An engineer thinking about aviation...

[natebracing]

I'm currently a 27 year old mechanical design engineer and I'm STRONGLY considering a switch to become a professional pilot. I've always loved aviation, I've flown many times with my friend who flies for a regional airline and I love it. I have no ties, no kids, no wife, no steady girlfriend (yeah, I'm kind of a loser, lol) so I think now would be the perfect time to follow my heart.

I guess I'm just curious if the current pilot shortage will last. I know that in the next few years the Vietnam pilots will be retiring, so I'm curious if pilots in the industry feel that the current traits will continue. I just don't want to invest $40k and 7 months into flight training and another 6-8 months of flying dog poop around the country in a cargo plane, just to have the hiring craze fall on it's face in a year.

Any thoughts???

Thanks!

-Nate

P.S. You may see this same question posted at other sites, and I don't mean to be repetitive, but this is a HUGE change for me, so I'm looking for all the input I can get, lol.

[TexasFlyer]

It's aviation. No one can so much predict what will happen next week, much less a year or five from now. I'll stick to my guns on this though talking from my own life experience. Follow your dream.

If aviation is your dream, go for it. After all, if you find out it's not what you thought, you can always go back to engineering. Would it be a finanical hit if it was not all you hoped for? Yes. But it's better than sitting around on a rocker at 70 years old wishing you gave it a try.

[SteveC]

Plan on hiring falling off and that it will take you five years or more to get back to your current income level. If you can live with that scenario then make the leap. If you can't tolerate the thought, then rethink whether or not this career is one you want to gamble on.

[daedaeg]

Nate we are in similiar situations. I too am an engineer about the same age, with a friend who is a regional airline pilot and also considering a career change. The stickler for me right now is the HUGE income drop. To go from 68k/year to peanuts is painful. So right now i'm focused on getting rid of all my major debts(i.e. car loan, credit cards, etc), so that if I do make the leap I'll be able to handle the income drop better. I also would pay for all my ratings outright, rather than take out a huge loan, and try to save as much as possible. You're 27 so you still have time. I would just start out getting your ratings at a local FBO and see what direction the industry turns over the next year or so.

[beckyanne19]

[quote/]If aviation is your dream, go for it. After all, if you find out it's not what you thought, you can always go back to engineering. Would it be a finanical hit if it was not all you hoped for? Yes. But it's better than sitting around on a rocker at 70 years old wishing you gave it a try.[/quote]
Maybe even better than being tired of engineering at age 50, wishing you had given it a try when you would have had an easier time getting a medical, before you were too tied down with family and other obligations.
Mechanical design will be in demand if you decide to go back. You could also start by taking lessons at the local FBO before quitting your job, shortening that time between careers a little. If you really want to fly, do it while you can.

[Tld]

I've recently begun the career changing process, and I don't regret it so far. Even though I continue to see myself regress financially, and the industry seems ever-changing, I have never made a better decision or been happier. (As a teacher, I was always broke anyways .) But I definately suggest taking a few lessons at the local FBO before dropping a chunk of change. Chances are you'll be hooked, give it a go.

[GalaxyIFE]

Originally Posted by natebracing

I'm currently a 27 year old mechanical design engineer and I'm STRONGLY considering a switch to become a professional pilot. I've always loved aviation, I've flown many times with my friend who flies for a regional airline and I love it. I have no ties, no kids, no wife, no steady girlfriend (yeah, I'm kind of a loser, lol) so I think now would be the perfect time to follow my heart.

I guess I'm just curious if the current pilot shortage will last. I know that in the next few years the Vietnam pilots will be retiring, so I'm curious if pilots in the industry feel that the current traits will continue. I just don't want to invest $40k and 7 months into flight training and another 6-8 months of flying dog poop around the country in a cargo plane, just to have the hiring craze fall on it's face in a year.

Any thoughts???

Thanks!

-Nate

P.S. You may see this same question posted at other sites, and I don't mean to be repetitive, but this is a HUGE change for me, so I'm looking for all the input I can get, lol.

I think if you lost that hat in your avatar you might get yourself a lady!!!

Anyway, this is a career is one that you need to get into not looking at the next month or two, hell not even next year. There are TOO many variables to determine what hiring will be in the future. As you will see, some airlines couldn't staff the flight decks with anyone but now hiring has effectively stopped. This has happened in the matter of DAYS...not months or years. With that being said, I think it is ill-advised to take out a loan for flight training. The APR is horrible, the payment is virtually impossible on FO pay and well...it's just hard. Ask Airdale, he will tell you all about it. If you have 2 or 3 days a week you can head out to the FBO, you'd be surprised how fast you can get your ratings and before you know it you could instruct part-time until you figure out exactly what you want to do.

One last thought...there are many folks out there (and several on this board) that thought they had made the pinnacle of their dream to only have it ripped away...so if you don't think you'd be happy anywhere OTHER than a pretty, shiny, RJ, then you may want to reconsider what you want to do.

Now...time to wait and see a part 135 cargo guy chime in about the "dog poop comment"

[3green]

Wow, reading these post reminded me of myself. I left a job making +75,000 yearly to fly. I am now a newbie FO for a 121 carrier and made the career switch like many of you are thinking about. I did the FBO thing and I cannot stress how much better it feels not having that debt that some of my classmates did. Do I think its worth going into debt for this career? Hell no! But there are always people willing to take the fast-track no matter how long that "fast-track" takes to repay(ie, a deal with the devil).

I am also in my mid 30's and I'll be honest when I say that it was usually the younger guys in my class that excelled during training. I'm not sure why, but it could be that the older fellas had families, mortgages and other outside factors that my have been distracting. But, we all made it which means anyone can make it with enough effort. With that being said you can do it, but it is aloooot of work.

The hardest part in my experience wasn't the loss of income it was sitting in the hotel for weeks on end thinking about my family on the other side of the country. All that sacrifice just to fly a plane... Keep it in perspective and you'll make the right choices fellas.

[wrxpilot]

I was in the same boat as you... 27 y/o mech engineer thinking about aviation. I took my time, paid cash for all of my flight training, paid off my credit cards, and saved a little for the side. A month after my 30th b-day, I quit my engineering job and became a CFI. It was definitely a little scary, but so far it's worked out great. I'm coming up on a year of professional aviation now... Currently I'm flying right seat in a King Air and actually making ok money again, and flight instruct a little on the side. I'm definitely MUCH happier!!

You are smart to handle the transition in a financially responsible way - it'll make your life much, much better than those that didn't.