The Simple Joy Of Doing What You Love

It sounds so easy, doesn't it; "Do what makes you happy" But somewhere in the chain you get overtaken by the need to pay bills or to do something else. Flying, being a pilot, being around aircraft is something I have wanted to do since I was 11 years old. I was fortunate to work at a flying school at Exeter (and sometimes Plymouth) for 4 years, having done a week of work experience in the same building for the school that was there before. So landing a job aged 18 in seemingly the perfect environment to achieve the goal of becoming a pilot, why didn't it happen for the kid who'd only ever imagined that one vocation?

I can't put my finger on a single reason. Coming to Australia twice for cricket? Too much focus on cricket? Too much focus on other things? Honestly there can't be a single answer but my last flight in the UK towards my pilot's licence was in May 2008. I didn't take another training flight until May 2019. A lot happened in between, the single biggest trauma in my life began to unfold in November 2008 and took its toll well into 2009 and beyond. To this day it still causes me pain, but it's dealt with. Saving for a visa and permanent move to Australia in 2013 followed, and settling in while saving for a wedding, saving for a home, working in an industry I didn't like at all for a while before getting a job in cricket and still not relinquishing an amateur cricket career ultimately kept me from flying, as well as multiple family bereavements. But it is not like the thoughts of flying had left me, especially given the influence my late Grandfather had on that particular goal.

Photo: Copyright Lee Gatland Photography

Upon taking that first lesson from Bankstown in May, the immediate feeling when we shut down the engine in the Piper Archer was a simple rhetorical question; "Why the hell had I waited so long to do that?!" Forget cricket, which has given me many opportunities and introduced me to many people including heroes of mine, I had found my mojo again. Flying makes me truly happy. Note, please don't take that as me saying nothing else does... Of course my family, especially my ever-understanding wife do too! In terms of an activity, flying is really it for me. I'm not spiritual, but I cannot describe the feeling inside of me when I'm at the controls of an aircraft. It's a destiny for me, it's my peak, my zen, my happy place. "Above us, only sky".

The truth is that if you want something bad enough then you will do what you need to do to make it happen. From late 2009 into 2010 was when I first really envisaged leaving the UK on a permanent basis after having met Jess. That was my focus, that was my goal. I wanted it badly enough and I got it. Did I ever really want to be a professional cricketer badly enough...? Well, in theory yes I did. In practicality I never did the hard yards in order to get there. With flying, I rather too easily said it was too expensive and put it to bed, resigning myself to thinking it would never happen.

Photo: Copyright Lee Gatland Photography

I set up a crowdfunding campaign to get me back in the air and raised approximately $1,000. That campaign came to a screeching halt with my Grandparents in the UK falling ill, and taking a trip to say my final goodbyes to them, a couple of changes of job coupled with buying our first home. Then a car accident and the subsequent physio and recovery...! Now I'm in a place where I can do it and I've simply got to.

At the time of writing I have taken two flights, and I've started a video diary. What would be a great help for me is if you could like, share and subscribe to my YouTube channel, Facebook pages and help me to achieve my dream. Here is my video diary: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL5f8SNPsAuOADaADwPuI1mRV4JbFAxGpM

I finally restarted that campaign and began using the funds for what they were given to me for. And now the fire is lit. Flying has to be my focus now, I have retired from playing cricket. Flying will cost me more but last me longer. If I have to wash cars, or sell photographs, or work extra shifts at the Reptile Park to fund it then that's what I'll do, but I have that fire again.

Aviation is my biggest passion, including photography of
planes such as this JetStar 787 departing Gold Coast airport

When I look at my time as a Sales Rep in the packaging industry, the words of Jim Carrey come to mind. Talking about how his father took a "safe" job as an accountant rather than chase his dream, and how he was let go from that job, Jim Carrey said "You can fail at what you don't want, so you might as well take a chance on doing what you love." Don't get me wrong, I have loved working in the cricket world for Kingsgrove Sports! But I'm now 33 years old and flying has to be for me now. It is with that in mind that I am so happy to announce that I have got a new job at Bankstown aerodrome in a capacity that will be much in line with what I used to do at Aviation South West in Exeter all those years ago.

I would like to take this chance to publicly express my gratitude to Harry and Rohini Solomons, as well as Dave Solomons and all at Kingsgrove Sports for allowing me to work in the cricket industry, in a sport I have been so passionate about for my whole life. Also for being so understanding that my biggest passion is aviation and getting back into the flying environment is perhaps something I have been destined for, I am truly sad and excited at the same time.

So from here on in the Flying For Fred campaign will be more of a video diary than the crowdfunding it was set up to be. There never was any obligation for you to donate, but those who did I remain grateful to. Of course you still have the option to donate if you wish to, then if you're game, I'll take you flying with me so you can share my passion. THAT'S what its all about in the end.