MrMondays

Howdy Folks!

I'm fresh off my first discovery flight and I'm absolutely grinning ear to ear. I'm absolutely hooked. The problem now is I find myself desperately wanting to wash my hands of my soul sucking career (software sales) and beginning anew in a potentially much more fulfilling career in flying.

I recognize that this would be a major financial investment, a big step back in pay initially, and a large time commitment not only by me but my partner as well.

Assuming airline pilot becomes the path, any tips on communicating the career change to a partner without them going off the deep end?

Rama

Cut and paste the best parts from the salary survey and show her the numbers.

Web265

At the risk of being the Debbie Downer here;

Before I took that step I'd probably make sure that what you're hoping for is actually a possibility. Meaning, are you sure you can obtain a class 1 medical certificate? Do you have the resources to get the ratings and hours you would need to start?

Can you go back into the soul sucking world if you had to?

Depending on your age and some other factors, I'd consider getting at least the private before jumping in head first. You have just done the fun part, controlling the airplane (to some extent) for a short time. There's a ton of book work and studying to be done in training and it may or may not be for you. A lot of people that start training, don't finish for one reason or another.

Having said that, if nothing really changes drastically economy wise, it's probably the best time in recent history to be jumping into the fray!

If you do decide it's the path for you, somebody who really cares about you is going to be concerned about your happiness. If flying makes you happy, that is all your partner should need to know. (that's what mine said when I went into it.)

Best of luck to you!

DontLookDown

Emphasize the benefits and include her in that.

An example:

I was thinking that once we’re married I want to go on as many awesome adventures with you as possible. Taking off from work every week isn’t realistic, so I was thinking lots of weekend trips to cool places would be made possible in a small airplane. They’re safe and you would love it. My discovery flight went great and I think I’ll have a knack for this. It’s going to be expensive, but life is worth living and the cost of PPL license is half the cost of a sports car or a boat. It’s something easier to do early in life before kids so I want to start now. Once I have my certificates I’ll join a flying club, which is like being part owner in a plane and that will make it affordable to keep up with. I don’t want to get ahead of myself, but down the road this could also be a potential career. Major airline pilots make great money. They have flexible schedules and the job allows the entire family to travel anywhere in the world for free. Regional airlines are offering hiring bonuses that are large enough to recoup the investment of advanced training, but that’s something we’ll dive into later. For now, I want to start training after work and on the weekends for my private pilot certificate

Or you could say:

Yo I’m gonna be a pilot. Get on board or get out. Chicks dig pilots, so you’ll be replaceable. Choice is yours.


I’d prob go with the first option though.







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2StgTurbine

I would disagree. The best time to start training is BEFORE the hiring wave. We are 1/3 of the way into it. By the time the OP realistically finishes training and gets 1500 hours, we will be half way through it. Then the OP still has to gain experience at a regional and by the time they are competitive, the bulk of the retirements will have already happened.

Also, the first 10 years of the career can be rough. You will spend a lot of hours away from home building 1500 hours as an instructor for little pay, then you will spend a couple months away training at a regional, then you will be gone 18 days out of the month (or more), you will most likely be commuting, you will have junior schedule meaning you two will rarely have time off together. And then just as you start to move up in seniority, you can upgrade which will require the entire cycle to start all over again.

Web265

The OP surely wouldn't be on the start of the wave, but I don't agree with "half way through."

Didn't Delta's folks just put something out saying the big 5 are going to need something like 34,000 pilots in the next 10 years? ...and the really big numbers don't start for about 3 years.

rickair7777

It's good that she's a fiance, not a wife.

I was in a similar position years ago, I didn't commit to the GF until I had made up MY mind as to what I wanted to do. So aviation was part of the deal out of the chute with her.

You probably first need to decide what's more important, her or aviation. If the answer is her, than aviation is her call. If it's aviation, then just tell her how it is and let the chips fall where they may.

2StgTurbine

Realistic time for someone to get their CFI 18 months. 1 year instructing. 3 year upgrade at a regional (optimistic), 18 months as a captain gets you to a major at 7 years. By that time you will be at the back end of the wave.

What people fail to realize is there are hangups at each and every step that will lengthen that time. What if you run out of money and have to take a 6 month break during training. During that 6 months, you get rusty causing your training to take longer. What if you pick the wrong regional and it non longer has a quick upgrade? Plenty of people still don't get an offer when they interview at a major.

PotatoChip

My fiancee and I broke up during my first year at the regionals. Who knew that $21k a year, crippling debt, being gone 2/3 of the month, and a one-bedroom apartment in a less than desirable neighborhood weren't appealing?!

You could just tell here that there is a 1 in 1000 chance you'll one day be a legacy captain making $300,000/year. And no, I don't think those odds are a joke.

Flying is awesome. The career can be decidedly less than awesome. It's often incredibly difficult. For both of you. Some get really lucky and don't know how lucky they are. Some turn 53 and are on their second furlough, selling another house, and staring at a third divorce.

Aeirum

Don’t let women dictate your path. You create a life that makes you happy and find a woman that fits into that narrative not the other way around.