Too old to start pilot career? Need advice!

tonyw said:
Buy a plane, or a share of one, and fly for fun. It'll take a LONG time for you to get to that pay rate if you ever do.

That's why I stopped pursuing an aviation career. I couldn't make it work. I'd have to go back to what I was making when I was fresh out of college, and I ain't going back to eating mac and cheese six days a week.
Click to expand...

+1 For enjoying aviation as a hobby. If your husband is technologically-inclined, might I recommend he consider a career in the tech industry. Working for a medium sized start-up was easily the best career decision I've ever made. Good pay, people, benefits, and company culture; such attributes are pretty ubiquitous amongst tech firms (at least the smaller ones). Certainly not a race-to-the-bottom industry like aviation, either.
 
HRDiva said:
@mandyk my husband got his first 121 job at nearly 38. He wanted to do it and I supported him (literally--both emotionally and financially). It was what he wanted. If you are not happy in your job, why bother? 24 years later he is a CA at a major and winding down this phase. If you are on FB, there is a pilot wives group or three in addition to Jetgirls.net.
Click to expand...

You're a good woman.
 
tonyw said:
Buy a plane, or a share of one, and fly for fun. It'll take a LONG time for you to get to that pay rate if you ever do.

That's why I stopped pursuing an aviation career. I couldn't make it work. I'd have to go back to what I was making when I was fresh out of college, and I ain't going back to eating mac and cheese six days a week.
Click to expand...


Amen to both points.
 
fly22 said:
Amen to both points.
Click to expand...
While I agree Tony makes a lot of sense... I still look to the sky wondering what if. Part of me really doesn't want to still be doing that when I'm 50.

I guess the grass is always greener.
 
AA34 said:
While I agree Tony makes a lot of sense... I still look to the sky wondering what if. Part of me really doesn't want to still be doing that when I'm 50.

I guess the grass is always greener.
Click to expand...


My office looks at the departure ends of 16R KSLC. I think what if all the time. My personality would have wondered what if I were self employed had I been in one of those birds.

We're all different and have our own race to run. Yes I wonder what if but I don't regret my decisions one bit.

I will always wonder what if, what if I didn't marry a great woman, what if I didn't have my kids etc etc. I think it is healthy to wonder what if and ponder your life. What is not healthy is allowing that what if to paralyze you.

There are many things I envy of my friends who fly and there are many things I don't.
 
How did I go from seeing you almost every trip to never seeing you man? :)
 
Derg said:
How did I go from seeing you almost every trip to never seeing you man? :)
Click to expand...


You abandoned me to go fly international out of New York. I try to avoid that place.


Take a 777 out of LAX and you will see me more than my folks.
 
AA34 said:
While I agree Tony makes a lot of sense... I still look to the sky wondering what if. Part of me really doesn't want to still be doing that when I'm 50.

I guess the grass is always greener.
Click to expand...

Well... I don't want to be flying airplanes for a living when I'm 50, either. :)
 
dasleben said:
Well... I don't want to be flying airplanes for a living when I'm 50, either. :)
Click to expand...

I'm sure I will be doing something for money at 50, and if it's flying that's ok. Hopefully I'll be at a major with a decent schedule.

One thing I definitely don't understand are people that give up on their dreams at a younger age so they can retire at 55, 60, or whatever. Unlike my previous 8-5 job, I have a lot of time off that allows me to do stuff while I'm still young. Already I've traveled across the world (several times), I've hiked and climbed all over the US, and this summer I've got a lot of climbs and hikes planned where I live (Colorado). Heck, I basically have the first half of June off, and have been in the mountains everyday (currently typing this in the trailhead parking lot, waiting for a late friend).

I just know too many people that put their dreams on hold, only to get sick or physically unable to live a full life in their later years.
 
GypsyPilot said:
One thing I definitely don't understand are people that give up on their dreams at a younger age so they can retire at 55, 60, or whatever.

I just know too many people that put their dreams on hold, only to get sick or physically unable to live a full life in their later years.
Click to expand...

*Salute* Precisely that.

-Fox
 
If it is always a wonder then do it now. Every career has its moments. I have been flying a desk for 7 years and want to return to the airlines, no matter what people say the career always put a smile on my face. I left chasing the dollar and stability and go figure I got furloughed by the US government and never at my airline. Life is short, the timing will never be right most of the time so go for it. If it does not work out go back to study rocks! It's all on the bucket list just choose which item you want to check next! BTW you are an amazing wife for helping him realize his dreams. Thank you from all of us grown up kids!
 
AA34 said:
While I agree Tony makes a lot of sense... I still look to the sky wondering what if. Part of me really doesn't want to still be doing that when I'm 50.

I guess the grass is always greener.
Click to expand...

Hey, if you're cool with going back to eating mac and cheese six days a week and splurging for a five dollar footlong on the seventh, that's fine. I'm not doing that. I expect any career path I go down to allow me certain comforts.

It isn't all about the money for me. I'm going to be working a minimum of a 50 hour week with virtually no time off real soon. And I won't be making all that much money when you consider the time I sink into it. But the business venture I am going to open will not only provide me with a good solid upper middle class lifestyle but it will also allow me to find homes for animals that need them. And that is a BIG reward which no amount of money can buy.
 
GypsyPilot said:
Weird, I've never lived like that as a pilot. College, yes. But whatever...
Click to expand...
Man, I sure did. :)

First year XJT FO, packing cans of soup, a loaf of bread, and a jar of peanut butter on trips. Mac and cheese for dinner in the crashpad. Good livin'!
 
Hold on now folks. Everyone's financial situation is different.... some people can afford mac and cheese while others bread and peanut butter....Can't we all just get a long! LOL
 
tonyw said:
You're right. I'm being, if anything, too complimentary of the starting wages. When you make so little that you qualify for food stamps...
Click to expand...

First year pay at a regional can be bad, but I went into it with money saved up. I lived my normal life of drinking good beer and eating good food. I sure wasn't eating mac and ramen. After that first year is wasn't too bad.

Heck, I left an ok paying corporate pilot position for a regional. It would have been possible for me to have pretty good paying gigs the entire time, but for career development I went with a regional. But there are some folks out there that have always been paid pretty well.

Sorry man, I'm just not going down your whiny path. I made it work, and wasn't living like a college kid. It was pretty lean for a couple years, but I knew it would be and planned for it. If others aren't capable of that for whatever reason, then eating mac and cheese is apparently their destiny.

One thing is for sure, I've done it and you haven't.
 
dasleben said:
Man, I sure did. :)

First year XJT FO, packing cans of soup, a loaf of bread, and a jar of peanut butter on trips. Mac and cheese for dinner in the crashpad. Good livin'!
Click to expand...

Sounds pretty gross, but ok! Obviously you were saving on per diem, and I know that's a popular thing to do. Not me, my goal was to use that for food. I still packed food, but it was healthy and tasty - not carb/sugar centric.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top