments. To those at Spirit Airlines and others around the world, good luck and clear skies.