I made the “jump” to regionals from another sector of aviation in my mid fifties. I had a great income before, BUT I have a pension now that allowed me to not have to worry about income once I made the jump. As always, you can never count on things working out the way you think they will. There are a lot of guys known as the lost generation that will tell you that. That said, things now look very good moving forward to advance quickly in this industry. You will pay some dues for sure, but it would appear nothing like many have. Always have a back up plan. PM me if you want more info on how I have experienced things in the last few years.