subject: Types Of Pilot [print this page] The profession of a pilot is often one associated with a lot of glamour and daring, but there are of course many different types of pilot one could be. If your heart is set on handling some sort of flying machine then this article is just for you as it looks at a couple of the options available.
Fighter Pilot
We've all seen Top Gun and the glamour and derring-do that's the film portrays as being second nature to most fighter pilots, however it's unlikely that your everyday job will be quite as spectacular, even as a fighter pilot. On the plus side you do get to fly some of the most advanced machinery in the world, but there are a lot of negatives.
For one, you are probably going to have to bomb or kill people at some point. On occasion they may be unarmed civilians and if you have a morale issue with this then this is maybe a job that's not for you. You'll also spend many weeks and even months in foreign countries and, of course, there's a chance that you could be killed on the job.
Hot Air Balloon Pilot
Hot air balloons haven't been used in war for nearly a hundred years now, so in terms of being shot at by enemy fire your chances are really quite slim. On top of that it's unlikely that you'll have to kill anyone and depending on the type of company you work for you could even live near to where you work. All of these things mean that becoming a hot air balloon pilot can be a great career.
As a result of the withdrawal of hot air balloons for any serious military nations, it means that you'll spend a lot of your time working in the tourism or even entertainment sectors, as your customers pay to take them into the skies and describe the countryside below. While there is a chance you may become bored with the beautiful view, the likelihood of your appreciation of the enthusiasm for your passengers is something that is likely to waiver a lot less, and consequently flying a hot air balloon can be a very rewarding job that genuinely makes other people happy.
As you can see these are just two of the types of pilot you could become - and there are many more - but which would you rather be, if you had the choice?
