The guy I used to work for (also a very honest business man - honest to a fault!) invested his and his wife's retirements into a flight school. I thought he was crazy, especially since he's in his 70s. However, being honest was the thing that is doing him the business. A lot of the flight schools in the area collapsed due to shady management and general screwing of students. The result is that he has the only flight school in a metro area of almost 1 million people that is worth anything.

I can tell you from experience you can't afford the regionals. I'm in my first year and I average $12.65 a hour. Take out taxes, crashpad, vehicle, food and travel expenses related directly to this career - I take home about $6.50. Next year it will go up by about $1.50 an hour. Next year the same. And so on. I'll have 7 to 8 years before I start making decent money. The majors are where the money starts, but you almost have to go through the regionals first to get there. Lots of time and experience required.

I like your plan of the airport. Do your due diligence and see what you can get. You'll be you own boss, you seem motivated, and you seem to have a good background - in short, I think it would make you much happier than being pushed around at the regionals.

Good luck to you.