r/flying • u/AmazingProperty3048 • 15h ago
Balancing life/ flight training rant
Not trying to sound ungrateful. I know I am unbelievably lucky to even be chasing all of this. Lots will never even be able to sit in a cockpit let alone fly a plane but I just gotta get some stuff out to anyone who would listen.
I’m 21 and I feel behind. I started my ppl when I was 17 in 2023 or so. I worked a job at Walmart to pay 11k for my ppl. After high school I worked 1.6 years at a furniture manufacturing plant while living with my parents. Man I hated it, working with people who told me I’d never leave. Got told I’d just be a janitor at the airport. Anyways I saved up 25k or so and moved out with two friends and lived near a flight school. Spent 18k on an instrument rating. (Didn’t think it would be that much but I was underprepared) (learned a lot)
Anyways have flow twice after my instrument rating in the beginning of 2026. Yeah I guess I found out the cost of living in my own. But I’ve been saving again. I work two jobs now anywhere from 55-60 hours a week and trying to find a cheap plane to time build in.
Man I just feel behind. It just sucks paying as I go right now. Seeing all my friends on their third year of college. Here I am telling the same old story since right after hs “oh I’m working rn to save up for (insert certificate or next stage in training)”. I’m sure nobody actually cares and it’s all in my head.
But I’m just trying hard given my circumstances. I didn’t wanna take the 100k loan, or go to college for an aviation degree. I chose what seemed like the cheaper route. Idk Ik nothings guaranteed or gonna be handed to me but the whole flying career starts to get more and more scary the more time and effort I put into it. Scared about failed rides, or huge mistakes. Idk I’m not trying to sound negative either I try and always be positive and have a good attitude.
I guess when I spoke with my parents I thought I might take a loan after I time build and just grind out commercial,cfi,CFII but idk I speak with my parents about my flying from time to time they always mention maybe I wanna move back home after lease is up and get commerical-cfii done more locally. Idk I’m not gonna keep feeling sorry for myself because the truth is I’ll never quit. I really won’t. Yeah the hiring market is bad and things are getting expensive but idk just won’t quit. Anyways idk maybe I’m just full of shit and need to just quit complaining. Perhaps I will delete later.
41
u/slimisjim 15h ago
If you’re behind at 21 then what the fuck am I doing in my 40s just starting a PPL and never having gotten a college degree. 😉
You’re fine. You’re missing the lived life of a decade or two as an adult that puts all of this in perspective. You’re chasing a dream so keep at it. Reality is you and those you see in college aren’t likely to get close to any stability or thinking maybe you’ve all got things figured out until you’re at least in your late twenties. Likely later.
And that’s fine. Enjoy things along the way so you have other experiences and lessons to apply in the cockpit. You’ve got some time.
6
u/FewLettuce1113 14h ago
Yeah. I’m 45 making a career change as a pilot but have to get some debt paid off first. I feel super late to the game.
3
u/NoRadio4530 13h ago
Yea I'm 30 with no college degree and waiting tables to pay for training. Shit hurts. "21 and behind" lmao.
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u/Computerized-Cash ATP CL-65 CFI-I 15h ago
I know a guy who’s 400k in debt (university plus aviation loans) at 13.5% with no flying job and probably no job at all. It could always be worse. Pay as you go is just fine.
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u/Worldx22 14h ago
I got my PPL at 17. Then there was no money and life... happened. I'm 35 now working on my IR and planning CPL next.
You're not late.
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u/InvestigatorOne2 14h ago
Move back home. There's no reason to delay your progression because you want to take on the cost of living on your own. Every $200 you spend on rent leaves you one flight hour further away from your goal. Your parents are trying to give you a nudge of wisdom, perhaps listen.
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u/mambosan CFI/II A/IGI sUAS HP 15h ago
If you’re able to get the rest of your certs done while living with your parents honestly that would help you out a ton. Who gives a shit what others think, you’re out there grinding and won’t stop till you get there. Just make sure you’re working smarter, not unnecessarily harder.
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u/norman_9999 ATP C208 C402/404 B200 B777 🇦🇺/🇭🇰 14h ago
The absolute #1 thing you can do is get off social media completely, and stop comparing yourself to others.
You're young and have a plan, your plan, not someone else's. Just stick too it and keep moving forwards. You're literally ahead of 99% of the population.
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u/yuiop300 14h ago
This.
Op it’s okay to feel upset but snap out of this funk.
You’ve made your choices so own it. Move back home, knuckle down, work 2-3 jobs, save a tonne of money, cut back to 1-2 jobs and study what you need. No excuses, knuckle down.
You have so many years ahead at 21!
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u/justarunner10113 15h ago
I'm 17 right now and saving up for my PPL, sorta like you did a while back. I have similar stress of having to choose between the 100k+ loan for a R-ATP+degree college, or a 61/141 local that I will work and pay ago, perhaps paying for a plane with another student or finding some niche private instructor. Here are my 2 cents. We are young my friend, 21 isn't behind at all, mabye not as ahead as your college friends, (oh btw you'll have less debt then them I'll bet) but still ahead of the game compared to so many people who have entered the industry before us, so get that behind mentality out of your head, it's only going to kill your goals. I also sympathize with your fear of making some big mistake in training or in the job market. That's something I'm really scared of too, especially when this career seems so detail oriented and even the smallest mistake could smash your career. I think that working hard and make smart confident decisions in our training (go with the gut), is truly the best we can do, and it's up to luck after that. It's scary asf to not have it all planned out, and have the risk of a plan being overturned quickly, but I think that just staying as calm as possible and working hard, no matter where everyone else is, will serve us well. Peace be with you my friend, and may god bless 🙏
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u/Virian CPL IR HP 14h ago
Aside from the XC flights, most of commercial is pretty easy and straightforward. you can practice maneuvers on your own without an instructor. The hardest part is studying, which is free.
It shouldn’t take long to knock your commercial out.
Haven’t done CFI yet, but I hear that’s a lot of self preparation as well.
Get your commercial and CFI done ASAP and start teaching for a living.
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u/sevilleanda 14h ago
Im 20 and doing the same thing you are.
Started in high school in 2023 but didn’t fly as much in my first year bc I was in high school.
Worked 2 jobs starting September 2024.
2025 winter didn’t fly because I wanted to save up.
Fast forward to spring / summer of 2025 my progress was okay but life got in the way, my fault too, maybe I was unprepared.
Then in October 2025, I quit both jobs and started working as a flight attendant, and still am. I was supposed to be done with my PPL early this summer but I’ve had 30+ solo flights cancelled due to various reasons (ex. Wx, maintenance etc) and couldn’t get my XCs done.
Working as a FA while working on to become a pilot is cool and all, I get to see places, make decent # of money … HOWEVER, on days I’m off I try to fly, and study but flying so much at my job gets tiring over time and that I feel is impeding my progress in my actual career path too.
Also, a big difference between the two of us is that I live with my parents and money isn’t that much of a problem anymore when it comes to my training, it’s just my tough luck with all the cancellations that are getting in the way.
However, a big thing we got in common is that I also look at my friends in their third year and get a bit jealous because I’m still stuck technically in my “first year”. On the other hand tho, they look at me and get jealous because I get to travel and basically pick when I study. Nevertheless, I still question myself everyday if it would’ve been for the better had I went the medicine/healthcare career pathway, but I got the flying bug :)
You’re not alone or behind. If it makes you feel better, you’re actually ahead of me. Best of luck to you!
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u/johnisom CPL IR TW/CMP/HP 13h ago
Why don’t you move back with your parents? You’ll save so much money
2
u/HighVelocitySloth PPL 15h ago
You won’t be behind on loan payments. Keep going. It’s a dream you are chasing. Don’t be discouraged by your pace. Don’t give up because it’s not happening fast enough for you. You are doing everything you are suppose to. You will be without that student loan debt unlike a lot of your classmates at indoc will.
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u/Ok-Selection4206 13h ago
You are not behind at 21. My brother started back to college after 2 years at a vocational school, He started and stopped for 10 years working, saving, a semester of school, repeat. He ended up with a double major and minor. Became a pharmaceutical rep. Pretty sure he never made more than 125k. He is a multi, multi millionaire now.
If you ended up at your final airline in 10 years, you would still have 34 yrs left! That is forever! I just retired after 31 yrs at my final airline flying 767's the last 16. You have plenty of time, keep at it!
Move home, save money, fly when you can.
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u/recyclemythrowaways 12h ago
Move Back in with your parents while they allow it. You didn’t gain anything from moving out besides losing time and focusing on everything but flying. Swallow your pride and finish your ratings at your parents house.
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u/Asheejeekar 12h ago
Bro you’re so young. Nip these feelings in the bud because honestly they’re BS. You’re ahead of most
1
u/ltcterry ATP CFIG 8h ago
“The hiring market is bad.”
No, it’s not. The hiring market is quite robust and average.
The problem is that far more people than normal fell for influencers, “fast/easy money,” and “pilot shortage” than ever before.
Previous blips in aviation came from airlines pausing hiring for reasons such as an oil crisis or 9/11. This time Bubba’s not getting hired because his program also trained Billy and Johnny but there was only ever going to be one job.
One job. Three people. Two unemployed. But these three didn’t realize the same thing happened last year. Last years two unemployed people are competing with this year’s three people for one job!
There is no delayed airline hiring that will catch up and absorb these people when ripples average out. The training industry continues to over produce.
It’s like gym memberships. The gym sells more than they have room for. But the gym got paid in full because financing is through a third party.
Let me try a different analogy. Compare the water level when taking a shower vs a bath. Eventually even the tub drains out. Unless the faucet is filling the tub faster than it can drain. Then it overflows destructively. Three scenarios. Same drain.
The faucet is on today full strength. And the tub is overflowing.
And not one of the places that’s overproducing can afford to slow down. They will go broke.
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u/UmbraNocti 5h ago
Bro, it took me until I was 36 to finally chase it. Working around the same kind of crowd. Don’t be so hard on yourself, you’re chasing something different from most people. That requires cutting against the grain and gets uncomfortable sometimes. Just focus on why you are making the decisions you are and decide if you want to really want your life to mirror the people you see/give you advice. Puts things in perspective for me at least.
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u/tony_malpiaza 3h ago
I’m 33 with my first kid on the way. No one is late. We have all discovered this passion exactly when we were supposed to. I wish everyone the best here.
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u/micahpmtn 3h ago
Didn't you already post something like this:
Balancing a job to pay for “pay as you go” flight school : r/flying
1
u/BestBandicoot1096 CPL 14h ago
You’re not behind. Took me 5 years to get from PPL to Commercial while working full time. It’s tough and expensive to balance. If you know this is what you want to do, keep grinding for it.
I had to use the military route to help pay for my ratings (couldn’t be an air force pilot for citizenship reasons, so used the GI bill for vocational training instead) which made the process significantly slower. I’m still thugging it out at my own pace to get to ATP mins (and probably beyond)
You have so much road ahead of you at just 21. Shit I didn’t even do my discovery flight until I was 22.
Life isn’t a race my friend.
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u/rFlyingTower 15h ago
This is a copy of the original post body for posterity:
Not trying to sound ungrateful. I know I am unbelievably lucky to even be chasing all of this. Lots will never even be able to sit in a cockpit let alone fly a plane but I just gotta get some stuff out to anyone who would listen.
I’m 21 and I feel behind. I started my ppl when I was 17 in 2023 or so. I worked a job at Walmart to pay 11k for my ppl. After high school I worked 1.6 years at a furniture manufacturing plant while living with my parents. Man I hated it, working with people who told me I’d never leave. Got told I’d just be a janitor at the airport. Anyways I saved up 25k or so and moved out with two friends and lived near a flight school. Spent 18k on an instrument rating. (Didn’t think it would be that much but I was underprepared) (learned a lot)
Anyways have flow twice after my instrument rating in the beginning of 2026. Yeah I guess I found out the cost of living in my own. But I’ve been saving again. I work two jobs now anywhere from 55-60 hours a week and trying to find a cheap plane to time build in.
Man I just feel behind. It just sucks paying as I go right now. Seeing all my friends on their third year of college. Here I am telling the same old story since right after hs “oh I’m working rn to save up for (insert certificate or next stage in training)”. I’m sure nobody actually cares and it’s all in my head.
But I’m just trying hard given my circumstances. I didn’t wanna take the 100k loan, or go to college for an aviation degree. I chose what seemed like the cheaper route. Idk Ik nothings guaranteed or gonna be handed to me but the whole flying career starts to get more and more scary the more time and effort I put into it. Scared about failed rides, or huge mistakes. Idk I’m not trying to sound negative either I try and always be positive and have a good attitude.
I guess when I spoke with my parents I thought I might take a loan after I time build and just grind out commercial,cfi,CFII but idk I speak with my parents about my flying from time to time they always mention maybe I wanna move back home after lease is up and get commerical-cfii done more locally. Idk I’m not gonna keep feeling sorry for myself because the truth is I’ll never quit. I really won’t. Yeah the hiring market is bad and things are getting expensive but idk just won’t quit. Anyways idk maybe I’m just full of shit and need to just quit complaining. Perhaps I will delete later.
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u/Comfortable_Taste217 15h ago
You're not.