Oh well heck. If you're divorced without a wifey poo to take into consideration and being out of work I'd say go for it. Maybe you can find some kind of deal to help pay for training.

After you finish you're ratings do whatever it takes to get flight time which would mean moving to the job. I keep repeating that for a career in aviation you should be willing to move to where the best job to advance yourself is located.

 

You still did not answer any questions. Do you have residual responsibilities from your marriage? Children perhaps? Bills to pay? Are you financially independent? This decision seems rather rash and too spontaneous for an average 44 year old who just lost a job.

It seems to me that you are withholding relevant information and are waiting for answers that will give you license to act like a 22 year old. In addition a drinking habit would be hugely cheaper than flight training and there are more flight instructors in America than there are student pilots. GA is dying on the vine. I would not rely on a part time flight instructor gig to be able to pay for itself.

If you are really interested in getting any valid answers then you need to volunteer the whole story.

SkyHigh

 

"there are more flight instructors in America than there are student pilots."

Meaningless stat. It's been like that since 2002. First of all, I'd bet most CFI's do little to no instructing, like myself and Skyhigh. Yet, they count as "CFI certificates" in the stats. Secondly, student pilots don't stay as student pilots. They become PPL's, CPL's, and IFR rated pilots. And lastly, CFI's are not restricted to only instructing "student pilots", so the stat hardly proves there isn't work for CFI's. In fact, before the recent spike in gas prices, it seems there was quite a shortage of CFI's.

"GA is dying on the vine."

Don't agree. Maybe with oil at $147, but you can find avgas now in SoCal now below $4/gal. With the economy tanking for the next year or so, I see all aspects of aviation taking hits. But saying it's "dying on the vine" is an overly pessimistic skyhighism.

 

Plenty of others like Phil Boyer are concerned about student pilot license statistics. It is true that there are plenty of CFI's that go unused however maybe it is because they got tired of wasting their Saturdays waiting for students that do not exist anymore? It is obvious that there are too many instructors in America and not enough students to go around.

GA is mostly populated by baby boomers or older. Once they are gone GA as we knew it will go with them. There is no one left to follow except for 90,000 flight instructors with nothing to do.

We all should enjoy these gas prices.

SkyHigh

 

If you have money enough to afford that level of car, you might consider buying yourself a fun to fly airplane (i have a Pitts and LOVE it) to satisfy your flying bug. A lot better than dumping the necessary funds to get lisc/flight time, ect to get a $15,000 per year job.

 

What about 33, too old for a real career? I'm not starting fresh though, I have 1000 tt/240 multi. I have a wife, kids, mortgage, etc... Otherwise, I might be forced to go back to management. NOOOOOOOOOOO! I have read many complaints from pilots on these forums about "how terrible" QOL is in the airlines and how the legacy carrier jobs are growing farther out of reach each year. Did they forget what it is like to be chained to a desk for 50 hrs a week, or does the future really look so grim that I am better off in management?

 

Congrats on breaking the 1000 TT barrier proskuneho. Btw - 33 y/o and with your times is not too far off what some military pilots might have around that time - likely more PIC depending on the community but I wouldn't think to old for a career. I know you've been around the forum for awhile and have heard both sides of the story so I know that you will make an informed decision.

USMCFLYR

 

No one can really say what your odds are however at 33 with a family, bills and the prospect of a global depression ahead I am sure that you can figure your odds just about as well as anyone.

Aviation is a highly competitive industry. Right now there is a single guy out there who is 26, lives in a crash pad, is a RJ captain and is willing to move anywhere at anytime and for any wage in order to advance his career. That is your competition.

SkyHigh

 

"Right now there is a single guy out there who is 26, lives in a crash pad, is a RJ captain and is willing to move anywhere at anytime and for any wage in order to advance his career. That is your competition."

Ummm... Yeah. I actually agree with Skyhigh.

I guess it boils down to how bad you want it. The whole "chained to a desk" thing I'd find highly....unacceptable....

 

Thanks guys. I appreciate the advice. I hope the airlines will hire in the spring, because the corporate and 135 guys have stacks of resumes inches deep...
At least with an airline I can finish my MBA while sitting on reserve or in a hotel.