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Old 10-12-2017, 11:57 AM
  #8  
VegasChris
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Joined APC: Jul 2017
Posts: 285
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I am in a similar situation: 32, full-time career, make good money, and have an excellent schedule. I have always wanted to be a pilot too.

The grass always looks greener on the other side. It is easy to do the qualifications up to ATP if you have a good schedule and money to pay for flight hours and training- which it sounds like you do. There is no reason to do the JetBlue program and be limited. There are plenty of 141 schools that will get you there cheaper, on your schedule, and let you work your career in the mean time.

From what I have asked on here I have found there will come a time when you have to choose one career or the other. It seems that comes when you have low seniority at a regional and then again at a major. There is no reason to give up your MD job to do JetBlue's 125k gateway select program when you can afford to do it on your own at a different school and on your schedule.

I go to Liberty University Online and my flight training is with one of their affilliate schools. Believe me the affilliate will let you fly as often as you want and can afford, therefore getting you done much faster.

Liberty also does half semesters for most of the classes. So theoretically I could do 36 units in a normal semester- all online. You already have an undergraduate degree (and a lot more) so all you would need are the degree specific classes that you do not already have transfer credit for.

141 schools do not have the same time minimums either so you can get the ratings done faster. I conservatively estimate that if I could afford it I could be zero to CFI in less than 2 years. Then depending how much I work as a CFI I would have my 1000 hour R-ATP in about 8 months assuming I worked every day I have off from my normal career. The way I am going I estimate it will take about 4 years from start to R-ATP; If I could afford to go faster I would.

I say go for it, but do it someplace you can always back out, or work your regular job at the same time in case it is not what you want.

As far as working both jobs- I made a post regarding scheduling in the DELTA forum and got some good answers for my situation as a firefighter.

I know I have met radiologists that work completely remote and on their own time so I would think you would have no problem. One radiologist I met them claimed to be reading x-rays, ultra sounds, and CT scans from his Ipad and would audio dictate his charts- no idea if that is legit, but sounded awesome to me.

Last edited by VegasChris; 10-12-2017 at 12:10 PM.
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