Brad Can Fly
There was a brief article on Aviation.ca about the fact that Brad Pitt is also a pilot now, following in (his girlfriend?) Angelina Jolie’s footsteps. The article points out that many people never learn to fly because of the time committment required. The article then goes on to ask why that is the case, citing that if Angelina and Brad, which the author calls ”two of the busiest people on the planet”, can find the time then why not everyone else?
I’m not a very busy person, at least not anymore. I’m getting out of the Army reserve and while I’m in a fairly senior position at my job, I no longer work the 14 hour days I did when I owned my own software company. So I think I’m pretty typical. I put in my 8 or 9 hour work days, come home, walk the dog, eat dinner, do some stuff around the house, hang out with my wife and go to bed. Pretty typical. I also play hockey once during the week nights and try to get a little coding on my hobby projects done. On weekends we go for hikes or do yard work or skiing or whatever else in typically normal ‘keeping up with the Jones’ fashion. I’m not busy but my days are filled with things that need to get done and things I like to do.
I’m glad though that I got my pilot licence when I was 18 because as a 30-something there is no way I could have completed it, at least not without being rich. I’ve just started my IFR training and I am going to have to cut back to one day per week instead of the two I’m doing right now. Why? Because my fairly typical lifestyle doesn’t allow for it. And I don’t even have any children (except for our dog who, because he is old, is equally frustrating). I’m not saying that it’s impossible (all you need to do is read Mark Morissette’s blog to see that it is possible). What I am saying is that comparing Angelina and Brad’s lifestyle to a typical Canadian’s is not just life comparing apples to oranges but instead like comparing apples to aircraft; they have little in common.
Yes, I realize that Brad likely works long hours on his movies but that translates into big pay cheques. Which means that Brad can afford to pay for a housekeeper so he doesn’t have to clean his house every Saturday morning like I do. And he had the money to have options; he could have taken his time getting his licence, repeating lessons if required or done all the training at once during a month break between movies. If you check the Internet Movie Database entry for Brad Pitt, you’ll see that he only did 2 movies that came out in 2004 and one that came out in 2005. And he’s in two movies that are currently filming that are slated to be released in 2006. On top of that, he lives in an area that affords him more consistant flying weather.
I may sound bitter or jealous. Quite the contrairy. I like things the way they are for me. I just don’t think it’s fair to compare Brad and Angelina’s lifestyles to the rest of us. Nor do I think that it’s fair to say that those people are giving up on their dreams. And they shouldn’t feel as if they are giving up on their dreams. Sometimes, it’s just not in the cards no matter how you play it. I dream of working as a pilot someday. Will it happen? Probably not, for various reasons. Have I given up? No, I’m just being realistic. Sure I could probably give up hockey or let the house chores pile up, but in all fairness, that’s just not an option. Even if that does mean cutting back to one day of IFR training per week and taking twice as long to get the rating.
Mon, 17 Oct 2005 16:39 Posted in Flying
