Originally Posted by
TP2018
I am 47 years old and am I ready to change my job. I am seriously thinking about flying. Yes, I have read whatever I could and I spoke to recruiters, schools and so on. However, I would like to hear suggestion, tips and options from real pilots. Currently, I live in Charlotte, NC and if possible, I would like to stay here.
What should I consider? Is this realistic or is this too late? What should I watch for? I understand first few years can be financially pretty hard. What is the realistic pay scale for FO the first 2-3 years? What is realistic pay in 5 and 10 years from the start? What is the realistic time to move to captain in Republic vs. Piedmont vs. PSA? How easy is it to move from local to major airlines? What is the realistic time frame? Which are the major airline to consider? Which airlines are best to work for? How the reserve time works, what needs to be consider?
Thank you in advance.
Be ready to move your family across the country. In this industry, that is something that could happen overnight. Unless you want to commute, which is always an option.
Too late? Nah. A bit tougher for someone changing careers at the stage of the game you're in? yes.
First year as an instructor: made just shy of $20,000. Second..maybe 25,000?
First year FO: 30k
who knows what it'll be by the time you make it to the airlines. That's easily 2-3 years down the road (after completing flight school and building time.)
Captain upgrades are happening quick right now. 4 years down the road when it'll be time for you to upgrade, couldn't tell you. That could change over night.
It's not easy to get a job at a major. Not sure how else to put that. When you get a job at a major, they have bases all over the country. You may want charlotte but might not be senior enough to hold it. Might get stuck commuting to New York or LA.
realistic time frame from starting flight school to a major? Probably 8-10 years.
Reserve sucks. You get a call, you have x amount of time to make it to the airport. It's different for every airline. Piedmont, you have 1 hour and 30 minutes to get to the gate.
Long story short, yeah, it's doable. the industry needs pilots. that isn't making the path to the majors any easier though. Most regional pilots are working their butts off with a low quality of life from 5-8 years at a regional just to get hired on at a major. Some might not even get hired (DUIs, no degree, not putting effort in, etc.) If you have a family, you'll see an increase in stress on the household. At piedmont, you're home 11 days of the month. 4 days of work, 2 days off. You barely have enough time to recover from the trip before you're back on the road.
Take some lessons, see if you actually enjoy flying. If you do, get your private pilots license at a local airport and see if you want to take it further. I'd advise against going all in and getting a loan without a private pilots license and just a few lessons. oh and try not to get a loan at all.