Dwwhite06

I apologize in advance if this isn't the correct place for this post.

I have spent about 8 years working as a tax accountant, and recently got accepted into Republic's LIFT Academy. Flying has been a dream of mine since I was young, but family and cost got in the way (I am married with 3 kids, 2-9). I am now torn on whether I should make the career switch for 2 reasons: family time and earnings. From what I've read, Republic's QOL has become way better since 2015. On the earnings side, LIFT details are in another thread, and I currently make in the 80s and theoretically could top out near 150 (30 yrs old btw).

This is absolutely a dream of mine, but I'm looking for a bit of insight as to the pros and cons. Any advice is greatly appreciated. Thank you.

Auburn17Pilot

If this is your dream, and if you would regret not doing this after you retire, then do it. Don’t want to deny yourself a shot at your dream.

But do understand the financial positions and QOL implications this career change will have. I can’t attest to how LIFT will work with earnings, but it’ll be at least three years if not more before you’re making that kind of money. Plus, the debt you’ll go into to learn how to fly. But can’t put a price on a dream and how happy it would make you.


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bscott58d

I’m not part of the LIFT program but will say this. I spent 17 years in architecture before coming over to the airlines. I was blessed enough to fly for the army as well but when I went back to the desk job full time realized how much I missed flying.
Follow your dreams you only live once. If you’re worried about $$ make a plan to help during the first few years. Many pilots have a side hustle to supplement income (I own a drone business that does very good fortunately). The hardest part so far isn’t financial, it’s missing time with my kids. That hopefully improves as time goes on.
I’m still undecided about my CJO between Republic and Endeavor, but have heard nothing but good things about YX. What ever you do just don’t come to PSA, it’s going downhill and why I’m moving regionals.

chrisreedrules

PSA isn’t, “going downhill”. Your scope of experience here is comparatively small. It is pretty much the same as it has always been. I have friends at most other regionals and the stories are the same: abuse by scheduling. Pay problems. Reserve sucks. Contract sucks. They’re all regionals and none of them are a place to make a home.

PSA has issues for sure. But it isn’t going downhill. If anything it’s still bumping along as it always has. Slow to react to coming problems and overly abusive towards its reserve pilots.

Dontfly

DON’T DO IT. Just go to your local flight school and get your Private Certificate along with your Instrument and have a great time. This industry is terrible and you risk ruining your family life. Low quality of life with low pay.

Captain Slow

You’re gonna hear both ends of the spectrum and a bunch of mush in the middle.

I wanted to fly since I was a kid. Three generations (yes... three) of pilots on both sides of my family before me. In the blood is an understatement. Parents wanted me to be an aeronautical engineer. “Don’t be a pilot. It won’t be as fun as you think. You might make okay money for a couple years but then you’ll get furloughed. You’ll be gone from home a lot. Your family will hate it.”

All of that can be true. It is true for a lot of people. AIDS (Aviation Induced Divorce Syndrome) is very real.

I became a pilot anyway. I couldn’t see myself doing anything else. Saw my dad quit flying and rot behind a desk, and hate his life because of it. He was home every night, but he wasn’t happy. My parents did their best to talk me out of it, but it has made me happier than anything else I can imagine for a job.

Yep, it’s a hard life at times. Takes a stiff budget starting out and a lot of willpower to keep it. Takes a lot of dedication to doing your job well every day even when you may not see any tangible reward for it. Puts pressure on your family (a lot of it at times). All things to consider.

It takes a very specific kind of person to be married to a pilot. Discuss it with your spouse. Let them sit on it. Encourage them to voice concerns and ask questions. It’s better to expose insecurities now than once you’re out on the road.

It’s certainly doable. But managing your family’s expectations and making sure they’re going to be okay with all of it is going to make or break the whole thing if your goal is family.

As far as Republic goes, I don’t have much to complain about. Things have improved dramatically since 2015 and I have a pretty great work/family balance. At the end of the day though, with a family, the absolute best choice is the one where you can drive to work, or where you and the family are willing to move to base so you can drive to work.

Swakid8

This right here


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Irishblackbird

Sorry Chrisreed, I'm going to stand on the side of his comments about PSA. I've been here 3 years and I have seen a slight downward decline at PSA the past 6 months, with very little improvement. While other regional airlines are outpacing us in improved salaries, reserve rules, and schedule, we are flat-lined with little or no direction from our union, but to chastise the few that make questionable comments about the company on public forums.

Our union continues foist LOA''s on the work group that clearly put us at a disadvantage and degrade one's QOL ( forced upgrades, base reassignment, and reserve rules to name a few). Lets not talk about the extremely convoluted holiday LOA and the hoops you have jump through spending personal time to determine if you are paid correctly every month. And how about those reserve improvement's that are so good senior guys will want to bid reserve. These have yet to materialize. Yes, life for a line holder is decent when sap functions somewhat reasonably, but it is a necessity to construct somewhat productive schedules.

Yes PSA does have some positives for the right people, and the crews I have flown with are great people. Yes other regional have their share of issues as well, but the big two that come to mind are making trend setting improvement's in salaries and are at least putting forth the effort to improve QOL and the relationship with their pilot groups.

Not to completely derail the OP''s thread. I am one who believes that following your dreams is essential to living a happy life, and this is probably one of the best times I've seen in my many years in the profession to get in while the gettin is good. Like another poster said, maybe go out and get your private and fly around and see if this cures your itch to fly. You may find you enjoy it more flying when you want to as opposed to being told when and where to fly. If you do find that you want to fly for a living, regionl/ airlines are not your only options, as corporate and fractional can offer rewarding career's as well. Good luck with your decision!

TheWeatherman

As others have said, follow your dreams but with one caveat. It is a little selfish to follow your dreams if it puts your family in an uncomfortable financial potion. With a wife and three small kids, right now may be the worst time to make the jump. It will be years to make as much as you make right now, not counting the cost you will have to pay to Lift. You family may support you now, but that can change quickly once the bills start coming in and the reality of the situation sets in.

SunnyFL

Thanks for the heads up about PSA. Republic is my number 1 choice but PSA was my 2nd for DCA base.