Yup Van (DesertDog) is a great example. So is Captain_Bob
After also being a copper for a while, Bob went to ATP and then instructed for them. He got hired by ExpressJet in 2004 and is currently going through Captain upgrade and is in his mid-late 30’s. He has been a great mentor to me through my career change. One thing he has always said is that you need, have to have, the support of your family to do this.
As a career changer myself, not quite there yet, I think if your spouse truly loves you and wants the best for you, he/she will give you the support you need. When I first went to my wife and said “Baby, I want to quit my $70k/yr job, spend a S$$$load of money on flight training, and become a regional airline pilot for about ¼ of what I currently make”, she was not very receptive. However, she knew I was miserable at my current cubicle monkey job, and also that this has been a dream of mine. It took a while, but she did come around and is fully supportive and dedicated to the dream; she would much rather see me happy then have plenty of dough, but miserable all the time.
Why do people fail in this endeavor? Well, my opinion, but certainly not the only reason…. it is a large commitment. A lot of career changers are nestled into a mortgage, kids, and a certain lifestyle. It takes a lot of change and hard work to get to..uh…a $20k first year regional job. Some people are either unwilling, or do not realize they are unwilling, to sacrifice. Some may lose the perceived glamour of flying when they get into the training and see how much work it is. Indeed, I see a lot of starry-eyed people waltz into my flight school, fly to solo, and disappear when the real work begins.
Myself, I stopped flying for a year, sold both our vehicles, got rid of cell phones, sweat at night, never ate out, etc…..Paid off all debt except my house. That laid the foundation. Now we continue to live very cheap to pay for flight training without needing credit. It was VERY hard at first. It even came to the point of dibbying out cash at the beginning of the month so we stayed on budget. After about 3-4 months, it was second nature.
Making the change to become a professional pilot takes a change in lifestyle, a lot of money, and serious dedication and commitment to get through all the training.
Jetcareers has been the best place on the web, for me personally, to research and ask questions about the flying world. The people here are awesome, and our leader, the great Doug, has spent a lot of time tailoring this site to all kinds, including the fresh meat! Other sites tend to be more oriented towards those who have already made it and are not as receptive to aspiring wannabe’s.
Welcome aboard!
