It just seems a win win situation to get the CPA. I will never work big four, PERIOD. I am a small town guy. My skills are flying and accounting. I'd rather be a pilot than an accountant as regards the actual job duties. But I see a better life down the accountant road (family, being at home, security, freedom of owning my own practice, etc) and I've spent about equal time now in both professions so can give a fair view.

I hope to run my own business in a few years, ramp it up to provide a solid livable income and otherwise fly as much as I can. Perhaps I can work as a part time flight instructor, ferry pilot, etc. I will purchase my own airplane as well, just a 172 or a Cherokee, and fly that way. Or I can try to combine aviation with accounting whether it be a "moonlighting" venture or a specialization in aviation business affairs or heading up a corporate flight department and flying occasionally or getting into an airline management position and being line qualified to fly open trips, etc. Or I can just go back to the airlines as a pilot. But, things will have to be better than this if I go back to the airlines. And I can only imagine that having the CPA would be an extra feather in my cap to put me above the next guy for an interview. Anyone with common sense will understand that it is a tough credential to get and shows many good character traits, as opposed to an aviation science degree from ERAU. I cannot claim to know what goes into corporate pilot recruiting, but I tend to think that the CPA credential would carry significant weight in that environment, more so than the airlines, even if nothing more than a weed out factor.

I wish I had "the route" figured out. But I don't. It just feels right right now to jump off this sinking ship and continue my education while the storm passes.

Who knows where the future will take me?