mad2207

Like the title says I am a 34 year old married with a 3 year old son looking to make a career change I am just very unsure if this would be a dream worth pursuing or not. I am undecided if being and airline pilot would be my ultimate goal I think flying in a law enforcement setting or possibly for the government would interest me more. Money would not be my ultimate objective. I am currently enrolling in a program through West Virginia University Institute of Technology where I would be earning a bachelors degree while also attending FlightSafety Academy to earn my ratings but nothing is set in stone as I am undecided if this would be a worthy venture or not. Problem is I do not know any pilots or anyone to offer me any advice. I have been researching and realize it will be difficult the first few years after flight training building my hours and will have my wife to help support the family. Its just a huge leap moving my entire family to attend school and living off federal financial until my wife can get to work in Vero Beach. Any insight would be greatly appreciated.

CFI Guy

Personally, there is no way in hell I could sleep at night if I were in my current situation (married with a baby) and starting out from zero in this career.

Do not go into debt for this career. Get a degree in an unrelated field.

mad2207

Thanks for the reply and the insight. Is everyone's outlook on this career so bleak? What makes you think this way ? Is it very difficult to land a job in the government or non airline and cargo sector ?

Rama

The problem with going into debt is that it will likely be 3-5 years before you can even begin to pay off the debt. You will still have to build time to get an ATP by flying as a cfi or 135 outfit which are not known for paying well.
Most of the regionals have upped their starting pay significantly which helps.
If your wife makes decent coin it will make it easier, but a university education and flight school seems to like it could be a hefty six figure debt to take on.

galaxy flyer

You'd have to be veteran to be competitive at just about any government flying job. Your timing might be too late, as the crest of the hiring wave is 2018-2022 while your getting competitive and holding all that debt. The next "stagnation" period is setting up by mid-decade barring any outside event.

Being in at the beginning is really important. Legacies have hired guys with 2055 and later retirement dates. You'll have to out wait them.

GF

mad2207

Thats great data galaxy thanks I haven't really given that much thought but thanks for bringing it to my attention. While I am not sure yet how much debt I will have I do know. I have been approved for federal financial aide. It seems the negative views outweigh the positive views 20-1. Maybe I will just see if I can find a rotor program that is offered with a degree program so that I can receive federal financial aide. I just want to fly I am not interested in what it pays I would not be getting into it for the money.

60av8tor

Only you truly know your family/financial situation. I cannot really speak to the impact that debt will have on your life. I may have misunderstood your original post. I thought you were looking at airplanes; now you're discussing helos..? I can tell you that the rotor industry is exponentially more challenging than the airplane industry. Just peruse any of the common job sights and compare the two. There was a small period - near the end of the lost decade - when the helo industry was beginning to overtake the airplane industry as far as future outlook, but that quickly fizzled a couple years ago when the price of oil tanked. One of the best ways to increase your chances of getting into the commercial helo market - especially some of the early stepping stone jobs - is to be nomadic; to go where the work is. There just aren't the volume of helo jobs around. This will undoubtedly add to the stress of the situation. As much as I love helicopters, there is NO WAY I would recommend someone just starting out take the helo path vs. airplane.

Your last sentence is what creates the ratio of comments that you mention. It was described best by a gentleman in the holding area while we were both waiting to interview with a regional. He had a very well-worn flight case and looked to be, perhaps, in his mid-fifties. I joked about him being bored with the golf course and getting back into the industry. He explained the he was dual rated and coming from a state flight department that had one jet and one helicopter. I believe he said there were 4 pilots. Bottom line is that he never had hard days off - was always on call. I guess I couldn't hide my shock - especially as a dual rated pilot myself - that he left that job to go to a regional. Being able to fly both commercially is just about my dream job. He said, "it's kind of like these shoes. Everyone says how nice these shoes are, but only I know how much they hurt my feet." That right there is the truth behind the industry. It starts out as a passion, but turns into a job. I still think it is way better than sitting in corporate America with emails, meeting, spreadsheets, etc. But at the end of the day, make no mistake about it, it is very much a job with extremely different vibes than those early fun training flights or fun personal flights that are on your own timeline.

My wife and I decided years ago to accept a lifestyle when we were in a certain tax bracket. Over the years, as our incomes increased so did our savings vs. our spending. Granted, with no children, this was easier to do, but it served us well and has made my life/work balance less about income and more about fulfillment, sanity, and enjoyment (as in enjoying my hobbies and life outside of work). Even without the pressure of needing to earn X amount, it is still nice to have the ability to increase my earning potential; and the desire is still there. I tell you this only because you say you don't care about the pay; you're not getting into it for the money. I commend you for not focusing solely on income, but know that it will be a consideration at some point. While it may be tons of fun jumping in the piston twin learning to fly it, think about doing it on the back side of the clock in all weather for $35/year while having large student loan debt looming. Your outlook can and may change very quickly.

Having said all the above, I am not discouraging you from pursuing the career. I am one of the few aviation nerds that will probably always like more about flying than I dislike, so I do not discourage anyone. However, I do try to point out the differences between fun flying and work flying, because they are stark and real. Your last sentence is a big warning flag for not considering the difference. Go in armed with all the info - eyes wide open. Best of luck!

vroll1800

RE: 60av8tor post #7

That is one of the best posts I've seen in a while, especially the shoe analogy. Reminds me of reading a late 60's aviation magazine article about careers in the new fast growing commuter airline industry. There was a picture of a 50 something non sked DC8 Captain leaving his position to fly for a So Cal commuter airline flying Twin Otters.

My then wet behind the ears teenage mind was questioning why the devil a guy flying the (then) ultimate in airline flying DC8 all over the world would want to fly a Twin Otter for flights within the same state. Many years later having walked at least a few miles in his shoes, I could see why.

mad2207

Thanks for the the insight I will take it to heart. I'm truly getting discouraged about pursuing this career when it's seems everyone's comments on an aviation career are always so negative aside from yours hence the rotor reference. Once again thanks for taking the time to reply and offering the helpful insight.

Quarryman

While the comments may not be unicorns and sunshine, they reflect the reality of this business. If you go into debt for this career you will pay it all back, plus the soul crushing interest, and will do so for many, many years. A hundred grand or so isn't small change if you have to finance it. And remember, even if you don't make it in this business or find out, as many have done so, that this isn't your cup of tea you will still owe the bank. In the end, they'll get their money back.