Yes, you should go for it. Be smart about it, and make a transition with very little down time not earning money, if you can.

I'm jaded too. But this time it will take a big economic catastrophe to change the calculus (not ruling that out).

No guarantees, but IMO better odds than in the past. For a job that pays $300k+ with 16+ days off.

Im doing the career transition thing at 39. I made more than a wide body captain in a past life. My reasons were more QOL based than financially motivated.

As you get more senior in aviation your schedule gets better and life in general gets better. As you get more senior in corporate America, it's all politics beyond middle management and hours get worse. Politics gets vicious and you have to decide if you're going to gut it out or start your own firm.

I'd rather do something fun until retirement with travel benefits. Corporate America, including sales, keeps around the lowest bidder for every role. I just got tired of having to constantly price and re-price yourself.

If you're going to do it, get your ppl and ir on the weekends at a mom and pop with a dpe. If you luck out your instructor might be a retired airline guy or military pilot. While you're getting your ratings decide if it's really for you or not. See if your company will let you drop to part time or build a side hustle. Im still in flight training but I made almost as much as I did in a corporate job with my side hustle. Next year who knows, but at least I don't wake up with a string of 4 letter words every morning!

You’ll be done with your ratings at 35
You’ll have 1500 hrs at 37
You’ll be Capt at a Regional by 39
Flow to a Major by 45-47
Upgrade narrow body at 52-55
Retire Capt narrow body or FO wide body long haul.
Bar any major economic events.

To be fair the last few years have been blown out and I don’t see anything above $275 for the years to come. But, I see your point.

On the flip side, I’ve been able to save a bunch for the lean years and have yet to fall into the trap of spending more the more you make.

While GA flying is entertaining for me I can’t help but think flying big jets will be more of a passion. Sounds crazy but I guess I don’t know what I don’t know. Even on the best days of my current job I still think about flying for a living. Something that’s just been with me for a young age.

And barring a medical problem, failure on a few checkrides, plus those pesky black swans that seem to strike without warning.

In my career, I’ve had two energy crunches, a couple of wars, deregulation, the wipe out of the F/Es, some strikes. Not predicting anything, but everyone of those were totally discounted 40 years ago

I’m with you man. That kind of money would be extremely hard to walk away from though. I’ve decided I’m going to commit to it, and take the plunge. It’s easier for me to stomach though since My best year yet was only about $140K and this year I’m looking at maybe $60K conservatively. Of course there’s always a chance for a bluebird account to come in but even still with the comp plan I got this year it’s highly unlikely that I’ll reach $100K again without moving to the field.

A common myth that flying “big jets” is more”fun” or “passion”; it’s called work for a reason. Fun flying is acro, fighters (not on a war), float planes, etc. Any jet is flown in accordance with strict standards, by the numbers, is watched thru FOQA programs and is regulated by Uncle Sam to the point you can’t start up without a government employee giving you permission.

The people, the trips depending on the people, the travel can be fun; watching an autopilot fly they the dark is work.

I would venture that the opposite, more so, is true. There are days that I’m sitting in the :45 taxi line wishing I could be in shorts/t-shirt in a 172.

My best trips are with folks who have a background outside of aviation - or at least a varied aviation background - not purely all 121. It gives some perspective and makes the “difficult” times seem a bit less difficult.

I wouldn’t count on finding passion in this industry, though. While I do enjoy my job for what it is and what it does and can provide - $ vs work/life balance - I would say not much passion is involved. The hope is that eventually you have a schedule and $$ (some already have $ from elsewhere) to follow passions outside of work - which is unquestionably what it will become.

I personally enjoy jets more (still like GA plenty). Speed, power, complexity, teamwork, the orchestration of it all.

That's when things are going smoothly on a nice day (or night). And when I don't have to do too many legs.

Otherwise it's called work for a reason...