A message from the Flight Deck:

Please welcome a talented, aviation enthusiast, soon to be pilot, and my friend from Brazil, Alex Wood, as my guest blogger.  He's written quite a post... the only thing I can say now is Thank You Alex! For everyone else, sit back, buckle up and enjoy the flight. He's created quite the end of the year journey.

"Good evening ladies and gentlemen, this is your First Officer speaking... We've reached our cruising altitude of 36.000 feet and we are now heading oceanic, leaving the coast of Paradise. I am going to switch off the seat-belt sign as we are now entering a safe zone of happiness and laughter. This is a non-stop flight to success operated by this beautiful A330-300 commanded by Captain Karlene Petitt. 

Good weather forecast for this flight, we will fly through the clouds of wisdom and inspiration and we will also be flying through tailwinds that will take us to great opportunities. Our cabin crew will begin the on board services within moments offering a delicious variety of food and beverages and soon you will be able to rest on our comfortable reclined seats. We thank you for choosing Flight To Success Airlines and we wish our passengers a pleasant flight. Thank you."

 

 

 

It's been two years already... Almost three actually, that we have been trying to catch up this flight. Flight To Success... It started smaller than it is today, like some things in life, with a very looking and rich with very professional contents, but now when related to success, leadership and aviation, Google has to mention Karlene's blog. 

 

 

 

Admitting to myself this is the best aviation blog I have ever visited, not because aviation is it's main subject, but it has it's own wonder side. Most websites has only "airplanes stuff" as it's main subject, it is rare to find blogs like hers, but I've seen a couple already. Flight To Success has a vast gamma of subjects related to the field... I like to think here as the place for the" new ones" to help them create their own flight plan for their lives warning the downdrafts and the reality of the industry, and also the place for the most experienced to help them see what's happening with the industry, to discuss with the technical side of the field. 

 

 

 

Many of the visitors come here and have the illusion, yes illusion, that nowadays it's still fine to just obtain their commercial and instruments license and afterwards they will have the job of their dreams... Like if it's that easy, but is it still possible? Well, never loose hope and faith on your career, but be more realistic. Having contacts is very important, but in my case, I didn't know that having contacts on the field could be advantageous on your success six months ago! - I mean, that somebody could put you on the cockpit. And a year ago me and Karlene we've became friends! And of course, most of you know already: nothing better than a real friendship rather than "Oh okay, he/she is a Pilot, I will do everything to keep in touch"... Actually that's not a good start at all. 

 

 

 

 Flight To Success gives you inspiration, situational awareness, opens your eyes, helps you see the industry and the market, helps you find the aviation bug inside you... Generally helps you grow and opens your eyes to become a "Pilot on demand". Also, what I've found really special here, is the possibility to comment, discuss, defend your own statements, debate, explore with your own words on every post! And guess who replies to most comments? An experienced Pilot with a great background and holds what the market needs nowadays, I call this "Pilot on demand". Karlene not just replies with her own words of wisdom and gives her precious words of advice, but she learns with us too.

 

 

She's also a mother, so sometimes she gives us an advice of a "Mother Pilot". I think this relation between Pilot and "AvBlogger" is fundamental. One of the most precious lessons that I've learned from this blog was to hold a degree at least. Agreeing and having the obvious in front of me, I've wrote an e-mail to Karlene about holding College Degree in Aviation, she liked it and created a related post... Then an idea came up (I was reading Flight For Control for the second time at the time), but before I continue with this statement, I would like to remember of a case when a user said "Oh no... You don't need college degree, just get your license (...)", Karlene gave her own advice, and what advice! 

 

 

 

After these moments, I came up with an idea: what if I propose to our Pilot something new to spread the word? I came up with the Flight To Success Facebook Group with the intention to put many airplanes on the same Charlie Airspace as possible so we could spread the word and help others to obtain situation awareness of themselves and of the industry. The idea was approved and I immediately created the Group and now we have 69 members already! Well, for me it's a good start! 

 

 

 

Even if many don't think it's a lot of members. Flight To Success Facebook is the place where you can create arguments and show what are your own opinions, and maybe you could change opinions by seeing what others has to say. What did help me to have this idea? The idea of spreading the word? Mainly Flight For Control added with other facts. The novel is simply best industry guide around, should every Pilot and Future Pilots have on on hand. Fiction Mirrors Truth. This book is helping me tons... Opened my eyes. Then came the idea of partnership!

 

 

 

 Karlene and I became internet and blogging partners and we are working on making Flight For Control a worldwide known book. We have already started by the way. Something really cool is coming for you reader to watch. I also asked Karlene's permission to use the Flight To Success name to become a Network. Now Aviation Center and our good friend publisher of Jeremy's Flight Deck are now a Flight to Success Network

 

 

 

Some of you can think this is a way to promote ourselves, well, it is! But we are promoting ourselves on the way that we help spread the word and offer Karlene's followers a great service from what Karlene taught us, from what her book taught us, from what Flight To Success itself taught us, added by our own knowledge! The idea of Networking is part of the concept of what we call "New Frontiers" for the website... Which is expected to be released in 2013, it's the codeshare of the three blogs having here our "Headquarters". We have the ambition to make Flight To Success become even bigger and well known throughout the internet also! 

 

 

 

What a journey huh? What I wrote above is our history and story of what happened within two years. Every new day is a story to tell, a journey to fly, a history to create, a lesson to learn, a challenge to defy. I have finally graduated from High School this month, what a year! Despite the turbulence zones I flew, but is always a lesson to take with us to the future. Also, this year, many of you followers helped me create my own flight-plan that will be followed this next year... I have received many great and precious advice! Wow, thank you so much to you all! I am more than thankful! Karlene, God bless you and your beautiful family and may life keep giving you love, because you deserve! Thank you for everything... You see, words sometimes aren't sufficient, but you know right? hahahaah!

A wish from the Flight Deck:

May 2013 come with positiveness, strong, and at full throttle, may the positive rate of climb be reached and the gears come up...

  

May the wings flex and the engines roar... 

  

May our A330-300 head oceanic and draw the bright white line scratching the skies of our lives...

  

May our intercontinental flights teach how to be leaders and professionals on the most severe weather... 

  

May our diverts teach us a lesson... 

  

May our fuselage become stronger, and our engines become even more powerful and silent...

  

May our jet fuel burn, but make it worth...

  

May us arrive at our destinations safely and intelligently, and let's give our cockpit companions the best example of leadership, passion, management, friendship and professionalism...

  

May God bless us, give us light, and protect us...

  

May our knowledge be learned and help us reach our dreams...

  

May 2013 be much better than 2012 and the previous years."

 

 

"Good morning ladies and gentleman, this is your First-Officer speaking and within moments we will be descending to 3.500 feet for our final approach to our connection at 2013 Intl. Airport for New Year celebration and then we will start boarding again. Soon our cabin crew will collect your blanket and headphone, and will give you a hot wet smile towel. We understand the Airline is a passenger's choice, but we hope to have you on board on this one class A330-300 commanded by Karlene Petitt and on the Flight Deck we have Jeremy Carlisle with us and me (Alex). We all wish you a fantastic new year! Thank you for flying Flight To Success Airlines."  Alex Wood.