Originally Posted by atpwannabe
Alright...gentlemen here goes:
Are there any pilots out there who started their flying careers in their mid-to-late 30's or 40's or even later, that are still flying?
How did you go about getting your training? FBO, flight academy? etc.
What type of flying are you currently doing? i.e.- Part 121? Part 135?
What type a/c are you currently flying?
What is it that has made your transition successful?
Likes & dislikes?
Typical schedule, etc.
Now, I know that SkyHigh and some of the others are chomping at the bit to make comments 
. I'm going to ask that you restrain yourself. I want to hear from those who have made the transition and how it has been a successful one.
Thanks guys.
atp
Hey looks like the a hardcore thread hijack. Dont get into professional aviation Ive done part 91,135,and 121. I know its hard to believe that flying could possibly suck as bad as these guys make it sound but they are 100% correct. If your really really really cant help yourself and you just have to get into it despite all the advice you have gotten i would say.................
If you go to an FBO you will end up getting a CFI and instructing for about 2 or 3 years, then you can interview for a regional job. If you really need to do that, than go for it, but you will hate your life. If you want to get into it quicker than you will need to go to a cookie cutter pilot school with a regional interview (i am totally against those places, i think they should be illegal)
I instructed and worked my way through cargo and all that crap, it has taken forever. I would say plan on about 10 years until you reach a job that you plan to keep that will pay your bills. (yes you will be using stepping stone jobs and that stepping process is the better part of a decade) Then you will be a regional F/O without the ability to independantly support yourself, about 3-5 or more years doing that should give you a minimal chance at an upgrade.
You will probably get displaced back to F/O or completely furloughed so dont get confortable. Just save as much as you can and dont spend money on anything. Then after that furlough repeat the process as required for the next 5-10-15 years until you finally burn out your health from the years of abuse on your system. All the screwed up sleeping and eating patterns will make you look about 15 years older than you really are, and you can plan on dying early. But by this time your broke/in debt, furloughed and have no family/divorced, so that proposition will sound like a good plan B.
But on the plus side, all the managers that ever rained s%it down on you will be confortably retired with their families, and if you manage to keep your medical, you can fly their teenage grandkids to aspen every weekend and christmas.