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Yea you might get a 150 for 20 grand, but then it's gonna need work, and will still end up costing 80 bux an hour to operate.
About the medical degree - it's not all roses. My girlfriend does that and is always exhausted after her long hours for the 17 bux an hour pay. Yea an RN program is probably a great idea, but like anything else, doing something you are interested in plays a large part in growing within that field. You can make 50k a year within 5 years in aviation, and I predict it will be easier to do that over the next 5 years than ever before (since not many people are doing it anymore). It takes that long in most fields to get that kind of money anyway... worth a shot - life isn't 100% about money though, you need to be enjoying yourself at least a little bit. If needles and bed pans aren't your thing, is 45k to 65k (in time) going to offset that? Depends on the person I guess.
About the cost of ratings...If you can get all of your post private ratings done for cheaper than 50k, that's still on par if not cheaper than most colleges. I'm not gonna say that's cheap tho, because it's not, and I agree with you on that one - especially since you need a degree on top of that cost. It's just a matter of what you want to do for a career.. Some people pay 200k for college to become a secretary making 35 grand a year... then they quit when they have babies (after collecting the maternity leave)... Call me a cynic, and I'd agree with you... lol It's been a tough 12 years.
The good thing about the forums is we can state our opinions, even if we disagree. I like that, and appreciate people don't see eye to eye with me.... I wouldn't necessarily dissuade people from flying professionally so much as consider all options, one of which is flying for fun. No flying isn't cheap, but I do strongly, strongly disagree with the statement coming from money in order to fly for fun. If you fly for fun, you spread costs out over your whole life. However, flight training to become a professional requires a large financial investement in a short period of time, plus probably college. (And it's not because I come from money, my family was a bunch of red necks, and I suppose I am too.). Originally Posted by Dan64456
"If it flies, floats of !@#$'s, then it's always cheaper to rent" Considering that a 150 would cost as much as an expensive car to begin with, then I'd still say yes. This doesn't even consider the cost of maintenance, overhauls, hanger fees, whatever. Oh, and user fee's are just around the corner too I bet it's only a matter of time. Auto gas will cost 5 bux a gallon within 2 years too by the way. Since most people can't afford an expensive car either, then I'd still say yes. It's reserved for the rich. Yea you might get a 150 for 20 grand, but then it's gonna need work, and will still end up costing 80 bux an hour to operate.
About the medical degree - it's not all roses. My girlfriend does that and is always exhausted after her long hours for the 17 bux an hour pay. Yea an RN program is probably a great idea, but like anything else, doing something you are interested in plays a large part in growing within that field. You can make 50k a year within 5 years in aviation, and I predict it will be easier to do that over the next 5 years than ever before (since not many people are doing it anymore). It takes that long in most fields to get that kind of money anyway... worth a shot - life isn't 100% about money though, you need to be enjoying yourself at least a little bit. If needles and bed pans aren't your thing, is 45k to 65k (in time) going to offset that? Depends on the person I guess.
About the cost of ratings...If you can get all of your post private ratings done for cheaper than 50k, that's still on par if not cheaper than most colleges. I'm not gonna say that's cheap tho, because it's not, and I agree with you on that one - especially since you need a degree on top of that cost. It's just a matter of what you want to do for a career.. Some people pay 200k for college to become a secretary making 35 grand a year... then they quit when they have babies (after collecting the maternity leave)... Call me a cynic, and I'd agree with you... lol It's been a tough 12 years.
People can fly for relatively cheap if they save up, have a somewhat decent job, maybe get a partner, and maybe cut out another expensive hobby. I have heard the excuse that flying is too expensive numerous times from people with all kinds of expensive hobbies, toys, cars, etc. No. They CHOOSE not to nix anything to make room for flying. Period. Maybe you can't fly as much, or as far, as as nice of planes as people born into money.
Flying takes sacrifice, especially if you are not born into money. Some of us are. Some are not. I cannot forget the response Rod Machado gave a young man who wrote to him, essentially asking for cheap/short cuts to become a pilot. Rod lit his arse up!! Next month a writer tried to chastise Rod for being mean, and Rod was like oooh heeeell no! Saying that we all make sacrifices, that's part of what makes our profession unique, and that the boy's attitude smacked of entitlement.
It's no secret to the initiated, that flying is extremely volatile. For single folks, that is probably more acceptable than for those who are married, have kids, a home, are involved in a community. My wife has a ton of nurse friends. I know a few as well. I don't know ONE who has lost their job, couldn't find work after college that paid less than 50k, that had no benefits. I personally know many pilots who have been furloughed at least once, some more than twice! When I was instructing I was gone seven days a week sun up til past sun down. Made maybe 14,000/year NO benefits averaging out my years as a CFI. My wife asked me for a divorce. When I suggest people minimize their debt flight training, and to maybe have other career options its not to be mean! I don't tell people to avoid paying for a job or flying for free to be nasty. I would imagine that is why other folks on the forums tell the young bucks, "not so fast....think about the long term reprecussions of your decision."