Originally Posted by
STILL GROUNDED
I was 35 when I started interviewing with regionals. I was never the most senior one in the class. In fact the place I chose to work for various reasons, quality of life and pay being neither, had me #5 out of 12 in my class.
If you want to stack boxes until you turn 70 at the grocery store that is fine but if you got the bug and want to enjoy everything that aviaiton has too offer it is never to late in my opinion. If you are looking to make 5 million dollars by the end of your career Aviaiton is not the best choice.
Get the ratings ASAP. I believe the GI bill pays 40% after private. It may even pay for a school like ATP. A place like that by time you retire should get from Zero to Hero in under about 9 months. You'll bang down a thousand hours a year and upgrade in 3 years at most regionals. Maybe sooner if you go with a Turbo Prop carrier
Get the 121 PIC and move on to a company Flying bigger gear for the next ten to 15 years and you'll make enough to survive/save and enjoy.
Seeing as though you have worked most of your life, vs most of the guys here will cry about how bad it blows you'll find that it isn't hard, pays ok and can be a lot of fun if you make it.
Good Luck
-Grounded-
Yeah, jets are cool but I'm partial to turboprops for obvious reasons
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Plus that new Bombardier Q400 looks and sounds like it's the one hitter quitter..a straight knockout!
I figure if I can fix jets and fly into combat zones armed with a toolbox in one hand and a pistol in the other, being a civilian pilot can't be all bad. With that being said I don't expect it or the road to becoming a pilot to always be fun or easy...but I do believe in that it is very possible for me to get down to business and "do the d*mn thang".