"Since I was a kid"

maniacmatt

New Member
\"Since I was a kid\"

Hi folks. I have a question.

On most "I want to be a professional pilot" type posts I see on here, the common theme seems to be "I can't imagine doing anything else cause its what I have wanted since I was little" or "I want to switch careers cause being a pilot is the only job I have ever WANTED since I was a kid." This is also true of several people I've talked to at my local FBO.

Well...thats not the case with me. I can honestly say that I didn't become interested in aviation or even airplanes until about 2 years ago. This happened because Airline Pilot turned up on a career inventory type-thing at my school. I then did a lot of research (especially at this site) and fell in love with it. Since that time I've been totally hooked on aviation. So much so that this summer I got the nerve to walk into my local FBO and request an intro flight. WOW. I loved it!

So I've thinking about it like this...I'm afraid to "go all the way" in pursuing a career as a pilot because I'm afraid that I'll get there and realize that my interest in aviation was only a passing thing. Kinda scary to think about.

I guess my question is...Am I the only person who wants to be (or is) a professional pilot that hasn't wanted to (or even had an interest in airplanes at all) since they were very young?
 
Re: \"Since I was a kid\"

I have always been interested in aviation, but wasn't sure whether I wanted to actually make the commitment and risk until about a year ago. (After talking with my unlce, who is an airline pilot.) Since then, I've taken several intro flights and loved it also.

If you're afraid to go through with it and you can save up the money, get your private certificate. That way, you will get more of a "taste" of being a pilot, before you go full bore into it. Good luck!
 
Re: \"Since I was a kid\"

Hey there. I actually didn't get involved in anything aviation until after I started college. I had no idea that you could fly commercially/privately without going thru the military. I had a little interest when I was little, but that passed on as I took to other things. I just happened to be looking on my schools website, and saw that they had a flight program too. I signed up for an intro flight, and got hooked. I essentially tossed an athletic scholarship, an internship/job after I graduated guaranteed, and pretty much golden paved streets and a silver spoon all down the drain, just to fly. Biggest spontaneous decision I've ever made, and luckily, it was the right one. I haven't regretted a day of it, and that decision was made 5 years ago. It's been a really rough road trying to make it happen because I'm paying for it all myself, but I wouldn't change a thing. I'd recommend that you go to a local FBO and get your private and then make the decision. It's a huge committment financially as anybody flying can attest to, and if you get into it after 200 hours and decide that you don't like it, you're gonna be in a hole. I don't recommend making a spontaneous decision like I did. Good luck,and feel free to ask any other questions you have on here, or PM me.
 
Re: \"Since I was a kid\"

Matt,

The best advice I can give is to keep your options open. Basically what I’m saying is major in a non-aviation field and get your flight ratings at an FBO, or an academy if your wallet can withstand the abuse. Just remember that when it comes to getting that first flying job nobody really cares where you received you training, just that you have the appropriate ratings.

That being said, go for your Private Pilots license for the time being and hang out here on Jetcareers for a while. Before you know it you’ll know more about the pro’s and con’s of flying than you ever wanted to!
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Good luck, and be sure to keep us updated on your progress!
 
Re: \"Since I was a kid\"

[ QUOTE ]
On most "I want to be a professional pilot" type posts I see on here, the common theme seems to be "I can't imagine doing anything else cause its what I have wanted since I was little" or "I want to switch careers cause being a pilot is the only job I have ever WANTED since I was a kid." This is also true of several people I've talked to at my local FBO.

Well...thats not the case with me. I can honestly say that I didn't become interested in aviation or even airplanes until about 2 years ago...

[/ QUOTE ]

Don't even give it a second thought. You're not the only one who doesn't have the "since I was a kid" story, and don't think for a minute that it makes you any less worthy of being a professional pilot. If you have the desire now, then that's all that counts. Many people who had such dreams as a kid lose interest as an adult. It doesn't matter how long you've had the desire, but how hard you are willing to work for it now and in the future. Good luck!!
 
Re: \"Since I was a kid\"

I'd say get started on your private. You can use that either for recreation or go on and make a career out of it. If you still aren't sure after you get your private, get some additional ratings such as instrument and multi-engine. That should give you plenty of time and experience for you to decide if you want to pecome a professional pilot. At the very least you will have a very rewarding hobby. It probably won't take you very long to decide for sure if you could see yourself doing it for a living.
 
Re: \"Since I was a kid\"

[ QUOTE ]
I had no idea that you could fly commercially/privately without going thru the military. I had a little interest when I was little, but that passed on as I took to other things.

[/ QUOTE ]

Ditto here.
 
Re: \"Since I was a kid\"

I worked in business for several years and flew on the side. I had pretty much given up on the idea of flying professionally, when I found that one of my former students had made captain at ASA. That got me back into flying.

I would recommend that you start slowly. Don't make a big financial commitment by signing a $70,000 student loan or anything like that. Take a few lessons and work on your private license. See how you like it and see if the interest holds up.

I'd recommend that for anyone who wants to fly professionally. I have known a couple of people who had an intense interest in flying, but had a lot of trouble with the physical act of controlling an airplane. This is rare, but it does happen. Some of these guys tied themselves into training contracts when it is questionable whether they will develop their skills sufficiently to fly for an airline.
 
Re: \"Since I was a kid\"

I dunno if I've wanted to be a pilot since I was a kid but I have always enjoyed flying on airliners, from as long as I can remember. I also love anything to do with transport really, planes, trains, ships, cars, trucks you name it.

To be quite frank until mid last year I still had no idea what I wanted to do when I left college, I was actually considering joining the Navy until I had figured out what I wanted to do. But then I started contemplating mixing my passion for aviation with a career as a pilot. The more I looked into it, the more I wondered why I hadn't considered it earlier! I guess the idea had always been in the back of my head but I never gave it serious consideration until now.

I must admit I have some of the same fears as you, I wonder if I will get bored of it, or if it's not as exciting as I thought, indeed a scary thought after one has spent so much money on it. But I think my parents are right when they said "We'd be worried about your decision if it weren't for the fact you like aeroplanes so much"

Sure it won't all be cherries and cream but when compared to the alternatives it looks pretty darn good!

In summery, do your PPL and see how you feel after that. If you then decided you don't want to do it as a career, no probs, being able to fly for fun is hardly a bad thing.
 
Re: \"Since I was a kid\"

Well, I've always been in airplanes since I was in my carseat in the back of 172's. My dad used to flight instruct for awhile and I've always loved aviation. Since I was little I dreamed of flying F-16's in the Air Force. I'm now 21 and only a couple of years ago I decided I really wanted to become an airline pilot. I guess that was ultimately really want I wanted to eventually do in life. I think people should always try to follow their childhood dreams. I am now considering joining the Air Force to build my flight time (maybe fly C-5's???)...so hopefully I will but more weight on the advantage of having free flight training as opposed to thinking that my freedom to go the civilian route is better.
 
Re: \"Since I was a kid\"

What happened to flying F-16s? At least aim for that and settle for a C-130 if you have to!
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My dream would be to be a F-14 pilot but unfortunatly my eyesite isn't good enough to be a military pilot
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If you have a chance to get a seat in a fighter, go for it!
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