Originally Posted by
Fliestoomuch310
Hello. First time poster, long time lurker.
I am a 33 year old Radiologist. However, since about the age of 6, I wanted to be an airline pilot. I just got sidetracked.
On a whim, I applied to the JetBlue candidate program and was slected for the assessment (I think that most people are selected for the $160 testing fee. As a doc, my scepticism of getting fleeced with educational testing is pretty high). Is this program the best way to go or is there a better path?
Hypothetically, is it even worth thinking about this switch? I know there are a bunch of negatives to the career, but I can still have my backup job if things don’t workout.
Also, are most pilots in training able to hold a second job outside of flight instructor (or maybe even in more senior roles) or is training/working so all-consumig it’s impossible. My job can be done remotely and in off hours. It would, financially speaking, make things a bit easier.
Please feel free to slap as much reality into my head as possible.
In order to give you a good response it would be helpful to understand what, precisely, do you want to get out of an airline career?
As to your second question, the ability to hold a second job is a function of the training path you pursue. If you follow the full immersion path (i.e., going to AllATPs or a similar zero to hero program), you should not expect to be able to hold a second job. If you do your training through a local FBO, then holding a second job is entirely feasible. You should expect to spend about three months getting your private, another three for your instrument, another three for your commercial, and a month for your CMEL. [That might be optimistic on my part, but you're a radiologist, so you're more accustomed to applying yourself and working grueling hours than the average Joe.]. Then you can go to a 135 outfit with a right seat program to build hours.