I am thankful for what I can learn from your history and experience. I have read your story and your resulting viewpoint on several forums. What I would appreciate from you and the others on this forum is advice! Where can I go? I love flying! I don't have building skills, and I don't have ANY startup capital for my own business. My only "skill" that can fetch a decent income is management of flight schools and restaurants. Those skills only allow me to make money for someone else, certainly not enough to be able to afford to fly something more exciting than a Cessna. I already have a sickening amount of Cessna time. Steep turns, slow flight, stalls, pattern work, approaches, power off 180s, spins, ad nauseum. I also have 185 hours of Duchess time, but see previous sentence. I have a serious case of the flying bug. I don't dislike flight instructing, I just want to actually fly somewhere other than the practice area or "cross country" training flights!!!!!
How can I afford to do what I love? Maybe completing my MBA will give me more options, but I was hoping that would just be my backup plan...

My story of personal success shouldn't threaten you, but you disclosed a fact that clears everything up for me as it pertains to you.
"you never worked for a regional"

Clearly, then, you are qualified to give others advice about regional jobs.

I have NEVER claimed to be the expert in the medical field here on the forums. I'm just a beat up old SAAB capt. that moved on to a SUPERIOR career. A move that will provide my family and me with financial security.

A move that was born out of the ashes of 9/11/01. I have advised others who have pm'd, and I shall continue to do so.

To the O.P., you have a solid back-up plan already. I'd finish the MBA, and fly on the side if you so desire. Later on, test the waters in the airline game. Personally, I wouldn't want to be on the bottom of anyones senority list right now. Either way, you've ALREADY got your back-up plan, which is smart.

Sky,

They mean just what they say, and so will you when you are an old man. Love cannot be turned on at will, like a faucet, and nearly all youthful dreams appear "crazy" to non-believers.

And very few of them will regret their years playing baseball, no matter what they do later. If your advice is "never play the game too long", I agree. If you are saying "don't even try it", I disagree. Had someone talked you out of giving the airlines a shot, you would regret it forever, because you would never know.

I wish someone had given me an honest view of the airlines. My expectations were that aviation was like any other industry in that if you tried hard and were better than the next guy that you would prosper. It never occurred to me that something that demand so much would be such a long shot.

Had I known the truth I would never had taken lesson one. In no way did I want to risk poverty, humiliation and the loss of so much control over my life. I had to pay for my education and training myself. There were no loans for flight training. I wasted much of my youth working in gas stations and mowing lawns in order to get my chance. I was making an investment into my future.

There are a lot of things in life that are worth giving a try. Playing baseball is not going to endanger your life nor will it cost you a fortune for your chance. Standing in line all day for a shot at American Idol is not that costly. Aviation demands too much for too little.

Skyhigh

"Clearly, then, you are qualified to give others advice about regional jobs."

Yeah, thanks for the kind words. My first job in aviation paid $600/mo and worked six days a week. I've gone from that to UPS pilot. I think that qualifies me to have an opinion on everything in between.

TonyM, if you want to know about my background, put the link in my sig line in your browser. Should answer all your questions...

Sounds like someone is getting bored with GA flying... What makes you think that flying a jet cross country 6 times a day in a jet is any different? In addition at the end of that "cross country" you won't be going home, you will be going to the Holiday Inn.

Don't get me wrong, I love GA flying. I'm just tired of every flight being a training flight. I want to go somewhere, see different cities, and fly something more interesting than a light twin.
Furthermore, as tomgoodman said posted above, "Had someone talked you out of giving the airlines a shot, you would regret it forever, because you would never know." I have a serious case of the flying bug. Managing a business will not solve that. Perhaps if I could just taste the airline life for a couple of years, then I will know better what would be the best career fit for the long haul.

It's funny that they call this the "Leaving the Career" section, because that certainly isn't what Sky is treating it like.

I know we've all had that bug since we were all young. And your right you'll never know what its like until you do it. I love flying no matter if it was in the 152 or the ERJ. Keep an open mind, go fly the airlines and decide like you said then if you want to make it a life-long career. Besides, when you end your career might not be your choice if you get furloughed, shutdown or violated.

And I know your just mentioning that you are getting tired of every flight being a "training flight", but every flight I've ever taken from my first lesson to flying the line at the regionals I viewed as a training flight. You will always be learning in the airline biz...

I agree that is is extremely important to remain teachable. Like you, I am always looking for improvement in my own life. That's why I am seeking objective advice on this forum.