Am I crazy for considering this?

I am 32, have a girlfriend, no children, a good job paying about 80k a year and great benefits, but considering taking a CFI job to pursue the dream I've had since I was a kid. Got my CFI in college but took a career in business when I graduated and have been successful so far... just wanting to take this leap finally. Opinions?

Yes, you're crazy!

I did the same thing as you're considering, left a high paying desk job at 31 and I have no regrets.

Good to hear! Since I only have about 300 hours, my situation involves instructing for a while (likely to 1000 hrs with the new mins) and then going to a regional or something else. But I have an opportunity to instruct and think that this might be the best time to do it considering I have few personal obligations. I just hope I don't regret it later on, which is why i'm hesitant to do this.

Well you could always return to your field if you end up not liking it. I grew to hate my desk job which is what I think made the career change easy for me. I did what everybody told me to when I was in my early twenties, which was stay away from aviation and get a good corporate desk job with a masters. The job seemed bright but as my responsibility and pay increased so did my workload. I worked long weekdays and the laptop always followed me home on the weekends. If I ever took a vacation for a week, I came back to an 80+ hour catch up week. After I realized having money is worthless if you have no time to enjoy it I finally ended up quitting. I enjoy life a lot more with my regional flying job but it's not for everybody. I have a friend who also did the same mid life career change and ended up going back to his old job since he couldn't handle being away from his wife. I don't know how serious you are with your gf but if she can move around with you then you're good to go. If she has an easily relocatable job (nurse, teacher) and can help support you during tough times (furlough, first year pay) then that is a plus. I wouldn't recommend doing this job if you plan on commuting. Living in base is the way to go!

You're not too old. If you could return to your previous occupation after playing the field, I'd say chase the dream. You can weigh both as time goes on and see how it goes.

You situation is very similar to mine. You can't buy the time back you spend doing something you don't want to do. Go for it! You can always go back.

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I am kind of in the same boat as well. I'm 26 and will most likely be making the jump from desk job to flight training at the end of the year. I've got my PPL from college. I've spent the last four years thinking about flying while sitting at a desk... so I imagine it's time to do it.

I get discouraged by being 26, while it's not old, it feels like I'm a lifetime away from those that got their COM & CFI at 21. My reasoning to do it is that I will always wonder what it would have been like. Good luck to the OP in whichever way you go

Not crazy at all. I'll be 29 this summer, and have a great job as an IT Admin at a National Laboratory...all in all pretty chill and really good money. That being said, ever since I was 20 I knew I wanted to fly for a living...just biding my time until I can get Uncle Sam to pay for it...I'm almost there with the Post 9-11 GI Bill. I got my PPL / Instrument in 2007, and while it's going to be hard once I make the leap, I know my overall satisfaction factor will go up exponentially. I plan on getting all my CFI ratings and instructing in the evenings and on the weekends so I can be a little more picky as far as what companies I can apply to further down the road and still bring in a comfortable income.

Just make sure to live well below your means so you're ready for the shock of your first Regional 121 paycheck.

As someone who has changed careers from a job I hated, to flying. I often wish that I could go back to a regular job that pays well, buy myself an airplane and fly around for fun on the weekends. Flying is most fun when its a hobby. Now I really have no hobbies. My weekends are wishing that I didnt have to fly. I look back and miss having an hobby.

...then other days when Im alone in the cockpit on a nice day watching the world go by, I think to myself "there is no better job in the world".

Yeah doing it as a job really ruins it.

I now wish I stayed home and worked a desk job and then flying for fun. I'm 28 now and feel like I wasted a ton of money to make crap money. The only thing that is nice is there are a lot of hot vacationers going into some of our airports.

Thanks everyone for your input!

Jet - I do like the responsibility that i've been given, but carrying a laptop and company provided phone does get very old. I do take vacations, but it is tough just taking time off like you said. I feel like there is no such thing as an 40 hour work week, and I work well outside of 8-5, 5 days a week, almost every week of the year staring at a computer. It's a wonderful job, but I still have the itch to fly and feel like it's time to take this step even at 32. If it doesn't work out, then we'll see... but it might, I guess that's why they call it a leap of faith

It doesn't have to be an all or nothing decision. Some of the best flight instructors I know are people who hold down regular jobs and do flight instruction on the side.

That is the best way to be in aviation. I felt so much better sharing my passion with other people who wanted to learn!

Very good point! I think part of it, for me however, is wanting to fly the large airplanes with people sitting behind me... although I can see myself not saying that if that were my job everyday.

I thought it was going to be something huge and different but when it comes down to it once that door shuts they move to the back of your mind.

I'm 25 and working a full-time desk job right now. I've wanted to fly planes for a living (doesn't matter what) since I was 6 years old and took my first plane ride. My friends would always question why I wasn't a pilot because I would just ramble on and on about planes. So, after much persuasion and a realization from me, I decided to start some training on the side. I already have degrees and stuff, I am just going for my certifications. I'm going in with open eyes and the knowledge that something could happen so keep a back-up plan handy. Although I'd like to fly an air ambulance around, I'm comfortable with the idea of never progressing past CFI-ing on the weekends while keeping my (very boring) desk job.

Flying planes has made me realize that sitting in front of a desk doing arbitrary work is not very fulfilling. It has also made me realize that I'm still young and there's still time. Nobody said I have to have my career and kids right now. I have my steady girlfriend and she's super supportive of whatever I do.

I also have the somewhat similar situation. I am working on my commercial license but have been working at the same time. I want to get my CFI certificate before the end of the summer and I was curious whether I would still be in a position to get into the regionals before the 1500 hr rule goes into effect if I work but instruct evenings and weekends. Or, is it better to just get right into the aviation full time?

Regionals' hiring minimums right now are between 800-1,200 and will increase as we get closer to the 1500 hr mark of August 2013. No one can tell you to quit your day job to go full pursuit into flying. It really depends on your situation and what you want out of aviation.

Is keeping your 80K "day job" and CFI'ing part-time "on-the-side" an option for you?

I wish, but I don't have the option of doing my job part-time unfortunately.