Originally Posted by
glover130
Hi all-first post. I'm a 27 year old single guy contemplating trying to become a pilot. Hoping to get some guidance here from those who are experienced and knowledgeable. First I'll outline the reasons I am attracted to aviation and then my concerns about making the move. Thanks to all!
I work in a cubicle. I would love to do something that gets me out and about every day I go to work. The idea of flying an aircraft gets me excited. Open air, see the world, etc. Many members of my family have been mechanics in the Air Force and for private airlines so I grew up learning about aircrafts and I've always had an appreciation for the industry.
Concerns:
1) I hate working in a cubicle now. Is a cockpit really that much different? Small space, not much physical activity? Correct me if I'm wrong. I'm also 6'6" and 250 pounds. I'm worried about comfort-level and regulations on that.
2) I have a steady, progressing $75,000 salary position currently in a Fortune 500 company. I will be earning $100,000 in the next 5 years. My retirement will be set if I stay for 20+ more years. Am I crazy to give that up? It bores me and I'm not passionate about it and I have trouble not taking work home, but it's not awful by any means. It's a good company to work for.
3) Potential income/job market at the end of training. I have heard horror stories about people coming out of training and not being able to find a job or having to take jobs paying $20,000/year. How realistic is this scenario? What could I expect coming out of training pay-wise? What about after 5-10 years? I was thinking about doing a program like ATP since they outline it all so well on their website, but it honestly sounds too good to be true. They are saying $50k-$80k as a First Officer at a regional airline with tuition reimbursement (which is good because it would cost around $80,000), and then the sky's the limit (no pun intended). Is this really true?
4) How would potential health concerns in the future affect my ability to work? I have a few health-metrics that are too high that I am working on, but at least I can still go to work currently even if my efforts are unsuccessful. Are there any health restrictions I should know about? I know the military is strict here, but I'm not really considering that route.
Again, thanks to all!
As for the health concerns, I can't recommend strongly enough how helpful getting that Class 1 Medical upfront. A good examiner will also make you aware of things to watch for going forward, "It's my job to make sure you can KEEP getting these as you get older".
I was worried that some unknown issue would rear its head and disqualify me from pursuing this career. Doc was like, "You passed, no issues. You're as healthy as a 20 year old." Before I could open my mouth to say thank you he said, "... a chubby 20 y/o. I want you to drop 20 pounds or we might be talking about diabetes and heart disease before you turn 50."
I'm 38, the first class was a huge relief to me. It was really the last obstacle. I'm stuck taxiing for the remainder of this month as I finish out my current commitments, then it's engines to full and full time flight training through the spring/summer.