I just quit my law practice.

[Soonermurph]

I just left a nine-year old law practice in Oklahoma City to become a professional pilot (tell me I'm not crazy). I received my PPL three months ago at a local FBO. I will be training at Accelerated Flight School in Arizona starting NEXT MONTH!! I have been a fairly quite reader on this board for about nine months. I'ts good to know I'm not alone. Oh by the way, SOMEONE TELL ME I'M NOT CRAZY!

[reaperman]

Just remember what the hatter said to Alice.

[ready2fly]

Sooner - YOU'RE NOT CRAZY!!! You're sick - not crazy. Aviation is a sickness, but what a disease to have!

Take it from a someone who has been in the legal profession for 10 years (me) - you did the right thing!! You know it, I know it, we ALL know it. The world has MORE than enough lawyers anyway, right? haha.

Congratulations and good luck!

NOTE: I'll be "retiring" from the legal field (I'm a paralegal) as soon as I get my CFI ticket.....hopefully within a year or less! I'm envious!

[d_gelling]

Let's face it...we're all nuts!

[Tbone]

Well, I just turned down a nice, secure tech offer in a dry market to pursue my dream of becoming a prof. pilot. I'll be heading to ATP in the fall. I'm right there with you brotha! At some point you have to walk away from a 'normal' life and that cushy paycheck to chase the dream. Good luck!

[Wannabe2]

Dude, we are all crazy.

[aloft]

Crazy to quit your law practice for flying? Maybe. Training at Accelerated, you've gotta be out of your frickin' skull. Isn't that the place that just lost a twin and three pilots last week to shoddy maintenance? I'd take a long, hard, serious look at my decision to fly there, were I you.

Take a look at http://www.allatps.com/ instead. They've got the best thing going, IMHO.

[ready2fly]

From what I've read regarding the accident, it seems maintenance was only PART of the reason for the crash. Poor decisions by the crew (i.e. deciding to continue to fly after numerous instances of rough running) seemed to be the major contributor. I truly don't think they teach that at Accelarated. I may be wrong.

[Visceral]

Ditto on the last post. I don't think it was the school's fault, but the people who climbed back into a plane that had no business flying that day...the examiner apparently ended the check ride because of some engine noises or the like. Its called Aeronautical Decision Making, and these guys probably just made a bad decision to fly that plane. From what I read, the FAA hasn't found the flight school at fault for anything yet.

[Skeeter]

Yep. Go down to the FBO section and read the accounts I recieved earlier this week if you want to know more about it... AND YES, YOU'RE FRICKEN CRAZY! ....but, now that I think about it, 9 years in a law firm and you must have some bank saved up. [img]/ubbthreads/images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

[Eagle]

I am so glad to read that you folks already know the cause of the accelerated crash. May want to shoot an email out to the FAA/NTSB so they can stop their investigation.

Comments regarding the safety, maintenance, or otherwise operations of any business, airline or flight school, with no first hand knowledge is inappropriate, as well as juvenile. It always makes me proud to be associated with a group of <sarcasm> such knowledgeable people</sarcasm>.

Here are the facts. The airplane crashed. People died. The investigation continues.

[Skeeter]

Eagle,
Before I respond, just want to make sure I understand your comments. Are you refering to the relaying of information down in the FBO section or just the comment above regarding the maintenance? Nevertheless, communicating opinions and information to help others, discuss issues or debates is what this board is all about, as long as it's done in a diplomatic and repectful way.

On the other hand, perhaps the term "facts" I used in my post is a little strong. Lemme see if I can edit that part.

[Soonermurph]

Thanks for the heads up about the crash. I read about it just after posting the message. The ATP referral is also appreciated.

[socal]

Soonermurph,

I am an MEI with ATP, so I have a biased opinion. However, like you I had to make a decision about a flight scholl after a major career change. ATP and Accelerated were the only two schools I considered -- primarily because of their twin time.

Please read my posts in the ATP section of the message board. I started the program on January 29th with 111 hours and my private certificate. I finished the program on March 28th. I was then hired by ATP on April 15th as a CFI/CFII/MEI. I have flown the Seminole across the country (Cal. to Fla.) twice, and am now instructing in it full time in Riverside and Long Beach, Ca. Again, I am a biased opinion. But, after going through the program and now working for ATP, I cannot say enough good things about the company.

And, after reading the posts about the crash in Arizona, I cannot tell you how thankful I am that I made the choice I did.

Best of luck, no matter where your training takes you.

[surfnole]

You might want to check out

forums.flightinfo.com

They have had a heated discussion on Accelerated Flight School

Sooner, I too have turned in my resignation at my cushy government job. I have had it working at what I hate; it is time. I will begin full time trainning at the base aeroclub here in Okinawa and believing God for a full time cfi job at the same place. Regardless, there is no turning back...I'm pressing on. Hurray for career changers! Aim High.


[img]/ubbthreads/images/icons/laugh.gif[/img]

[Scorpio11982]

yea.. I'm going to be a career changer myself.. I'll have 3 years and 6 days to go before my time is up with the Navy. ... I have 3 years and 6 days left to get atleast an Associate Degree and a CFI .. God help me i have a lot of work to do.. don't even have my PPL yet( working on it though).. I'll be out the Navy when i'm 22.. 3 more years and 6 day's and I'll be through Woooooohooooo... drinks are on [img]/ubbthreads/images/icons/grin.gif[/img] me in 3 years 6 days at the very first JetCareer Convention if their is ever one... [img]/ubbthreads/images/icons/smile.gif[/img] [img]/ubbthreads/images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

[Soonermurph]

I just set up an interview in Sacramento with ATP for July 8th. The more I read the more I like the ATP program. Any of you at ATP in Sacramento? Even though it's more expensive than Accelerated, the safety issue seems to have swayed me.

[Eagle]

Just spoke with a buddy who got back from atp in Jax Fla, he can not say enough good things about it. FWIW

[JStevens]

Although my career has not officially begun, I have always considered myself a budding law student. Currently earning a GPA of 3.82 at the University of North Florida through just over 2 years. I work for the State Attorney's Office doing grunt work, my father has multiple connections to get me into practices out of law school.....BUT

I have always had a love for aviation, although I have never sat behind the yoke of a plane. Perhaps my love simply comes from many of the simulation games that are avaliable, but however I have become afflictied with this "diasese", it isn't going away. I looked at the Yellow Pages this morning, orginally for all the flight schools in the Jacksonville, Fl area. In so doing, I found myself flipping through all the attorney's ads, 40 pages or so of them. All advertising personal injury, medical malpractice, ect... I see the yound attorney's here where I work, huddled behind a desk with stacks of papers on either side and I can't help but think, "I really want to do this?"

Do I really want to subject myself to another 5-6 years of school to discover my life is filled with obligations to read boring legal documents about people's problems, many of them not even belonging in front of me. Or, do I want to be able to have my wife ask me, "So what are you doing today?", and being able to respond, "Oh, nothing much, just going to Denver.....be back in time for dinner." Perhaps the last comment was a bit contrived, but I think you understand what I am getting at. I hope that over the next two years (time left in college), I can earn a PPL and determine whether or not it is something I would want to pursue as a career.

Oh, I have a cousin who is living with and is going through ATP in Jax, fl now, and he seems to enjoy it thus far.

Any thoughts?

[ready2fly]

Jstevens: I can't give you your answer (but, you're not looking for that), but I will give you my experience:

I, too, did the pre-law thing in college. Graduated, decided to work in the real world to pay down my Private College debt and what better way to do that AND get my "foot in the door" at a law firm than to become a Paralegal.

So, I changed firms a few times - experienced both sides of the coin in litigation (Plaintiff's work and Defendant's work), did Foreclosure law, did Bankruptcy law, Insurance, Med-Mal, yadda yadda yadda....

IF there is is one thing that I could tell you, it was this: I have met hundreds of young attorneys - fresh out of law school - ready to change the world and/or just make the "big bucks" and NOT A ONE OF THEM - not one - was happy with what they were doing - at least for the first -say - five to six years - then, they MAY start to enjoy it or just "settle".

Some of them held on and are now Partners at their firms and making great money - but, they all went through a very, very long period of loathing.

Myself: It took me approximately 6 years to figure out that there was no way in Hell that I'd want to be an attorney. To be general - why deal with people's misery for the rest of my career?

The aviation bug bit me after 4 years of wondering "what next?" and "what do I want to be when I grow up?"... and here I am..... still working as a Paralegal, but training AGRESSIVELY and getting ready to take my PPSEL checkride and have already started ground for the Instrument ticket.

I think your plan of getting your PPSEL while you are still in college is a great idea!! See if it's "for you". If not - at least you'll have a great form of recreation.

That was my $0.04. Good luck.

[A300Capt]

I hate to burst your bubble JStevens, but a flying job is ripe with its own set of problems that an outsider just wouldn't understand until they experience it for themselves. This quickly wipes the shine off the aviation apple. And, very few folks make it to a high $$ seat. This may not mean much at 21, but when you get older, trust me on this one, you'll be looking for the big bucks.

A video game could make ditch digging seem fun and glamorous, however, a couple days in the hot sun sweating your arse off will make you think differently.

If you think that flying professionally is just going 500mph from one glamour layover to the next, home every night for dinner and a beautiful home in the suburbs, you'd be taking a very simplistic, and unrealistic, view of the profession.

The road to a professional flying career is long and hard with absolutely no guarantees you'll make it. It may seem like a great adventure at first when you're young but reality has a way of wiping that smile off your face in short order.

You'll probably spend somewhere around $50,000+ up front just to obtain ratings which will let you begin the game. After a few years of training you'll then move on to the hard part, low, or no, paying jobs trying to build your flight time. Just to get to the minimum level to be competitive at an entry level position make take years and require around 1200 hrs flight time. Who's going to pay back your loan(s) when your new CFI job won't buy gas money for your car? Are you prepared to live at below poverty levels for many years?

My advice: Finish law school. It's great backup career. If you really want to do this then work on getting your private pilot's license. You may find that you don't like flying. The world of aviation as change significantly since 9/11. Jobs are few and far between while morale at many airlines is very low. If you can you might want to look at the military route. That may be a viable option.

Knowing what I know now, if I had to do it over again...I wouldn't....and I've got a great job so far as flying is concerned.

[JStevens]

My intention in my above post was to not sound blind to the faults of the industry, reading these boards for 5 minutes will certainly reveal those. However, I am aware of the work of the lawyers I am surrounded by, and their job satisfaction isn't exactly soaring. They all hope to move to bigger and brighter things, but who knows if they will ever get to a position that truely delivers satisfaction.

I am not nieve to the lack of glamour of the airline industry, espeacially in these trying times. But, not to sound too optimistic, but economical woes will end, and so will the fear of air travel. The bright side of the equation is that this country is far too large to provide another form of transportation, such as a train. Amtrack is horrible, it is also far to inefficient to use over large distances. Therefore, the need for air travel will forever exist. Perhaps I am wrong in this observation, but you may be suffering from a case of, "The grass is always greener on the other side" syndrome. Please do not read too much into my mentioning of a simulator game, it is merely a cataylst, not the sole reason for my interest.

At present, I have acquired a Jeppesen text book inteneded for use in a Ground School and am reading thorugh its chapters. For whatever reason, the techinical jargon spewed all over the pages is far more appealing than the historical significance of cases built of precedence.....but maybe that is just me.

The good thing is that I am merely 20 years of age, with time still on my side, perhaps I can come to some sound conculsions about where I would like to take my career. Law school is still 2 years away if I decide to pursue that path, but so is training that may ultimately lead to a career with commerical airlines. In which case, I think recieving my seniority number at the age of 25-27 would be extrenely adventageous.

[A300Capt]

JStevens,

I realize what you were trying to say. And, I realize some of your comments were "tongue in cheek". I was trying to interject some reality into the equation for you as well as others.

Little off the subject: I've gotten the impression that some of the mid-life career changers on this board (not you) initially have gotten the impression over the last couple years of boom hiring that getting a pilot job is as easy as applying at Diary Queen. Far from it. I hate seeing folks give up perfectly good careers, putting their families through h&ll for what may be nothing more than a pipe dream. There are pros and cons to every career field. All you do is change one set of problems for another.

Your young, soon to be college grad, if not already, with a great GPA and if this is what you want then go for it. You've got plenty of time and could easily make it to the airlines if that's what you choose!


</font><blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr />
However, I am aware of the work of the lawyers I am surrounded by, and their job satisfaction isn't exactly soaring. They all hope to move to bigger and brighter things, but who knows if they will ever get to a position that truely delivers satisfaction.

[/ QUOTE ]

That's my point! Just replace "lawyers" with "pilots" in your first sentence and I couldn't have said it any better. It's amazing how many professions look the same from the inside looking out rather than from the other way around.

</font><blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr />
Perhaps I am wrong in this observation, but you may be suffering from a case of, "The grass is always greener on the other side" syndrome.

[/ QUOTE ]

Actually, I'm in a very enviable position with good seniority at a very $trong company. I think this is about as green as the grass gets and I feel very lucky to be here!

Good luck!

[Mark]

It's good to hear A300Capt give a realistic view to some of the career changers out there. I thought I would change careers young a few years ago (I'm 28 now) but now that I have my CFI ticket and can't find enough students to make a living doing it I really wish I wouldn't have thrown my software engineering career out the window. Granted I can always go back but it's not the same as if I'd stayed in.. and there's also the say $30,000 that I blew on ratings which I'd kill to have in the bank right now.

Maybe in a year or so when the industry comes back and I can actually find full time work as a CFI I'll be happy with my decision but right now I'm definately discouraged.

With that said a persistant career changer that is willing to relocate anywhere and doesn't have a family to support should be able to make it. I've found CFI jobs available out of state but I don't want to leave Southern California right now. Who would have thought that California would be so saturated with furloughed pilots and CFI's after Sept. 11th. Not me.

Anyway hope I haven't discouraged you guys too much but I wanted to give you a more realistic view of how this industry can be starting out. Don't get too complacent and keep your heads up and you should be alright in your career change.

- Mark