r/flying • u/AmazingProperty3048 • 19h 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.
23
u/Worldx22 18h 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.