Originally Posted by DontLookDown

As noted above, CFI wages can be tough but career changers have advantages a lot of younger people don’t have.

Depending on the career, still working per diem is an option. A doctor could work 1 day a week at a hospital and still instruct full time.

A lot of career changers are married and have a second income to rely on.

Being older likely means better credit and more savings.

Originally Posted by JayMahon

Feel free to be passive aggressive if you want. It's immature and juvenile behavior. If you don't like being called out when you're in error, aviation is going to be a hard ride for you.

Pilot mills promise a lot and only deliver an expensive bill. Assuming you don't wash out (which many do), you'll be paying 40-50k more for your ratings that you would at a Part 61 school and you'll have a much higher likelihood of failing some of your checkrides along the way as you're pushed to test before you have the required skills.

That's my PIREP, fly as you see fit.

Originally Posted by JayMahon

Might as well keep updating this thread as my story continues.

So, I love the work of training people to fly. I enjoy doing BFRs for pilots. What do I dislike? The pay. Even with FT availability, CFI work is absolutely poverty wages. Ignoring cancellation issues connected to PX, MX and WX, putting in maximum hours would barely have me clearing 30k annually. This low pay barely covers my expenses in driving to/from the airfield, especially on days where a full schedule turns into 0-2 flights. While instructing I made sure to collect enough hours to meet the 135 VFR PIC minimums (25 night XC hours seems to catch a lot of folks off guard).

It took me 3 months of actively pursuing positions that could offer better pay despite my low time (>600 hours) before I found a part 135 job in Alaska. Looking forward to taking that big step into part 135 operations and enjoying decent pay for my skills. I'm still staying on part time as a CFI in the lower 48, as my 135 gig runs a 2 week on/2 week off schedule and I do genuinely enjoy the work of instructing. Since my hours are low, I will likely be in this role for 18+ months. No complaints, as there is a lot of opportunity for growth into larger aircraft with even better pay with this same company.

Here's a brief summary of the timeline to get here: (Split time between acting as a Stay-at-home dad of 7 children and flight training.)
Feb '19: Started making plans, doing research and getting ready to switch into aviation career full time.
May '19: First month of flight instruction, solo.
August '19: PPL complete
Sept '20: Instrument complete (thanks covid, black swan events DO happen)
Jan '21: Commercial complete
June '21: CFI complete, FT job as CFI started
April '22: Start 135 position in Alaska (hope to be in ATP territory by 2024)
[NEW] November '22: Cross the 1000 hr total time threshold. Still flying in the frozen north.

Originally Posted by JayMahon

Time for another update.

Flying in Alaska was a MASSIVE game changer for me. The challenge of flying VFR in poor visibility, low ceilings, high gusty winds and freezing precip while landing on gravel landing strips less than 2000' long and 30' wide and full of potholes, really forced me to up my game. To give you an idea, my companies limits are 2 miles vis, 600' ceilings and 35 knots of crosswind component in a single engine aircraft. It's glorious! The pay has been great and I've been able to cover my family's bills and expenses. Probably make 2x what I was earning as a CFI and done LOTS more flying. Also, getting a lot of time in a glass cockpit (G500 with a paired 750/650 combo) has been great.

Just popping in to celebrate crossing the 1000 hour threshold.

If you know anyone that has an open right seat in a PC-12, let me know. I'm in love with that aircraft and think my next step will be into that airframe as a FO.

Blue skies and fair winds my fellows.

Originally Posted by AirNoob

As someone who started this journey 2 years ago, how is it going? I am in almost the exact same situation as you were. Have been in tech startups for the past 15 years and looking for a more stable industry. I am 38 and making the change now. I recently enrolled at an ATP location. What advice can you share given your experience?

Originally Posted by AirNoob

As someone who started this journey 2 years ago, how is it going? I am in almost the exact same situation as you were. Have been in tech startups for the past 15 years and looking for a more stable industry. I am 38 and making the change now. I recently enrolled at an ATP location. What advice can you share given your experience?

Originally Posted by chihuahua

Nothing in aviation has ever been, nor it will ever be, stable. It's easy to be mislead by the current environment, but just look what happened in 2020, planes were parked and classes were cancelled overnight. With a major war in Europe that could very easily expand to the rest of the continent or beyond, if someone pokes the bear a little too hard, and China contemplating making a move on Taiwan, don't be surprised if whatever stability exists today, may be gone by tomorrow.

Originally Posted by rickair7777

.... Assume there will be a a speedbump along the way (at least one)... best you can hope for is to be in a seniority position where you can ride it out with suffering financial or QOL impact. The sooner you get to such a position, the better.