Starting a New Career
02-18-2020, 06:16 PM
#11
On Reserve
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Joined APC: Feb 2020
Posts: 20
Originally Posted by sourdough44
Yes, with 8 years to go there’s plenty of time to more than get started. There are some free downloads at the FAA site, Flight Training Handbook and a few others.
02-19-2020, 02:22 AM
#12
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Sep 2013
Position: Left
Posts: 636
New First Officer Training (Blog)
In case you missed it, read this guy’s story about a career change.
In case you missed it, read this guy’s story about a career change.
02-19-2020, 04:02 AM
#13
All is fine at .79
Joined APC: Sep 2016
Position: Paahlot
Posts: 4,083
Originally Posted by usmc-sgt
When you say you’ll have enough money in your retirement plans to pay for school, do you mean pull from retirement to pay for flight training? Don’t do that if it’s what you mean. Horrendous idea. If you have 8 years left, take a discovery flight and see if you like it. Prior to that get a first class medical. Then start chipping away at it and have your CFI by 4 years from now and then part time instruct for 4 years to build the necessary hours while getting paid for it. Pay cash as you go and let the process take 8 years.
Try to do all this debt free.
Do a little self assessment after your Private then after every next step.
Part time instruction even just the weekends will net you about 5-6 hrs a week.
Lets be conservative and say 300/year.
Which means you’ll be at 1500hrs about 5 years from now.
In any case ready to put the rubber on the road the day after you retire......and with a very good idea of what you want to do with a 15 year career ahead of you.
02-19-2020, 06:04 AM
#14
On Reserve
Joined APC: Jan 2019
Posts: 23
Originally Posted by A321neo
Hello everyone,
I’m currently a city employee with a good pension/retirement plan. I can retire after 20 years of service with half my salary plus 401k and 457.
If I do retire after 20 years I’d be 46 and I have young kids so I still have to work and my Dream was to be a Pilot when I was a kid but I didn’t know much about how to pay for school and didn’t have the money so I never pursued my dream.
Anyhow, when I retire from my current job I’ll have enough money on my retirement plans to pay for school (I see ATP and Flight Safety go for around 80K), so I’m gonna be around 48-50 if everything goes well by the time I can start working as an airline pilot.
Now the questions:
If I work 15 years as a pilot can I get a decent second income/pension to supplement my other one?
Is 46 too old to start from zero experience?
Do you recommend taking any lessons before I retire from my job to see how it goes or just to make it easier once I start a flying school?
And on average how much would I be making starting?
I’m in the northeast but looking to relocate to FL once I retire from my current job.
Thanks for any advice and/or suggestions
I’m currently a city employee with a good pension/retirement plan. I can retire after 20 years of service with half my salary plus 401k and 457.
If I do retire after 20 years I’d be 46 and I have young kids so I still have to work and my Dream was to be a Pilot when I was a kid but I didn’t know much about how to pay for school and didn’t have the money so I never pursued my dream.
Anyhow, when I retire from my current job I’ll have enough money on my retirement plans to pay for school (I see ATP and Flight Safety go for around 80K), so I’m gonna be around 48-50 if everything goes well by the time I can start working as an airline pilot.
Now the questions:
If I work 15 years as a pilot can I get a decent second income/pension to supplement my other one?
Is 46 too old to start from zero experience?
Do you recommend taking any lessons before I retire from my job to see how it goes or just to make it easier once I start a flying school?
And on average how much would I be making starting?
I’m in the northeast but looking to relocate to FL once I retire from my current job.
Thanks for any advice and/or suggestions
FWIW this is literally my plan. Currently in Law Enforcement with approx. 4.5 years until I'm eligible for retirement at 44. I received my PPL in April of 2019 and have been time building since currently at 115 TT and actually just started Instrument training yesterday. Like others have said I would try and avoid getting into too much debt financing your training. I find the hardest part, other than Northeast weather, has been balancing flight training work and home life. Luckily I have a wife who is supportive of my plan. Good luck!
02-19-2020, 06:06 AM
#15
Prime Minister/Moderator
Joined APC: Jan 2006
Position: Engines Turn Or People Swim
Posts: 39,281
You need to decide philosophically what your goal is... chase big money, or fulfillment.
If it's chasing money, that's the scenario where you'd need to consider going sooner rather than later, both to catch the wave and maximize your run-time once you get into the higher pay bracket.
If it's fulfillment and you're happy with your current lifestyle and finances, then the full retirement + regional pay could be entirely sufficient, bonus if you manage to make it to a major.
If it's chasing money, that's the scenario where you'd need to consider going sooner rather than later, both to catch the wave and maximize your run-time once you get into the higher pay bracket.
If it's fulfillment and you're happy with your current lifestyle and finances, then the full retirement + regional pay could be entirely sufficient, bonus if you manage to make it to a major.
02-19-2020, 06:15 AM
#16
Fly or Die
Joined APC: Jan 2019
Posts: 484
Originally Posted by TiredSoul
Try to do all this debt free.
02-19-2020, 08:35 AM
#17
On Reserve
Thread Starter
Joined APC: Feb 2020
Posts: 20
Originally Posted by sourdough44
New First Officer Training (Blog)
In case you missed it, read this guy’s story about a career change.
In case you missed it, read this guy’s story about a career change.
02-19-2020, 08:48 AM
#18
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Joined APC: Feb 2020
Posts: 20
Originally Posted by ESQ702
This is my standard advice to anyone looking to get into flying. Loans makes training harder and much more stressful than it already will be. The best thing I’ve done as I’m building time and ratings was pay cash as I go. Can’t stress this enough.
02-19-2020, 08:49 AM
#19
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Joined APC: Feb 2020
Posts: 20
Just to update you guys, I just spoke with the CFI who my friend put me in contact with and he’ll let me know in a few days so we can pick a date for a demo flight.
I'm really excited!
thank you again for all the advice!
I'm really excited!
thank you again for all the advice!
02-19-2020, 04:32 PM
#20
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Joined APC: Feb 2020
Posts: 20
Originally Posted by LongRoadAhead
FWIW this is literally my plan. Currently in Law Enforcement with approx. 4.5 years until I'm eligible for retirement at 44. I received my PPL in April of 2019 and have been time building since currently at 115 TT and actually just started Instrument training yesterday. Like others have said I would try and avoid getting into too much debt financing your training. I find the hardest part, other than Northeast weather, has been balancing flight training work and home life. Luckily I have a wife who is supportive of my plan. Good luck!
Thank you and good luck to you too!
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