Is this a smart move??

[denvrunr]

Hi everyone!!

I found this forum yesterday and has to sign up. I want feedback!!!

I am a 33 year old female that has always wanted to be in aviation. My dreams of becoming a pilot were shot when I was a junior in high school-when my parens said "NO! It's too expensive".

Where did that lead me? The route of where most go...taking a loan out for a college degree. I eventually finished up with a master's degree in a field that I am no longer in. I recently left my field and am now working for an airline --- but as a customer service rep. I love the job-but I want to be a pilot!!!

While I was in college I became a travel agent-I figured this was close enough in the "travel biz".

Am I too old to begin from scratch?!?! My fiancee isn't too keen on the idea of me starting at the bottom of the totem pole when I eventually land a job with the airlines.....
He supports me if I want to do this but he is playing devils advocate.
I want to become a mother at some point (and lets face it, I'm turning 34 in two months)....what is the reality here as far as mom/wives/beginning at 34 as a peon pilot?

Thanks for all the input!!!

[Jason_SYR]

If it is your dream, I say to go for it. I am in a very similiar position right now and hope to go the ATP School route in the late winter.

Good luck!

[mooneyguy]

First...WELCOME! Second you have come to the right place! There are some GREAT people here to help you along the way!
TOO OLD??? 33...no way, your just in time! Read through the career changers and you will see! I'm 39 and about half way through my training, and actually feel confident I will be able to make the "change"
I see your biggest struggle wanting to be a MOM, which is great, but the life of an airline pilot is NOT an easy one. As long as you are flexible on potential pilot careers though, you would be able to find something that would work for you!
So, kick back, dig into the threads here start reading and asking questions, the answer will come!
GOOD LUCK!

[Crockrocket94]

You are NOT to old!

Get on the horse and start!

Now where do you want to learn? (Huge Factor here)

[Hernandezcfi]

I made the switch at 33. No problemo! BUT...life of a pilot is like life of a long haul truck driver! If you want to have children you must consider that most airline pilots sleep at home 3 nights a week. The rest of your week will be living out of your suitcase going from cockpit to hotel and back. ...and don't expect to be home on X-mas morning.

[murphfly]

GO FOR IT!!!

One of my old student's mom is an AA captain and she had 2 kids during her career and she told me it was not a problem. Always live out your dreams b/c what's the point of life if you're not living it to the fullest.

[denvrunr]

My biggest concern is becoming a mother. The one thing that my fiancee said "Are you going to leave me to be Mr. Mom?!?!"

I definitely wouldn't want to do that. I know that anything can be worked through....

Thanks for all the input!

[PGA07]

Originally Posted by murphfly

GO FOR IT!!!

One of my old student's mom is an AA captain and she had 2 kids during her career and she told me it was not a problem. Always live out your dreams b/c what's the point of life if you're not living it to the fullest.

We all have different asperations for our lives! After quiting on one of mine and regreting it everyday, I have decided to follow the other one for all it's worth.

At 28, and only after attempting to chase the money, did I finally realize that life is about who you are as a person, what you want out of life for yourself and your loved ones and being happy with who you are and where you are at.

Someone will always have more than you, but someone will always have less than you.

Follow your heart and you will be a happier and better person for it. We all realize this, it just takes some of us longer than others.

Good Luck with your decision and Welcome!

[killbilly]

I'm 33 also and started flying, officially, two weeks ago.

Long way to go. Enjoy the journey.

[skidz]

Originally Posted by denvrunr

Am I too old to begin from scratch?!?! My fiancee isn't too keen on the idea of me starting at the bottom of the totem pole when I eventually land a job with the airlines.....
He supports me if I want to do this but he is playing devils advocate.
I want to become a mother at some point (and lets face it, I'm turning 34 in two months)....what is the reality here as far as mom/wives/beginning at 34 as a peon pilot?

You've come to the right place and hell no you aint too old
You will have to have a support of your fiance though, but if he's mister right he will support you in your dream.

[MarkE]

Originally Posted by skidz

You've come to the right place and hell no you aint too old
You will have to have a support of your fiance though, but if he's mister right he will support you in your dream.

And if he's not Mr right there's plenty of single pilots on this board

Like everyone else says go after your dreams but definitely hang out here more and ask for advice along the way so that you're dream can be based on reality as well.

[falconvalley]

This may sound harsh, but it is definitely not meant to be that way. If what you do for a living means alot to you, you need to lean towards what makes you happy, what brings the most joy. If you don't do that, you risk going home unhappy after work and generally not being satisfied. You must make this decision yourself. If the people most important to you don't support your decision, prove to them that you don't need them for this. In the end, they will be happy for you.

[ClearedForOption]

Originally Posted by denvrunr

....what is the reality here as far as mom/wives/beginning at 34 as a peon pilot?

The reality is whatever you make of it... I would say, go for it!.

My own story is the classic high school conuselor "you don't have perfect eyesight, you can't be a pilot" - Then @ age 26 I gave up one career and started to fly, I haven't looked back sonce. It's been a long road - i'm 32 now... but I'm just finishing up ground school at Regional #2 and am ready to continue building my career. (~7 years... But: I worked full time while earning my licenses, worked a day job while instructing till I got my 1000 hrs. - except for the last 6 mos. where i instructed full time - and really just worked my behind off so that I would start at a regional debt free. To which marriage has thrown a wrench into those plans... but that's another story for another day)

It is not going to be easy and you will need the support of your S.O. (fiancee) to get through everything. And - he will want to support you because he know that the career change makes you happy.

You will find in the end that doing something that you love, doing something that makes you happy, it will bring great joy into your life even if it doesn't bring in big sacks of cashola with dollar signs on them.

Oh, so what next... you should take a few Intro flights ASAP with a few different instructors. (to make sure you like the idea of flying and you don't yak - even if you yak it's ok, go up a few times and it will start going away) Don't let any of them discourage you. You need to find the right fit for instructors. Investigate the different "fast track programs" out there and talk to people here on JC about them and their expereinces. Look for red flags... i.e. too good to be true is probably too good to be true. Don't jump at the first flashy one.

Read this to learn the basics of how to talk on the radio: (for your first flight)

http://www.praser.com/CaptMidnight.pdf
(shameless plug - it's awesome and I wrote it)

Actually, click around my website also... (link's in my signature) in the "learn to fly" section and the faq and etc - there's some good general info there also. (not a shameless plug as I am not teaching these days) And feel free to PM me and I'd be happy to answer any and all questions that you might have.

Welcome to a great community. You'll find that everyone here had been where you are in one way shape or form and 99.9% +/- 0.1% of the JC'rs here are willing and able to give you a leg up. Use the info here to wisely plan out your next steps.

[Boris Badenov]

Consider carefully. Aviation is often a better dream than it is a reality. I'm not quite bitter yet, but I think I'm realistic. I know a lot of guys (er, people) at the regionals, and with very few exceptions, they are not happy little campers. Flying is fun, but everything else you might imagine it will provide, it won't, or won't for a long time (big paycheck, lots of travel, respect of your peers, etc).

If you are absolutely resolute in your desire to go fly, at your age, you're going to have to break some taboos. Go the quickest route possible. Go to a pilot factory, get your ratings, take the bridge program to a terrible regional, and then use your biology (that is to say the fact that you're female) to get a good job just as soon as you can. A lot of guys get mad about the fact that you can do that. Anger or not, though, it's a fact. Use it to your advantage, because from what I've seen, no one over about 30 is very happy at a regional, particularly not as a low-seniority FO. There will certainly be a large number of tradeoffs with your "regular life". For a long time to come.

Forgive me if I come off as a wet blanket. If you really want to fly, it could be a great life. But go in with your eyes open.

[propsync]

You are not to old to switch.

Regarding the children, make sure your hubby is on board with shouldering more than 50% of the child rearing burden.

[denvrunr]

Thanks to all of you for all of your input. I am so glad to hear the reality of things versus the "dreams" of the aviation field.
I am still looking into starting out......
Are there any flying scholarships out there? This is a really, really, expensive field and hind sight, I wish I would have spent my $30,000 or so college money toward flying instead. I'm still paying off that student loan and don't want to get another loan....but I might not have a choice =(

[mooneyguy]

Originally Posted by denvrunr

Thanks to all of you for all of your input. I am so glad to hear the reality of things versus the "dreams" of the aviation field.
I am still looking into starting out......
Are there any flying scholarships out there? This is a really, really, expensive field and hind sight, I wish I would have spent my $30,000 or so college money toward flying instead. I'm still paying off that student loan and don't want to get another loan....but I might not have a choice =(

welcome to part two of the life of a wannabe pro pilot! I wish I could say there was money to be had, but the big picture is not much if any. If your look hard enough there are a few scholarships out there. Thats why some people go the academy way...yeah its a big hit 60k thats a big monthly payment for 15-20 years. Others (like myself) do it the old fashioned way, pay as you go. I try to minimize my bills, and thankfully i have an understanding wife. I work full time and put a large % of my pay towards my training!
Check out whats available in your area. How much planes are renting for, how much an hour the cfi's are getting. For your private figure 60-65 hours training (probably less if you can train two-three times a week or more).
Once you have made a discision, do your ground study first, know as much as possible before stepping into the cockpit for the first time, this will help your process go a bit faster. We all learn differently, it took me 40 hours to get my ppl, but its all about how much of yourself you give to your training!
Keep the questions comming, the more you know, the better off you will be!

[bunghole]

Do yourself a big favor and spend time at a local FBO and see if you really do enjoy flying first. Take a demo flight and/or take some ground school at a local college and see if this really peaks your interest. There is a huge reality gap between I think 'I want to be a pro pilot' and 'flying looks fun'. You should test the waters.

P.S. Ohh......and ask if Mr Right wants to be Mr. Mom......there is nothing wrong with that.

Have fun!

[E_Dawg]

If your 34 and want to have a kid asap... your husband better make a lot of $ AND you better have very little expenses. That's just the reality of the situation and probably the biggest challenge you'll face.

[murphfly]

Originally Posted by denvrunr

Thanks to all of you for all of your input. I am so glad to hear the reality of things versus the "dreams" of the aviation field.
I am still looking into starting out......
Are there any flying scholarships out there? This is a really, really, expensive field and hind sight, I wish I would have spent my $30,000 or so college money toward flying instead. I'm still paying off that student loan and don't want to get another loan....but I might not have a choice =(

There are actually a good amount of scholarships or grants to help you out. You have to realize you may be filling out a billion applications for them b/c they can be valued from $100 to a few thousand. Check out Women in Aviation, the Ninety-nines, and AOPA. They are where you need to start. Good luck!!

[DenverPilot8]

Hey I'm a runner in Denver. I ran for the University of Wyoming and graduated in 05. I run at Wash park about 3 times a week.

[moxiepilot]

The road can be a long one, so I wouldn't worry about the kid thing just yet. Start training, go get married, have some shorties and keep on truckin...

[Flying Ninja]

Too old to fly? No.

I'd suggest that before you even think about this as a career, find out if you can actually fly an airplane and enjoy it. As for all the other issues, ultimately, you (and your fiance) will have to determine if the life style and pay check is tolerable to your eventual family. Do yourself a favor and hit up www.airlinepilotcentral.com and check out all the regional airlines and their pay scales. Put together a spreadsheet and figure out a budget. This will create a very clear financial picture of what your income and expense will look like, and if it's something you're willing to accept.

As indicated by most, quality of life is going to be something you need to seriously consider since you want to be a mother. In my experience, most women after childbirth miraculously decide that the baby is more important than their career and don't come back to the working world. If you're okay with not seeing your baby (and see your child when the airline permit you to) then it won't be an issue. Between being away from home at up to 4 days at a time per week to the low pay, you need to think about this carefully.

Someone suggested a fast track program. I think it may be a good idea since you are 33. But just be careful where you get your fast track from. I got screwed pretty badly by one and I have a HUGE debt as a result that can't be paid off by a regional job plus expenses on a monthly basis. Flight training is expensive! And you need to consider that in your calculations as well. If money is no object and being away from home all the time while your child grows up without you at the same time collecting a small pay check, then go for it! Live out that dream with the regional airlines.

This is not to say that you can't make a life in aviation without going to the regional airlines. You can become a full time instructor, build enough hours, and try to land a Part 135 job which may be better in schedule and/or pay. There are options and each require more sacrifice than the other. So find out your tolerance by gathering information and asking a lot of people a lot of questions. At some point you will get a good picture of what this career is about. You'll soon discover that the glory days of being a pilot are OVER!

Best regards and good luck!