Paul,

Anything is worth trying and there is always a chance but what are you willing to risk? What are you consigned to loose at this point in your life? There is no doubt that unless you are financially independent you and your family will suffer if you take this path. It would be a given that your home would be gone and you would have to reduce to an apartment. You might never be able to afford a home again. Most likely you would have to move around the country for a most of a decade following the dream. Strange towns few friends little contact with your extended family. The question isn't if you will have to endure hard times moreover the question is for how long? A conservative guess is 5 to 10 years from now you could regain what you are earning now as a teacher and another 5 to 10 years beyond that to recover what you will have lost financially. And, lets not forget that if the industry turns you might never be able to get a livable job. Just stop and consider that the day after you quit as a teacher you and your family could be left uncovered for health insurance? Flight schools don't offer benifits.

Anything is possible but the odds are that what you will have left when it is all over is not worth the effort. By the time you get anywhere in aviation you would be close to retiring as a teacher. There are a lot of impoverished pilots criss crossing the country in broken down old cars that are stuffed with the entirety of their worldly possessions. Chasing down another empty employment lead. What is it all worth to you?

SkyHigh