BenS,

Flying is not like most careers.

Aviation costs a fortune to get trained and educated. Afterwards it takes a lot of luck and many more years of sacrifice and low wage jobs to get some experience. There are no certainties about your career outcome and very little residual value to the outside world if it does not work out.

Competition is fierce and the career outlook is not so good. Over the last 30 years pilots have consistently lost ground. When I started flight training a domestic 737 captain earned at least twice what they are making now and most had a good retirement package that is now largely gone. Everyone gripes about their job but most don't know what hardship is like a pilot does. Teachers, Doctors and Police usually have stable work rules and government sponsored retirement plans. They earn a fair wage for what they have invested into their careers.

You could blow the price of a starter house getting all your ratings and put an eye out in the garage the next day and it is all for naught. Student loans or the gigantic hole in your investment portfolio will be there to haunt you for many decades to come. Dreams are dreams and the heart wants what it wants but few of us can afford the cost of an aviation career anymore. Life is short. resources are getting hard to come by. Before making such a huge investment you need to be ready to let go of a lot of other things that you might hold dear or make the grown up choice.

Homer Simpson would rather work in a bowling alley but makes the sacrifice to work in the power plant because it pays a livable wage to support the family. The opportunity cost is very high for aviation. Too high for most and getting higher all the time.

If you think I had a difficult time things were easier for me then they will be for pilots starting out today.

Skyhigh