Mack77

Greeting all. Like many, I've been bitten by the aviation bug a little later in life and I'd like some opinions if you all don't mind. I know there are a lot of threads on this subject but everybody's circumstances are a little different.

I'm currently 34 and a career employee for the United States Postal Service. It's not a bad career, I have solid benefits, middle class income and an alright pension. I work in transportation, though, and the USPS is dead set on contracting all our jobs away so I worry for the future sometimes. Now due to Union rules, they have to offer us another job if they eliminate ours but who knows what they'll offer you. With that how the way, on to what I'm thinking.

I've wanted to become a pilot for a long time but the costs of training have always been a bit of a barrier as my wife and I opted to have her stay home with my boys until they became school age. Well that time has come so I'm seriously considering it.

I'm in Indianapolis so I was excited to see Lift Academy open up but was quickly disappointed to find out they have a height limit of 6'3" and I'm 6'6". I believe my best option is my states community college system. They started a flight program a few years ago that is based out of an airport 30 miles from my house. For $48,000 you get private, instrument, commercial and an associates degree. I feel that it is a pretty good deal as you can take low interest student loans opposed to the high interest loans most flight schools offer.

The company that handles the flight aspects of the program also says they will hire graduates on as instructors which is a big perk as the other airport this school operates out of is 5 minutes from my house. My craft within the USPS is 24/7 so I can presumably do this program and work at the same time. One good thing about work is I can be extremely flexible and I have lots of leave available as well.

So what do you think? Would this be a viable plan and is this an ok time to enter the industry even at my age? Thanks in advance.