Thanks Dpilot. I am actually going up for a discovery flight tomorrow.

 

You're welcome! Hope you had a nice discovery flight. Let us know how it goes.

 

Well, due to the weather I am not getting to go up until the weekend.

 

The Truth About the Profession - Home

Hope that helps.

 

Thanks. I actually have read it multiple times and, call me foolish, but I still want to try it.

 

The fact that you even mentioned how much your degree was costing you per semester tells me you don't have enough cash to spend on starting a new career as a pilot. Flying for fun, sure. But not as a career.

DO NOT, DO NOT go into debt to finance your "passion". If (and a big IF at that) you could even find a bank today to finance the $60k-75k to get your private, commercial, CFII, and multi ratings just to start instructing. You're looking at several years scraping by just to get the 1500 hours you will probably need due to impending legislation to get hired on at a regional.

Assuming best case you could do this in 3 years which would be very fast, you're looking at making $20k-30k per year as a first officer for another 3-4 years before you upgrade to captain. Call it another 2 years to get the 1000 PIC turbine you need to meet the MINIMUMS for a major. Sure there will be thousands hired in the next 10 years but they all will be hired ahead of you so don't count on a quick upgrade at a major.

Notice that nowhere did I even address paying off the debt you'd incure to get hired in the first place and 8-10 years is a long time to scrape by on $30k. Where will your buddies from grad school be by then?

Sorry if that doesn't paint a rosy picture for you but that is the reality you're looking at. My advice, finish your degree, continue to have fun flying (pay as you go) and get a good job that will probably allow you to buy your own plane in 10 years or so (pay cash).

Or, marry rich and do it the other way!

 

Stitches, I don't plan on going into debt to get any of it. I am in no rush and plan on just paying as I go. I couldn't agree with you more about that. As far as the low pay, I understand that its gonna suck in the beginning. Besides, if things start looking bad for me in the aviation industry, I can always go back to being a mechanical engineer. I'm already licensed to do that. I know it would be a lot of money gone, but there's only one way to find out and that is to give it a shot. At least that's my perspective on it.

 

You're not foolish if it is something that you really want to do and you go in eyes wide open. Good luck.

 

Well, finally got to go up today. I had a big time and really enjoyed it. I've got a lot of deciding to do, but it looks like I will probably go through with it. You only live once.

 

Yup, and you only die once too, so be sure you go to a good school for flight instruction. Have you considered finding an Air Force Reserve or Air National Guard unit to fly for? They PAY YOU to go through pilot training, and they LOVE engineers!