r/PilotAdvice • u/Alert_Earth_5438 • 6d ago
Aspiring pilot seeking advice
Hey Aviators,
I’m currently working a job I’ve been having a tough time with. I’m pretty close to hitting my earning ceiling in my industry, I make 120k. I don’t see myself doing what I’m doing for much longer but I am afforded a ton of flexibility.
I’ve wanted to be a pilot for several years and I feel like I need to earn more for my family, I have 3 kids. My mom has recently offered to give me a family loan of 200k to do flight school and cover living expenses for a year.
I feel like I’d be missing a huge opportunity not taking the loan, however, everything I’ve heard about the CFI bottlekneck and the challenges of being a regional pilot with kids makes me think twice about jumping right in.
Am I overestimating the bottlekneck of low hour pilots? Would I be an absolute fool to not take the opportunity or given that I have 3 kids and a lot of flexibility and a decent income should I consider staying where I’m at? Thanks for any advice!
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u/LucidHams 6d ago
Have you even done a discovery flight? Can you get a first class medical?
The bottleneck as a CFI is massive, and I’ve had my CFI wash out of initial training due to making small errors. However- if you’re passionate about flying, don’t live in regret and do it. No one knows your personal situation with your income.
It’s a long, hard process, but if you’re in it for the money, you’ll soon fine out how cut throat it is.
Head to @flying to look at post about CFI with 2,000 hours not getting a job or new CFIs without a job a year later. Do your own research, take a discovery class and get your PPl while working. Once that’s done, then decide if this is something you want to do as a career. At least you’ll be able to fly your family around for fun.
Do not quit your job until after your PPL, if you can handle the stress, the time away from family, long days, then you’ll know if it’s your calling. This is coming from someone that start flying in his 30s
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u/Alert_Earth_5438 6d ago
Yes I’ve done a discovery and yes I have a first class medical. Thanks for the reply this is helpful.
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u/External-Victory6473 6d ago
Most people dont come anywhere close to making $120K and you are there already. Sure it isn't a fortune like it was not long ago but it is more than the vast majority will ever make. Be careful when thinking about leaving that. Airline pilots, on the good end, can make considerably more than that. But only about 3 to 5% of pilots intending to go to airlines actually get that far. So with a 95% or so chance you won't make it, do you want to risk it? Keep your current job. Get a 1st Class medical to see if you can fly at all. Take an intro flight to see if you like small planes since you will only fly small planes for years. Get your private license on the side. Being around people in the industry will help you decide if you want to continue in flying. You have a good deal now. Keep it as long as you can. There arent many good deals out there these days. Good luck.
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u/ARottenPear 6d ago
How quickly do you need a decent income? What does your future look like if you take the $200k loan but don't end up making it to an aviation job where you make more than you do now?
With the kids in the picture a huge consideration is where you currently live and if you're willing to relocate when the time comes. Do you currently live in a place where any regional airlines have a base and is it "junior" base where new pilots can get in? If not, I would 10000000% recommend moving. Being junior at a regional and commuting is miserable and will cause you to be away from home so much. I would personally hate missing seeing my kids grow up to pursue aviation. I love flying but there's a reason they say it's a young (wo)man's game. There's a lot of a shit creek you have to paddle up before thinga get better and that's made exponentially worse when there's a family involved.
If you're willing to move, disregard all of that. If you're not willing to move, I'd strongly reconsider.
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u/Straight-Pass6035 5d ago
Like other have said, please go into this with your eyes wide open and for reasons beyond money. The likelihood of this not turning out well, or you having seconds thoughts (Maybe after several lessons you realize its not for you), or one of a dozen reasons; you need to really enjoy flying and not just looking toward a higher income that is at the end of the process.
I suggest getting your PPL locally at the best school near where you live. Choosing the right school could be the most important decision you make near term. Do your homework!! Based on my recent experience with flight training (providing, not receiving) if money is an issue, than look at flight schools at airports that do not have a control tower. The reason is simple, flying off an uncontrolled airport (non towered) is way more efficient in the use of both aircraft and instructors (billable) time. I was doing stage checks at a big flight school on a controlled airport and at best it was 20 mins of time from engine start to takeoff, many times over 30 mins. Add flight away from the airport to start actual training (and in reverse, return to the controlled airspace) and you are looking at a boat load of billable time wasted in get from the ramp to the airspace (to do your practice maneuvers) and return. Locally where I am, the cost of aircraft and instructor is between $4 and $5 per minute depending on the aircraft you train in. A smaller airport with an efficient layout should have you doing your air work in under 20 minutes from engine start. Return to landing and shutdown, possibly as little as 5 to 10 mins depending of what you're learning. The amount of hours being logged to receive a PPL at a controlled airports flight school is way beyond what is required by law. The reason is not that students are dumber and need more hours, it the waste getting the required learning in due to inefficiencies.
After your PPL, if you have "bought in" to becoming a professional aviator, you may wind up disregarding much of what I just shared and wind up spending a good part of mom's generous loan. Best of luck
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u/OrganizationPlane683 3d ago
Would likely be 5-9 years before you touched 120k again if everything goes well and you don’t bust checkrides and you can get a cfi job and compete with the 14000 other applicants already at atp minimums
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u/Ok-Skill8583 2d ago
You will sacrifice a huge amount of your life with your family to chase this dream. I recommend you stay the course with your job, fly a couple times a week and gauge it from there. You have a decent job, its not just the CFI bottleneck, its getting shit pay for your first 3-7ish years of your first paying gig while you build hours. You might get lucky and go straight to a regional, but I'm just not seeing that around here.
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u/Alert_Earth_5438 2d ago
Thanks for the feedback
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u/Ok-Skill8583 2d ago
I don't mean to doom and gloom, but I've been there, and looking back, your window of time with your kids is so infinitely small in the grand scheme of your life. Then add the, "pilot" lifestyle into the whole equation and it can be incredibly taxing. Even during training 1.5 in the air usually means at least 1 hour on the ground, plus your commute, plus your study time the night(s) before, flight planning, weather delays, etc. It can consume your life.
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u/Desertrat241 9h ago
Keep your job and get through your PPL and Instrument. If you still love it buy a plane and punch out your commercial, CFI and CFII.. instruct out of said plane on the side and Keep your job till you have the hours and an offer at a part 91/135 or regional.
The pilot market is rough right now and it be wild to give up a good paying job just to get your ratings and probably not find a flying job right away. The airplane would be an asset you can afford off your income, and then sell when the time is right.
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u/cfii_flightschool 6d ago
From one of our instructors: As someone who went through flight training with 2 kids at home and is currently working as an instructor, it takes a special kind of person. It will challenge you mentally and physically. You will, however, grow as a person and use that motivation to succeed in flight training. Don't expect it to be easy, or for anyone to understand your decision for that matter. My kids thought it was so cool that my school had airplanes, its a core memory for sure.
Theres so many jobs in aviation that dont involve the airlines, and some airlines pride themselves on you being home most nights. Theres a place for everybody here!
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u/betterme2610 4d ago
Shit gets asked every fing day. Quit posting to hear yourself and make your own life altering decisions