I am currently a 28 year old fireman who has always had a fascination with flying. I plan on doing a discovery flight soon to see if I will like it but I'm pretty sure I will. I have never really had the resources to get flight training,(still don't really) and know that I will be taking on more debt unless I choose to go into the military(last option) and even then I'm not guaranteed to get into the pilot programs the military offer.
Now I know the saying is "not to do things for money" but thats not realistic for me as I have a family to support. I want to do something I enjoy and live comfortably at the same time. I have researched that the pay is horribly low in the beginning but can improve tremendously. I work at a major airport as a firefighter and see pilots in the terminals that never really look happy.
With all this being said, I just wanted to know the current feeling of some pilots as far as work conditions and compensation, and also would it be a good idea to get into the industry at my age?