Originally Posted by fatman1683

I have about 8 hours in a 172 from a lifetime ago. Aviation has been a lifelong passion, I could just never manage to turn it into a career. 9/11 happened when I was a senior in high school and flying didn't exactly seem like the smartest career move at the time, so I took another direction. I'll also be finishing up my PPL before I commit to any sort of serious training program.



I've definitely considered this, and it's one reason I'm not quitting my day job anytime soon. My current employer is 100% remote, which means I can work from anywhere, and my hours are pretty flexible, so should be able to fly for 15-20 hours a week while still working which should let me get my training done in less than nine months, accounting for weather. If I can get a solid CFI job and keep up the same pace, I can hit 500TT and qualify for a 135 right seat within 3-4 months after that.

At that point I look at the math and try to determine whether it makes sense to quit my job and fly full time, either as an instructor, 135 FO, or a combination of the two, the goal being to hit ATP minimums within 18 months of starting my training and start applying to the regionals.

After that the plan gets fuzzy, because it's impossible to predict upgrades/major hiring cycles that far out, but RJ wages aren't quite starvation level anymore, so I should be able to make it work.

I'm expecting a grind, and I know none of it is going to come easy and I'm probably not going to make my 18 month goal, but I really appreciate all the advice everyone has given. It makes the whole thing a little less daunting to know that plenty of guys make it to the top.