The Secrets to Creating Miracles in a Modern Day Cockpit

AVIATORS:

I don’t think many pilots believe in miracles. At least I don’t think the ones I flew with in the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s did. But you know what, neither did I then.

But hey, I’m open, prove me wrong. Here’s one for you; I left Netjets, at the time probably one of the best flying jobs a pilot could have in a sadly abused industry, in December, 2009.

I left for a few reasons, the first one which, to me, qualifies as a “normal, everyday miracle.”

Number one: They made me an offer I couldn’t refuse; a three year salary and medical benefits buyout package. This, in one of the most severe economic downturns in U.S. history.

Number two: It was time. After forty plus years in the air, I was long overdue to take a break. That meant taking a risk and leaving the only thing I thought I could do, fly airplanes.

Number three: I could feel the ache in my heart to master some pretty good writing and networking talents that I had dabbled in over the years but never fully committed to developing.

While I don’t miss airlining in the middle seat of row 28, I do miss the flying and you guys and gals who made up my airborne family for the past forty years.

With the duty time you’re flying these days, I know how hard it is to stay fit and mentally positive in today’s cockpits. It sure ain’t like the good ole days of the late 60’s, 70’s and early 80’s when flying was one of the best jobs that a guy who didn’t want to work for a living could have.

Flying is a very different environment these days. It’s tough but not impossible to still have a great life, stay healthy and actually thrive.

I accumulated over eighteen thousand hours in the air during my flying career. Not as much as some “real pilots” but enough to qualify me to talk about how to not just stay fit and healthy in the cockpit but how to turn your love for flying into a life that really serves and develops you.

Too many guys I flew with in the glory days at TWA retired and died a couple of years later because many of them

(1) Didn’t take very good care of their physical, emotional, mental and spiritual health

(2) Didn’t have anything other than flying to hold their interest

(3) Were over identified with their “prestige” as pilots (we don’t have to worry about that anymore, eh!)

Over the length of my flying career I’ve discovered some pretty valuable resources that have helped me stay fit and healthy.

People say I look about 15 to 20 years younger than I actually am. I’ll let you be the judge of that. I’m seriously considering shooting for the “It’s never too late to have a happy childhood” poster boy award!

Probably most of my health blessing is genetic but I believe in building on what God gave me. The health products and resources I’ve accumulated over the years have helped me not only weather the storms of a long flying career but I’ve actually learned how to thrive because of it in a job that can be both magical and stressful in a whole lot of ways.

The key is to focus on and enhance the magic while finding ways to turn the potential stressors  into something that works for you.

You modern day aviators are much more aware of how to deal with the lifestyle challenges of today’s flying environment than the old timers were. But there’s still room for improvement in today’s “not as friendly skies.”

Oh yeah, about the miracles. Here’s another one, short version:

After a few lousy marriages, no blame here, my fault, I went into three years of seclusion to try and “figure out” why my life wasn’t as stellar an example of tranquility and success as I had always envisioned.

After not many blazing insights, I emerged from my self imposed isolation and, through a buddy of mine who was married to a Colombian woman, was referred to an international dating site.

It was there that I met a beautiful, Colombian woman, twenty three years my junior; her photo was kind of dark and obscure but I saw something there that I knew was special. She had only been on the site for a week or so.

I rapped out a quick email to her and, just as I was about to fire it off, I realized that probably every other guy who came on this site saw her photo and was hitting on her in English.

So I found a English to Spanish language translation site, sent my email off to the site, copied and pasted it back into an email and sent it off to her in Spanish, in Bogota.

For the first month or so, we spoke nothing of each others language. We would communicate via the email translation method and, in our best Spanglish, talk on the telephone every other day or so.

We dated for a year and a half (via my five trips to Bogota). On one of my trips, I asked her father for her hand in marriage (in Spanish and in English mind you!) Something I had never done before. Oh yeah, Papi was the same age as me!

Last year we got her into the country on a fiance’ visa. We just celebrated our first wedding anniversary and, for you guys who have followed a relationship flight plan similar to mine, if you ever want a recommendation for where to find some beautiful, dedicated, loyal, interesting women, drop me an email.

Please, my American woman friends don’t think I’m saying that there’s not good women left in the U.S. I’m just saying that, for me, this process worked in a way that convinced me that there are definitely miracles to be had out there.

Back to the task at hand.

I’ll soon be sharing some very cool resources with you here.

It’ll be stuff like how to enjoy your flying career more, some really good options on how to build a second career in case things go south again, which in this business they seem to inevitably do, stress reduction techniques, health tips, some weight loss products for those of you who might be a tad over gross, and more.

There’s also some great flying videos that I’ve posted here which, if you’re any kind of aviator, you’ve probably already seen anyway.

I’ve posted some stories here that deal with the challenges and joys of flying. I’d be honored if you check them out. I think you’ll find them fun, rewarding and inspiring.

Thanks for showing up here,

Bert