Mid life crisis at the age of 26

[N1ksa]

Haha, I figured this would get a few people's attention.

Not quite a crisis, as I'm past that part of realizing I'm not happy with what I'm doing and doing what I need to do now to make aviation my career.

But have finally decided that I am going to take the plunge. I am 26, have a decent paying job in sales. Though, not making me happy at all- very miserable actually. Flying is what I want to be doing. I am starting to take lessons once a week starting next week to at least get the process started. By July I plan to "retire" from my current job and plan to finance my ratings and hold down a much more simple part-time job so that I can focus my studies on my ratings.

I am visiting a bunch of local FBO's/Schools in CT, RI and MA to get an idea and feel for each of them before I make my final decision for July. I'm starting my lessons at Premier Flt Ctr in Hartford @ Brainard Airport.

Wish me luck!

[youngflyer]

Originally Posted by N1ksa

Haha, I figured this would get a few people's attention.

Not quite a crisis, as I'm past that part of realizing I'm not happy with what I'm doing and doing what I need to do now to make aviation my career.

But have finally decided that I am going to take the plunge. I am 26, have a decent paying job in sales. Though, not making me happy at all- very miserable actually. Flying is what I want to be doing. I am starting to take lessons once a week starting next week to at least get the process started. By July I plan to "retire" from my current job and plan to finance my ratings and hold down a much more simple part-time job so that I can focus my studies on my ratings.

I am visiting a bunch of local FBO's/Schools in CT, RI and MA to get an idea and feel for each of them before I make my final decision for July. I'm starting my lessons at Premier Flt Ctr in Hartford @ Brainard Airport.

Wish me luck!

Why dont you keep your sales job and work all your ratings off so you will be debt free. It will open up more options when you finish all of your ratings.

[Goldmember]

Exactly...keep working and fly on the side. 2 hours a day, 5 days a week, 250 needed for commercial stuff, you're looking at 6 months of ass busting but you'll have your ratings and keep your costs down. Or, people here in lousiville like to do 4 hours on Saturday and 4 on Sunday. Keep in mind opportunity costs as well. Flying in the northeast during the winter will be awful tough with weather considerations so you may be sitting on your butt not flying or working (if you've quit your job) which in turn is costing you money. Take a months salary of $3000; If you train say 20 hours a month and have quit working, you're out the $3000 to pay for training AND the $3000 you would have made at your job, so you are in essence out $6000...Food for thought, I'm 26 and have 156 hours working on my commercial. I spent the last two years working 6 month stretches in Egypt tax free to save up for flight training and I'm much happier doing it this way than financing because not only will I have my ratings without a mountain of debt, but I can still take a girl out once in a while.

[N1ksa]

I'll put this straight out there.....

Stalled.....

Both in an airplane and in sales is never a good thing.

As far as the scenarios are concerned....I'll give you the short of it on a 3k/ month taxed salary, after all expenses does not leave much. I moved from Boston, MA to Central CT about a year ago, and my cost of living went up, not down. Again with the taxes, they are higher here. Gas alone is about 30 cents more per gallon. I'm a roadwarrior for work and do about 1500 miles per month. My gas expenditure alone is crazy. Your idea of a 3k/month salary still requires an individual like myself to take out a loan to complete the 20 hrs worth of training, as you're not factoring in all the costs of living that one has......rent or mortgage, car payment, cell phone, student loan, car insurance, gasoline, utilities...with corrected figures flying once a week I could get my PPL in about a year. To get all my other ratings....many many many years down the road. I'm looking for more of an immediate turn rather than trying to accomplish it in pieces say 5 - 10 years down the road from now. Granted I'll have that debt up front, I'm willing to accept it. I can see what you're saying, but I'm certainly not the only one to have done it this way and most certainly won't be the last.

[Goldmember]

100% true what you're saying, and I know where you are, trust me I do, but lopping off all source of income is really taxing on your brain. Even if you take out a loan for half the amount while you work, you're still winning, and those bills, just because you quit your job, are still going to be there month in and month out. To give you a little more background on me, when I started flying and got my PPL, I was a mortgage broker and absolutely hated life. Job going nowhere, sales figures kept going up, boss kept taking more and more of my cut until I snapped and walked away. I thought about going to ATP and taking on a huge loan...didn't and here I am. Now here's the trade off. Two years ago had I attended ATP I would almost certainly be in my second year at a regional...and be mired in debt. Today, I'm not mired in debt, but I'm still working on my ratings. I guess I'm more comfortable knowing I have enough money to cover my bills and training and it lets me really enjoy my training which, right now is all cross country's which is an absolute blast. I just hop in the plane and head out to the coast. And, when I get there, I can have a nice meal at a nice place. I'm not saying my way is right or wrong, I just wanted to give you a perspective on things because you and I are the same age and a lot of the guys on this board are either right out of college 22-23 or a little older career changers at 30-35. Good luck man.

And P.S. Please don't take 5-10 years to do this, shoot for a year and a half! Budgeting is your friend and you'd be amazed how much stuff you can hawk on ebay for extra cash!

[deek]

I'm in your shoes but a got a year on you. I'm 25 and finished college and for the last year been working at a consultant firm flying a desk going on JC every time my boss turns away to read to forums. I'm been training for about 3 weeks now and took out a loan from sallie mae and I fly 2 hours a week now, but when the clocks reset next week ill go to more like 5 or 6 hours a week getting in flights after work, which still allows me to keep my day job. But it's a blast and you find a way to make it work. I hope to get all this done in just over a year if the weather down here in Houston stays decent (fat chance).

[N1ksa]

Originally Posted by Goldmember

To give you a little more background on me, when I started flying and got my PPL, I was a mortgage broker and absolutely hated life. Job going nowhere, sales figures kept going up, boss kept taking more and more of my cut until I snapped and walked away. I thought about going to ATP and taking on a huge loan...And P.S. Please don't take 5-10 years to do this, shoot for a year and a half! Budgeting is your friend and you'd be amazed how much stuff you can hawk on ebay for extra cash!

So you went military once getting out of sales?

Ebay....I have a ton of stuff to get rid of and was just thinking about that. I am taking a mental health week next week from work and will probably start throwing stuff up there like crazy. Need any scuba gear or 79 corvette parts??

Basically that is where I am now.....budget's getting bigger and bigger and my territory itself is struggling on it's own. It's completely impossible for me to meet any of the planned numbers, so I'm really a glorified customer service rep right now and bc of the territory will be for about the next year. This is why I am at least giving myself these next 4 months to get myself straightened out. I'll have all my other debts paid off, and will basically be walking out of this job. I haven't completely written off the idea of working while doing the training. I plan to find something else to supplement my income. Just not sure yet if I will be doing the full time thing or something part time to spend more time concentrating on the flying.

The other side of it, the reason I am planning to do this locally is that I won't have that massive mountain of debt from ATP or FSA or DCA.....locally I can do it all for 1/2 that.

Thanks for your input!

[Goldmember]

Not military, construction...way more pay, way less bullets and I get side work all over the place. You'd be amazed how much cash you can make if you can drive a bulldozer.

I'm a big proponent of local FBO's as long as you have instructors you like and who are fair. I'm doing it local and will total about $26k for all my training past PPL through MEI. Good luck, I'm sure you'll be just fine.

One other little tidbit from my PPL days- I was on a cross country to Kalamazoo and while I was getting gas, I had a conversation with a guy who was training for his commercial. He said he was a pharm sales rep, went into work about 6:45 making his doctor calls, was done everyday by about 1, was in the air by 2:30 and was making 50k. Made me sick I was so jealous! Anyway, like I said good luck, I'm sure everything will work out.

[flyinkibblez]

i was in a similar position as you when i first started. I was at a job that paid very well, and i was trying to do both flight school and work. at first i thought i needed to keep my good paying job to finance by flying. what i ended up doing was moving over to a local fbo that had a flight school and started working as the line manager for that fbo and flying on the side. first off, i received discounts on my flight school. with all the money you have to dish out, any help is great, plus you gain great connections. i wasnt making as much money, and it took me a almost 2 years to finish all my flight training, which was longer then i wanted, but the pay gets better, and i was able to finished all my school debt free, which not a whole lot of people can brag about. Also, the flight time that i have gotten working for this company is unheard of for someone with my level of flight time. So now i am getting transitioned into our flight department way before i would even be glanced at anywhere else in the world.

good luck with whatever you do. but like everyone else keeps saying...dont stretch it out forever. airports are full of guys and gals who make this move and get stuck never finishing their training. keep at it!

[daedaeg]

Originally Posted by deek

I'm in your shoes but a got a year on you. I'm 25 and finished college and for the last year been working at a consultant firm flying a desk going on JC every time my boss turns away to read to forums. I'm been training for about 3 weeks now and took out a loan from sallie mae and I fly 2 hours a week now, but when the clocks reset next week ill go to more like 5 or 6 hours a week getting in flights after work, which still allows me to keep my day job. But it's a blast and you find a way to make it work. I hope to get all this done in just over a year if the weather down here in Houston stays decent (fat chance).

Haha that sounds like me. Hey deek, where in houston are you getting your training? I plan on taking lessons but not sure what fbo to choose. I prefer somewhere in south houston. I plan to work and do flight training. I already have enough debt from college and what not. I make about 68k/year but I'm going to live as though i'm a CFI or first year regional pilot and put the rest of the money into either debt, savings or ratings.

[mooneyguy]

Welcome to the club! There are a lot of us career changes on here. At least you made the jump early...Im 40 and just now getting to the end of my training!

[Tld]

I'm in the same situation, same age, etc...except it's not sales, it's teaching...didn't quite turn out the way i had thought. Technically my sister called it a quarter-life crisis. The debt is daunting, but you have to do what makes you happy. Good Luck and have fun with whatever path you choose.

[flyboi74]

Hi,

I am in the same situation here however I am already 33 but look more like 22 though.

I hated my job (health care worker). This is my first career. I already graduated from College with 4 years bachelor degree 7 years ago. I got burned out from work. I made decent money. I discoverd flying passion from one of my patient and he actually helped explainging things alot. I want to give it a shot. First, I only thought about money. However, now I got 15 hrs on my PPL, working 2 jobs, and owned a house, I have learned that I love flying. Money is great but not the number one priority.

My instructor told me not to quit my job. The bills will be very expensive. I fly twice a week about 4 hours. I am learning to how land now and feel like I have conquered the world. It is an awesome feeling. I thought about going to ATP and get a loan, sell the house, but people on here told me not to. So, I will take sometimes and work on my ratings. By the way, I am from Dallas. Training in Mckinney.

Just want to share

Louie

[PatrickCPS]

If you have the option to at least keep some income flowing, I would advocate doing that. It will lengthen your training somewhat, but will certainly save you money in the end as well as preserving your sanity.

What is a viable option, and we have had a few students do this, is to do your PPL and IFR tickets on the side while you work, try to get as much time in as you can toward your total time, and then go off somewhere for your Multi and Commercial tickets. You'll find it is very difficult to get multi time at an FBO, let alone go through a quality multi program. I would advocate going somewhere that specifically runs a quality multi program (i.e. trains to proficiency, not just gives you a piece of paper).

If you show up at a place like Career Pilot School with your PPL and IFR tickets and say, 200 hours, we can get you finished with your Single and Multi Commercial tickets in 2-3 weeks, then if you want your CFIs, stick around for 3 more weeks and have your CFI, CFII, and MEI done as well.

[flyboi74]

Thanks for the inside tips patrick. I will do that route for sure.

I am currently working and find that if I train 2 times a week. I can get my PPL within this summer. Anyway, It was a warm day here in Dallas and I went flying. The ride was bumpy due to some thermal and puffy clouds hang around. Man, I got nauseated after doing some steep turns and stalls. I was so sick in the stomach that I couldn't concentrate at all.

Just want to share. One says either train earlier in am or after 4 pm.

[N1ksa]

Update:

I visited 3 local flight schools this weekend and found 1 out of the 3 would actually be able to accomodate the pace at which I am planning to complete the training. I am paying off all my immediate debts in the very near future and have a plan in place to save up for the next several months to give myself a financial buffer. Though I am still examining and comparing all option for going to one of the academies versus staying local. I appreciate everyone's feedback and will continue to do my homework until I feel I have enough info to make an educated decision.

On a side note, I took my first real official lesson today and loved it! The instructor was great and was truly one of those that is passionate about flying and really inspires you to be involved as much as you can, and learn as much as you can to get the most out of your time. I look forward to reading more material, doing some of my own sim time, and getting that next lesson logged.