Advice needed (yes another GD career changer)

[BONAFIED]

Hopefully this background helps:

27 yo, degreed. Been out of college for 3 yrs. 4yrs doing finance. Debt and wife free (pardon the redundancy). I'll spare you my life story; but suffice it to say that I have worked my ass off from a very young age. I have travelled extensively, worked a wide variety of jobs (construction, government, finance), started my own business, and have generally enjoyed my life until recently.

"I've been obsessed with avaition my whole life, when I was five years old...blah blah" -Yes it's cliche, but it's who I am. I've love flying. From lurking around this website, reading books, researching flight training, and talking to a number of folks over the last 5 years, I know that it is a tough and unstable profession. I just can't seem to get it out of my blood.

Having avoided avation to this point (except for my ppl) and working hard, I've managed some financial stability. I own some commercial property that I lease to a governmental office and I have a residential rental that will be coming on line soon. The lease is long term and gets me $1k/month profit. The other venture will likely net me ~$400/month for the first several years.

I know that this $1.4k/month could pad the transition into aviation and the subsequent lean years/decade. Considering all the "ifs" that must occur (training, CFI, getting hired, upgrading, getting hired again, health etc) it may be too premature to discuss my goals. But I would like to fly over the ocean in something big, or fly something small with immitation burlwood, or be a senior enough captain in a RA base to have some QOL. Obviously this is a long way off if ever.

On a scale of 1-10 (10 being the mosted F'd up) where would you place me if I decided to take the jump?

 

[avbug]

About the same place as anybody else.

 

[Goose Egg]

About the same place as anybody else.

(Meaning 10)

Seriously though, you really aren't at that big of a disadvantage. The question that you have to ask yourself is if you are willing to be 30-ish and a dirt-poor CFI/Regional FO. If the answer is yes, then pursue away. If the answer is no, then spare yourself the angst (and us the constant complaining) and stick with aviation as a hobby, because the monetary rewards (what some consider to be QOL) just aren't there for a little while.

Personally, I'm a dirt-poor 28 year old CFI, and my QOL is crappy when I don't get to fly everyday. Sure, I can't buy a house yet, but that will come.

-Goose

 

[bafanguy]

BONAFIED,


Sounds like you're a person equipped to make rational, realistic decisions. The first thing that comes to my mind is the military. How old can one be and still apply to the military for a pilot slot? Maybe the ANG or AF Reserves( incredibly competitive ) ? This would allow you to make up for a bit of "lost time" ( not really lost as you've been doing very productive things) aviation-wise.

When you come out the other end of the military pipeline, you'll be golden.

Just a thought.

 

[Guitar Guy]

If you really want to fly for a living and you have realistic expectations of what you will/won't earn for a while, then go for it. But as with the rest of life, there are no guarantees. The airlines and the regional industry are really in upheavel right now, but by the time you build your hours, ratings/licenses and such, it could well be a very different picture.

As a late career changer (33 at the time) from a few years ago, it's a scary proposition. But there isn't day that goes by that I'm not thankful to God and my wife for my flying "job". And personally, I still think flying for a living (be it ever so meager) beats working for a living any day.