$200k by 60 is going to be tough, not sure that’s possible, given your current position.

With that said...

I’d go with CFI and keeping your day job if possible or part time maybe. To prevent erosion of your retirement, cut your lifestyle now to the bone, to the level it will need to be a as an eventual full time CFI and eventual regional F/O. You also need to accept that you might not ever make it to a major (I think you will, but plan for the worst).

You'll need to make it to a Major and year 4-5 pay to be able to make 200k. You could easily get to a regional in 2 years, and quite possibly to a major within 5-7 years. That's quite optimistic though, 7+ years is most likely. Expect $60k or so for FO pay at a regional. $80-100k as a regional Capt. If you stick around longer, you could maybe make $130k. $100k first year at a major, $130k second year, $150k third, $170k 4th. Widebody FO around $200k, which you should make around year 5. Narrow body CA $250k, which is also around 5 years currently.

Thank you for laying that out. As I understand it, there are many variables, especially with how much flying and what kind of schedules. I think given the variability of marketing (typically first to go in downturn) I’ll be on the up side switching to flying, even falling short of stated goals. And I believe up in enjoyment as well.

Another thing to consider is 401k company contributions at airlines, especially major airlines, are typically MUCH higher than most companies. The big three pax airlines are 16% 401 company contribution. Regional airlines typically start at 2% and go up to 10% I think. FedEx and UPS still have pensions, not sure how their formula works though.

Yeah, accounting for that you can get to $200K in year two at most of the first/second tier majors.

Ah yes, thank you! Being self-employed has its benefits, but I’m completely on my own for health insurance, retirement, and disability (heaven forbid it’s ever needed). Also, I can continue career #1 on the side, just heavily reduced and keeping only the most rewarding parts.

To the original poster:

If you’re interested in good money relatively quickly consider corporate flying.

The downsides to corporate aviation is lack of a schedule and job security. That causes a lot of people to go to the airlines.

That said, if you make it to an airline at age 60 you know you’ll be out of a job in 5 years so the job security factor is negligible

You said you’re single. If you have kids they’re likely older. The lack of a schedule won’t concern you as much as someone who needs to make family commitments

If you shake the right hands and market yourself the right way you could prob be making close to 6 figures next year flying corporate. A lot of companies are losing younger guys to the airlines as they plan for the next 30 years of their career.

Older guys have more to gain in corporate as Part 91 has no retirement age. It may be an option your airline friends have overlooked. It def helps if you live near a big city with big money

Single, no kids, etc, so corporate would be of interest, but what I’ve found seems like higher time requirements. (Especially of the jet charter types.) Do you have a good sense of what the path would be to get there? I’m 90 min from MCO, 75 from TPA, but of course many small/regional airports in the area too. So not as target-rich as NYC, but some...

The path to get there would be to get a multi-engine rating if you don’t have one yet. You take a week of vacation from work and get that done in 7 days.

Then start immediately applying to training centers like Flight Safety or CAE to be a sim pilot. When people go there for their type ratings you would serve as their copilot. You get typed too.

When crews come in for type ratings or currency training ask them questions like “where is your home airport” and “how often do you fly.” When you hear answers that you like, invite those pilots out for a beer after training and become their new best friend.

That’s how you get a corporate job. They won’t care about ATP minimums they only care if their insurance will cover you. If I were an employer I’d much rather hire a 500 hour pilot in his 50’s who is gonna stick around for 20 years to fly my Gulfstream vs a 1300 hour CFI in his late twenties who is gonna quit on me next year. Especially if you’re single... a drawback to corporate is you could find out on relatively short notice that you’re going overseas for 10 days. That can be tough for a family man. Thats why you hear about people walking away from 150K for an 80K regional job with a set schedule.

Thank you so much for your time explaining this, I will look into it. I spent the last two decades anchored to a farm, so travel is my priority, and 10 days overseas is all good to me.

The herd I previously had to keep alive (horses, ponies, chickens, dogs, husband) have been winnowed down to almost none, and not planning to collect new ones. Simplify, so now fly. 😊