OP here. Thanks everyone. Wow-you go to forums for so many other professions and make a similar post you get a resounding "don't do it" or "i hate my job." Here, it seems most people truly adore what they do for a living. That is certainly compelling. I was expecting to hear at least one horror story about a bad job market/low pay but the looming retirements seem to bring a unanimous demand to the market.
Sounds like my next steps before doing anything else should be a discovery flight and the medical exam. I will look forward to completing those this summer!