“ 78 Jan/Feb 2019
I pondered completely
leaving aviation.
Angry, sad, confused, and all the other emotions you can imagine; I have experienced them all since that day. But I am a firm believer that things happen for a reason, and you are who you are based on your reactions to those things. I had two choices: roll over into a bottle or pick myself up and become a better person. I choose the latter. I choose — not chose — because this is a constant struggle I find myself in, and I struggle every day to recreate the person I am.
I pondered completely leaving aviation. Maybe starting in real estate, maybe going to medical school or maybe I’d take my insurance money and buy a sailboat, just check out from life and go live in the Caribbean, living off of rum and whatever I caught in the ocean. This last thought brings me to the reason I write this letter and what motivates me to share what I have learned. I was fortunate to have the foresight to purchase a loss of medical certificate disability insurance policy on myself. Metro Aviation is kind enough to offer a company plan for long-term disability and I enrolled in it at the age of 30. It was the last thing I ever thought I would need, but thank the heavens above I listened to that little guy on my shoulder because in the end at least I am not going to have to live on the streets. My long-term disability was to pay my salary for two years. I ended up taking a lump sum payment that was equal to two years’ worth of work. Unfortunately, it is beyond
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88