Originally Posted by Papa Charlie

All right now, calm down people. I'm not quitting because of my girlfriend. I swear I see people rave about that so much. In many different forums and topics.

It could have been a close friend or even an acquaintance who simply said to me "have you ever considered the lifestyle and time away from home as a pilot?" that would have sparked my curiosity. I simply never did much research, I was blinded by "my passion."

I guess I feel like i'm "quitting while i'm ahead." I still love aviation, but I want to make this decision before I've spent all this money lest it turn out I don't like the lifestyle.

So i'm going to finish my engineering degree, with much stress i'm sure, but it's a solid degree I think. I like the math and physics. I'm looking at an engineering internship this summer.

Here's my tentative plan. I'll get a real degree and a real job. Work for awhile, get out of my parents house hopefully. Maybe finish my ratings on the side - I'm currently a PPL with about 90 hours total ASEL and about 10 hours towards instrument. I expect I could complete all my ratings through commercial/CFII/multi for about $30,000 at my local FBO, as compared to $60,000 at the part 141 school. On top I still gotta pay off my student loans too, of course.

Then I could be a part-time CFI for some years earning hours. Maybe when my future kids are in their 20's and moving out I'll try out for the airlines. I'll be one of those 40 year old regional guys. Maybe pay will be better by then. Or maybe the airlines will be flown by a computer with only 1 guy in the cockpit who is a "systems manager." Or maybe cabotage will change and domestic flights will be flown by some European company and not Americans. Who knows.

It seems like it's a pretty wide spread field as far as quality of life. Some pilots work 10 days a month, make big money, and only have 4 of those days as overnights. Some pilots work 18-20 days a month, make nothing, and 16 of those days are overnights.

I can't plan my whole life out, and I don't want to. Thinking about "20 years from now" makes life feel real short. Maybe I'll never actually become a professional pilot, but I think I can "forgive" myself eventually. 10 year old me only said I wanted to be a pilot, not a professional one. And I am a pilot now, so there.

But honestly just taking a plane up for fun sounds so amazing. In my 90 hours of flying I have yet to once take a plane up with no reason other than for fun. The solo cross countries were the closest thing to a "for fun" flight, and they were absolutely amazing. I love learning to fly, for sure. But I've never gone up with no real purpose in mind other than to fly. I might do that soon.