Depending on how much you intend to fly, consider buying a share of an airplane or joining a club with multiple airplanes--helps with the fixed costs.

 

Just a re - visit : what about air traffic control?? I know they are opening it up to civilians next month?

 

The only airplane I'd want to buy would be a warbird - A-1, F7F, an L-39/Mig-17/F-86 or even an OV-10. However, you need way more disposable income for that than I'll ever have.

 

I got my first paycheck for flying (part time) at age 40. I got my first full time pay check at 47. By the time I was 50, I was making more than I was in the non-flying job I left. My blood pressure is down, my family life is great, and I still enjoy going to work. And I've had three jobs in that time: fractional (furloughed), 121 supplemental (quit), now a good 135 operator.

Oh, and I got the hours I needed to get that first part time job in my own Comanche! So maybe buy the plane, but keep looking for the future.

 

I agree with both of JNB's posts. Your girlfriend is smart. Additionally, there are many worse gigs to have than your current job/career, although the car business can be tough. I would try to find ways to improve your situation at work; including outlook, perspective, POV, Etc. While flying for hire can be enjoyable, rewarding, Etc., it is not what most people think it is. Many folks considering a professional pilot career only get to see the glamorous side and base very big decisions on that alone. At least you are here asking for advice. Best of luck

 

I'm 23 and still wondering if I should have started sooner. I'll probably be at an airline right as I turn 25. If you are making good money right now, I might look into buying your own. Since you're already on the brink of having your commercial, it wouldn't hurt to moonlight as an instructor to build hours and give you some time to make a decision on it. I loved instructing and will probably find a way back into it.

 

To the OP, life is a gamble. We make our most reasoned choices, we dump everything into attaining our goals, we sacrifice and do the right thing for decades at a time. And yet the final outcome is never fully under our control. We can debate whether the pilot life is worthwhile and we do here, but it remains the odd truth that nobody really knows why things work the way they do. One man loses badly while another inherits the Moon. Why does the universe spin? Who knows, it just does. Fate is the hunter, as Mr. Gann said.

My advice to aviation hopefuls just starting out is go slowly and think through what you want do next as you progress in aviation. Avoid debt. It will take many years to reach a conclusion. For me, aviation serves a meaningful purpose and I have continued with it for a long time, 14 years now, and I spent some of my best years on it. A light may come on at some point telling me to continue or to quit, I do not know. But I won't see the light unless I try hard to see it.