jetcareers - View Single Post - Quit Now or Another Option-Career Changing Soon to be Story

British Pilot · April 1st, 2006, 18:24

I would either follow 727UPS's advice and buy a 150, or I would fly every night you can through the Summer, and at the weekend at your local airport, build your time, plough through your additional ratings and certificates, and see if it's still right for you. It sounds like it will be, but you will experience so much along the way, and you will be sure that it is truly in your blood.

I am in my late 20's and am just enjoying every minute of flight training and have never known what it is like to earn the kind of money you are talking about, so can adapt to life on first year F/O money, and have just enough money saved so I won't have student loan debt. The money must be a consideration for you, since pay can be so little initially, and potentially even after several years, I am sure you will plough through your savings quickly enough during these lean times. It seems this industry has more than it's fair share.

In terms of the large flight schools, I am finding there is a great deal to be said for flying at your local FBO, meeting instructors, line pilots who want to chat about your training and how you are finding it, ex-FAA examiners, gate and ramp agents who have 400 hours and a commercial and looking to fly with someone over to Niagara and so on.
I seriously considered ATP and the like, and am very, very glad I didn't go that route. You will save a lot of money too.

Once you have all your ratings you just have to go for it, FlyingNinja and Sven give excellent advice in my opinion, but until you do it and are (hopefully) successful, you will ALWAYS look back in years to come and think I could have been a pilot, and I still hate being a desk jockey.

April 1st, 2006, 18:24	#23
British Pilot Junior Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Boston, MA Posts: 110	I would either follow 727UPS's advice and buy a 150, or I would fly every night you can through the Summer, and at the weekend at your local airport, build your time, plough through your additional ratings and certificates, and see if it's still right for you. It sounds like it will be, but you will experience so much along the way, and you will be sure that it is truly in your blood. I am in my late 20's and am just enjoying every minute of flight training and have never known what it is like to earn the kind of money you are talking about, so can adapt to life on first year F/O money, and have just enough money saved so I won't have student loan debt. The money must be a consideration for you, since pay can be so little initially, and potentially even after several years, I am sure you will plough through your savings quickly enough during these lean times. It seems this industry has more than it's fair share. In terms of the large flight schools, I am finding there is a great deal to be said for flying at your local FBO, meeting instructors, line pilots who want to chat about your training and how you are finding it, ex-FAA examiners, gate and ramp agents who have 400 hours and a commercial and looking to fly with someone over to Niagara and so on. I seriously considered ATP and the like, and am very, very glad I didn't go that route. You will save a lot of money too. Once you have all your ratings you just have to go for it, FlyingNinja and Sven give excellent advice in my opinion, but until you do it and are (hopefully) successful, you will ALWAYS look back in years to come and think I could have been a pilot, and I still hate being a desk jockey.