So I’ll keep it short.

Looking to make a career change in 2022-2023. Close to having my CFI but currently work in another industry making good money and have a wife, a 2 year old and another on the way. Wife is very supportive of my aviation aspirations and has been encouraging me to make the jump. I am lucky to have been able to pay for all my training out of pocket and will be able to supplement my income with savings if I wait another year. I am located in philly area so obviously a philly base would be great. I understand my schedule will not be great so if I can avoid commuting that would be ideal. I also have a skeleton in my closet, dui from 2009 but driving record has been clean every since. Also no failed check rides.

My question is about cadet programs. Should I be looking to join one? Specifically Piedmont as they have a PHL base and they have flow. I figure if I am lucky enough to get in, I would be set if for some reason I couldn’t get an interview or job with another carrier Down the line.

I appreciate your advice.

 

Where in Philly?
I’m in Montco, would be happy to chat. Current major airline FO, have also went the regional route.
PM if you’d like.

 

sent PM, thanks for the reply.

 

I’ll never understand you guys trust wanna jump out of the jacuzzi into the cooking pot. This is just a job. Why on earth do you want to make your life harder just to fly airplanes. If your wife makes a great salary i guess i can understand, but if you’re the main breadwinner, why do this to yourself. Guess what, money does indeed buy happiness. It’s also a wonderful anti anxiety drug.

 

Id hate to live a life of regret and always wonder “what if”.

 

Like, what if i never left a stable job making good money. Maybe my wife wouldn’t have left me. Maybe I’d still have a good relationship with my children. Regret comes in all shapes and sizes.

 

You sound awesome to fly with.

 

I’m not saying the jobs not awesome. However, if you’re not lucky enough to discover it when your young, and pay your dues at a time in life when others aren’t dependent on you, then you’re going to go through a whole lot of misery unless you’re just extremely lucky. There’s no way in the world if i was making good money doing something else, that i would put my family through regional hell. It would be irresponsible. I was lucky enough to get all the crap out of the way before i got married and had kids. I guarantee his wife has no idea what’s coming down the pipe over the next five years. A midlife crisis is no reason to upend your life.

 

Plenty of people do the career change, for very good reasons. You do have to carefully consider your family, and likely approach the process differently than if you were single/childless. I lingered in the regionals until I got a job offer that was guaranteed drive to work with almost no paycut.

Also many pilots don't comprehend what it takes to "make good money doing something else". Most real white-collar jobs are not like being an airline CP... hang around the office, drink lattes, play solitaire, shoot the breeze, maybe go fly a jet once every week or two. Worst case, CP gets fired for some reason, he goes back to the line for multi-six figures. Real jobs have serious stresses and QOL ramifications (and no union protections).

 

so true. Plenty of white collar jobs also have their employees in hotels even more often than airline pilots.