Took My Discovery Flight Today!

[Flying Ninja]

777-2H4,

I don't mean to discourage you from pursuing your dreams. I just think people need to get realistic about it rather than get all dreamy eyed about the prospect of flying as a career because it's not all peaches and creams getting there. I don't consider having $0 in my bank account and starting out with aviation to make $18-20K for that first year and between $25-38K for the subsequent 4 years) I don't think that's acceptable to me between the age of 45-50. It would be acceptable had I gotten into this industry after graduation since by that age, with lots of luck, I'd probably be flying left seat making what I make today. So looking at the timeline and the financial situation, it makes no sense to do it anymore, especially when I don't have a lot of money in a retirement fund. At this point in my life, it's about making money to pay the debt so that I can make money to buy a house and save for retirement. I can't afford to take such a risk to make crap, drag out this debt to it's full 15 year term, and find myself with no money. And that's an ideal situation too.

Your situation may be different. You may have money to toss around and live off of on a low salary for your first 5 years at a regional. I don't know. So if you got the money then I say go for your dreams! It's a numbers game to me now. How much I owe, how much I make, and how much time I have to make it. Until I win the lotto, my days of flying for a living are over. But like they say in the NY Lotto, "All you need is a dream and a dollar." Except, my dollar goes to my lender. Good times.

So don't get discouraged from reading my posts. I encourage people to go for their dreams and pursue it if they have the resources to do so. But if you think money is going to be an issue, then I would seriously think about alternatives and pursue flying for fun. As it stands, I spent a LOT of money for nothing. I will never use my Commercial certification. Hell, I can't even use my Private certification because I'm so poor. So all those ratings and certification = vacation of a lifetime. That's what I paid for. I joke with my friends that I basically took all my vacation in one sitting. It was a lot of fun but at the end of the day, all I got was a big debt.

Goose Egg,

Happy birthday (early)! Now add 4 more years to your age, strip yourself of your CFI, imagine having no money in your bank account, with $101K debt at 8.5% interest rate (variable) and $1000/month (variable to interest rate) payment for the next 15 years. Now, tell me how you're going to get that CFI to make money. I can't even spare to get my IFR currency that expired. The last time I flew was the first week of January this year. So even if that CFI is $1000, I can't afford it. It's a whole month's worth of payments. Even if I happen to get my CFI, I won't be able to make enough money to make payments and live. Believe me. I've already looked at all this. Bottom line, I need to win the lotto. Everything else is just empty optimism.

 

[Amish RakeFight]

If it took you $100K to get an ME Commercial, then you need to get your head checked. How it cost you that much is beyond my comprehension. One could easily have done it for FAR LESS including a CFI. In fact $50,000 would have yielding all those ratings.

You come off as real bitter, especially towards soemone who is looking for advice to pursue his dream.

To the original poster, you're not too old, and if you wanted to, you could be a CFI in 1 years time. Just commit yourself to it. I assure you, its very feasible and for a lot less than 100K. If it takes you several years to get all the certficates, so be it. I had to wait until I had enough money each time I wanted the next rating.

 

[Flying Ninja]

If it took you $100K to get an ME Commercial, then you need to get your head checked.

It's not just pure training cost. It was also cost of living. It could have cost me a lot less but the bullsh!t lies and delays took a real hit on my wallet. You're not making any income when you're in one of these programs. At least not in the CAPT program where your schedule is unnecessarily unpredictable because they can't get their scheduling act together. Try stay income free for 19 months. We'll see how bitter you become when you graduate and the program doesn't help you get a job and leave you in the streets w/o a CFI to boot.

And I didn't tell him not to do it. I just told him to watch out because this crap isn't cheap. And hopefully, he knows not to buy into a program like I did. It's as simple as that. I know NOW that it's feasible to do so for a lot less by going to a local school rather than pack my life up, move to FL, and take a chance with a new training company that Riddle dropped and most likely will be sunk unless they get picked up by CAE (rumor has it). And your "a few years then so be it" works great when you're in your early 20's and just starting out. When you're looking into the future and the future translates to no money in the bank, you start thinking if this crap is really worth getting yourself into when basic needs like eating and warm shelter come first. That doesn't come free in case you're blessed with the Bank of Mom and Dad or some trust fund. The rest of us have to work to pay for that stuff.

So don't tell me to get my head checked. You may want to try and understand where I'm coming from rather than making hasty generalizations. Good day.

 

[Amish RakeFight]

Dude, I think that all is not lost for you. You need to develop a more positive attitude. These loans can be initially defered, and then consolidated with smaller payments and the interest written off on your tax returns entirely - especially if you're not making very much money.

In your spare time, study up on all the book stuff, pass the written exams and fly your PC sim. It may sound dorky, but it will help with the procedures. Make some friends at the airport or just ride along on flights where you may get some stick time. Once you've sewn all this up, you'll need a feeww hours of performing the maneuvers from the right seat, and then checkride. I ASSURE YOU THAT this will only cost maybe $3000. Save this money up while working and studying. You may even find a CFI who will be willing to give you the signoff and dual for free in exchange for the hours if you pay for the flights. You need a plan and one that you promise yourself you will stick to. The harder it is the get where you want to be, the more you will savor fruition.

I understand you're in a lot of debt, but its not the end of the world. If you still do have the desire to fly professionally, it's very within your means. Try to adopt a move optomistic attitude. Thats a start. Everyone is burnt from one thing or another in life, you just have to move on. By the way, I started flying at 25 and didnt get my CFI stuff until I was 30 working lame office jobs. There was a lot of down time between flying due to a lack of money before I got this far. And my parents didn't give me one cent to fly airplanes.

Anyway, if you want to, its in you.

good luck.

 

[Goose Egg]

Dude, I think that all is not lost for you. You need to develop a more positive attitude... In your spare time, study up on all the book stuff, pass the written exams and fly your PC sim.... Once you've sewn all this up, you'll need a feeww hours of performing the maneuvers from the right seat, and then checkride... I ASSURE YOU THAT this will only cost maybe $3000. Save this money up while working and studying. You may even find a CFI who will be willing to give you the signoff and dual for free in exchange for the hours if you pay for the flights... You need a plan and one that you promise yourself you will stick to. The harder it is the get where you want to be, the more you will savor fruition... I understand you're in a lot of debt, but its not the end of the world. If you still do have the desire to fly professionally, it's very within your means. Try to adopt a move optomistic attitude...Thats a start. Everyone is burnt from one thing or another in life, you just have to move on. By the way, I started flying at 25 and didnt get my CFI stuff until I was 30 working lame office jobs. There was a lot of down time between flying due to a lack of money before I got this far. And my parents didn't give me one cent to fly airplanes.

Excellent advice from Amish RakeFight. I have been remarking to myself about how within your reach it could be, and it seems so wasteful to me to have spent all that time and effort and have it not be used. I mean, you already have 100 multi, so that's something very much in your favor. There are airlines out there that will hire you with 100-200 more hours (ASA, for example--current mins are 600-1.) You probably wouldn't be instructing for long. And with that MD-80 type already under your belt, I'm sure training for the CRJ/ERJ/Whatever wouldn't be an issue for you at all. You've got a lot going for you, Ninja. Git'r'done!

-Goose

P.S. I got my initial CFI when I was 26, but I didn't have an instructing job until a year and a half later until I had just turned 28. In the mean time, developed photos at CVS. I bet that sucks worse than your office job. Probably pays less too.

 

[navigator72]

Excuse my ignorance but what is the Capt program? and why did it cost you over 100K?

Any yes Aerial photography is a great way to earn a good extra income as well as keeping your feet in aviation.