Originally Posted by
wessidemike
Am I too old to take up flying again as a serious career path, or has this lapse in time cost me too much?
What would you guess I am looking at in terms of costs to get back to where i left off. (I made it through my ratings pretty close to FAA minimums and I consider myself to be a pretty good pilot).
What is the current outlook for CFI's in terms of building hours?
Last question, what is the outlook for hiring by regionals over the next few years (or span of time it should take to build enough hour to be hirable)?
So what do you guys think is realistic under these circumstances in terms of getting back into aviation?
My current situation is, I have a job now that affords me fairly flexible schedules (espeically during the day) pays about 50k a year, I have no debt, and I have quite a bit of money in savings. There are no career advancement opportunities with my current job.
You are not too old. More importantly however, are you married? Do you have children? That would be the biggest factor for me.
As far as cost... You need to start CFI from scratch. You should
consider CFII and MEI as well. I'm not exactly sure the current cost there, and of course it varies, but I would set aside $5000 for the CFI if starting over.
There are plenty of CFI jobs out there if you are willing to move anywhere... and live with some roommates or have a sugar mama. I lived alone as a CFI and regret it. It was tough eight years ago, tougher now. There are several routes here, 141 schools, local flight schools etc... Can go a lot of ways, pros and cons, everyone has an opinion. If you're just looking for building hours, I'd say go for a 141 that has contracts.
Regionals WILL be hiring over the next few years, but you absolutely shouldn't limit yourself to that avenue. Keep yourself open to other opportunities (some may be MUCH better).