Originally Posted by
Themaxx69
I've been contemplating becoming an airline pilot for quite a few years now. I completed a semester long ground school class and a couple discovery flights, but that was 15 years ago. My issue now is the....risk I see in starting now at 44 and the fact I make ~120k before benefits with 15-16 days off a month and roughly 3-4% raise per year. I work at a inside blue and am not worried about job future here, but I absolutely do not love my job. And I work 13hr nights, which sucks. I can do this for another 15-20 years, but I don't really want too..... I'm smart, hard worker, can follow, lead, and train. Have some military experience. No degree. Single. Kids grown. Money is absolutely a factor, but I really know I'd be so much happier being challenged and really being able to use my skills.
You can do it. At 44, if you're going to pull the trigger you need to do it asap even if that means spending more and even taking on some debt. Be aware that while the retirement wave will still be firing on all cylinders by the time you get here, it will be on the back side of the big wave.
I would probably assume that you'll wind up at a LCC... to get on with a top-tier major will require more experience and possibly a degree. You should be able to do 2-ish years at a regional and then go to a LCC. For older people that's almost as good as top-tier because you'll never be a wide-body CA anyway, and the LCC pay is pretty decent these days. You might get called by one one of the big three, more likely AA or UA due to retirements. If so great.
Good news is that recent regional pay raises mean you'll be real close to six figures on day one (yes as an FO).
Possible that LCCs will actually be hiring 1500 hour CFI's in a few years.
Also matters what your retirement situation is. If you get to a major by age 50, you can plan on 16% 401k direct contribution from the company, that's the norm now. You don't have to contribute anything to get that, but you can and probably should. So look at retirement based on 15 years of 16% DC plus max employee contribution, plus catch up (age 50+). You'll get a little bit at the regionals too, but the real benefit there is for senior captains, not upwardly mobile FO's.
The degree will not be a huge deal, not like it used to be. Many of the LCC's may even prefer that because you are less likely to leave for one of the top tier.
Military background will help just a bit, they know you'll be responsible.