Razor,

Thank you for your service to our country and your community. 12 years is a good time in that industry and it’s awesome you get some sort of pension later in life even if you quit now. You’ve got 27(or more) years ahead of you in aviation. There’s three sections of an airline pilot career. 1: Training, you’ve already done most of it but need to blow out the cobwebs and finish. 2: Transition/Experience Building, this is the part that does actually have some drama and bull**** involved, but is the time when you make yourself into the pilot you want to be. 3. “The Good Job”, honestly it’s extremely easy and low drama if you want.

It’s helpful to know and understand a variety of other peoples paths in this career so you have reference for your own. I finished my ratings in 2007 and started instructing in 2008. 2.5 years of instructing, 2.5 at one turboprop regional, 1.5 at another, 10 years at JetBlue. I stayed in when you got out, I’m your same age and did the low pay thing. The first 4 years flying for a living I made 25k or less a year, the next 3 I made 40-50k a year, and I didn’t cross 100k until my tenth. This is year 16, I’m on track for 260k on only 200 hours of block(long call reserve). Like I said, it’s incredibly easy at the top, but it takes some time to get there.

Now some advice. You still have to do section 1. Get a good instructor, focus on becoming a great pilot, be expedient with the commercial certificate but don’t put yourself on as few hours as possible to get ready. Failed checkrides are not good. Get your multi commercial too. Section 2 hasn’t changed much from when you last left aviation other than it has potential to be much shorter and pay a bit more. It took me 6 years to get from commercial certificate to major airline job and for you that could be 2-3. The Tropic SIC job looks like a great opportunity. Even though I enjoyed instructing, I would have jumped at the chance to do that type of job before the regional. Did you get answers from your call with them? What’s their pay and how many hours a year can you expect? Even if you are unable to get directly to a major from there, if they’re able to get you to ATP mins quickly and then you do a stint at a jet regional that’s still good. You’re filling that variety of experience that’s going to make you a great pilot.

Like I said it was the tenth year before I made 100k, but you have the potential to be doing that in the right seat at JetBlue/Spirit or AA, driving to work in 2026 or 2027. It sounds like you already know you want a career change and you have a great option in flying, so go for it. I do want to know more about tropic.