MosquitoXEL

I’m seeking some advice. I have a very stable non-flying career making six figures. I enjoy instructing on the side as well as flying/restoring my J3 cub on the weekends. I was recently offered a part 135 SIC position (est. 6 months to PIC). I wonder if it would be wise to quit my current job and take a (large) pay cut to pursue aviation full time. My long term goal would be to fly in the airlines.

What do you guys think? Am I crazy to consider this career change?

WHACKMASTER

No you’re not but you’re going to get ten pages of replies and at the end of them the take away will be “Go with your gut and do what’s right for you”.

CRJail

No one can answer that question but yourself. What's good for me isn't good for you and vice versa.

I will tell you two things though (my opinion):
1. Keep your career as a backup, if possible. Nothing is "safe" in aviation.
2. If being a pilot is not something you want more then anything in the world (career wise), this move isn't probably for you.

JohnBurke

Go with your gut and do what's right for you.

Or just do it, and see what happens.

But mostly go with your gut.

In the meantime, chuck the cable, if you have a lease, get out of it, drive a beater car, abandon hope, and hang on. Learn to enjoy dry noodles. Water is optional. Be frugal with your savings. You'll need them.

Have fun. It beats a sharp stick in the eye. Seriously. Fun always beats a sharp stick in the eye, because, well, sharp sticks hurt. Especially in the eye. Almost everywhere, really. But especially in the eye. So have fun.

reservelyfe

Is your day job professional knowledge work that allows you to build up the experience/career capital that leads to higher pay, more autonomy, etc.? If so, maybe keep flying for fun. Airline pilots are industrial machine operators. It's a specialized, non-transferrable skill. And your career progress isn't portable due to seniority. Sure, lateral moves are possible in 91/135, but there's also a lot of uncertainty in that world, so you'll be making quite a few lateral moves over the course of your career. That's not to say that the airlines are sure thing either. Pilots often declare a golden era of pilot hiring only to be thwarted by the the next economic downturn. In those situations, one can find themselves without the tools to make a good living. Consider all the laid off euro pilots becoming bus drivers, Amazon deliverers, etc. during COVID.

If you're young and your current job is not professional level knowledge work, well, then maybe you could become a pilot. But do so with the knowledge that you're choosing something over other lucrative and in-demand careers that offer the opportunity for more professional treatment, flexibility, home time and money.

TiredSoul

You asked the same question 4 years ago.
Which is fine.
So now you’re established in your chosen field and have gained enough experience to be pretty much instantly employable.
Not every 135 is the same.
What are we talking about here? SE, ME, Turbine, Turbojet?
What kind of training? CAE, Simuflight, Flight Safety or the back of a napkin in the FBO?
How big is the company? How many pilots, do they stick around or bail in 3 months?
How’s their reputation?
Do you have savings to cover the income cut for the next 2-3 years? If not then maybe wait till you do.

PossibleDeviation

With needing much more information to actually give you some good advice, I say no. Don't leave a stable six figure income job and chase the airlines. It's not worth the headaches.

Take the gig flying SIC if you can fit it in to your regular work schedule. That'll quench your thirst for jet time.

TiredSoul

Simple math:

Your annual budget for your life style $70k
Your income $100k net
Annual savings $30k

New income $40k net
Annual deficit $30k
Savings $90k, good for 3 years without change of lifestyle.
Now within 3 years you should be back up to $70k net.
Change of career without any acid reflux.

Of course that’s not the way I did it.
I went the acid reflux way.
Do as I say not as I do grasshopper.

rickair7777

How old are?

How much do you make now? Is it a stable income? Boom or bust? Likely to increase a lot over time?

Where do you live, or where do you want to live? The best airline jobs are almost all in large cities.

Do you have a family? Are you the sole breadwinner?

MosquitoXEL

I have a very high paying, very stable job with little room for improvement in the future.

I currently live in an enjoy large cities.