Wardogg
Meat Popsicle
Greetings professionals,
I have come seeking sage advice from the wise among you. I have thumbed through most of this thread reading a lot of the "am I too old" threads and cannot thank those people enough for sharing their stories and reading the responses. I am going to present my own, hopefully to be helpful to someone in the future and for my own selfish reasons of getting advice before I totally jump off this cliff that is a career change.
I am a 40 year retired Marine, married father of 5, with 20 years of aviation under my belt. Flew as a flight mechanic for my first 5 years and as a Flight Engineer on KC-130s for the next 15. Amassed around 6000 hours of total time with about 4000 hours of that strictly being in the center seat. I have the FAA signoff to take the A&P test but have not as of yet.
Currently employed full time at a ground(non aviation) job making about 60k a year(absolutely miserable), plus my military pension. Looking at joining the Pro Pilot Bachelors program at the collegiate level next fall. I will be utilizing the GI Bill. So the plan is no debt at the end of school.
Now here is where it gets a little bit sticky. To enroll in the program would require a move and obliviously quitting my current J O B. The family would be moving with me although we would only be bringing along 4 of the young ones with us as the oldest will be leaving the nest. Even though the schooling will be covered I still will have to provide for the family. So here are a few of the millions of questions I have about this leap.
Is the school schedule going to allow me to work at almost full time hours to cover the bills at some minimum wage job(walmart or whatnot)?
What does a typical week at a 4 year pilot program look like?
Can I finish it in 3 years?
What kind of flight time totals can I expect at the end of school?
Now if Ive read 14 CFR Part 61.159 correctly I get to apply 500 hours total towards my ATP rating. Does that move the timeline any for me if I am not applying for any 121 jobs?
One of the biggest questions my so far VERY supportive wife has, is post graduation employment. We would be willing to move after graduation but after moving for the military every threes years we would like to settle down once and for all. What are the chances of having one final move after graduation and securing employment? How many times have you all had to move for jobs?
Any and all advice is greatly appreciated and I look forward to hearing from all of you.
I have come seeking sage advice from the wise among you. I have thumbed through most of this thread reading a lot of the "am I too old" threads and cannot thank those people enough for sharing their stories and reading the responses. I am going to present my own, hopefully to be helpful to someone in the future and for my own selfish reasons of getting advice before I totally jump off this cliff that is a career change.
I am a 40 year retired Marine, married father of 5, with 20 years of aviation under my belt. Flew as a flight mechanic for my first 5 years and as a Flight Engineer on KC-130s for the next 15. Amassed around 6000 hours of total time with about 4000 hours of that strictly being in the center seat. I have the FAA signoff to take the A&P test but have not as of yet.
Currently employed full time at a ground(non aviation) job making about 60k a year(absolutely miserable), plus my military pension. Looking at joining the Pro Pilot Bachelors program at the collegiate level next fall. I will be utilizing the GI Bill. So the plan is no debt at the end of school.
Now here is where it gets a little bit sticky. To enroll in the program would require a move and obliviously quitting my current J O B. The family would be moving with me although we would only be bringing along 4 of the young ones with us as the oldest will be leaving the nest. Even though the schooling will be covered I still will have to provide for the family. So here are a few of the millions of questions I have about this leap.
Is the school schedule going to allow me to work at almost full time hours to cover the bills at some minimum wage job(walmart or whatnot)?
What does a typical week at a 4 year pilot program look like?
Can I finish it in 3 years?
What kind of flight time totals can I expect at the end of school?
Now if Ive read 14 CFR Part 61.159 correctly I get to apply 500 hours total towards my ATP rating. Does that move the timeline any for me if I am not applying for any 121 jobs?
One of the biggest questions my so far VERY supportive wife has, is post graduation employment. We would be willing to move after graduation but after moving for the military every threes years we would like to settle down once and for all. What are the chances of having one final move after graduation and securing employment? How many times have you all had to move for jobs?
Any and all advice is greatly appreciated and I look forward to hearing from all of you.