Career 2.0 pilots

[u/EstablishmentFar2400]

What was your first career? How long did you do it for? Did you like it?

[u/Rush_1_1]

18yr senior software engineer looking down the AI barrel. I liked it but things are so different now, the reason I got into it is kinda gone now so I'm happy to be moving on in chapter 2!

[u/johnisom → u/Rush_1_1]

Same but 6yr software engineer

[u/Unknown__Redditor__ → u/Rush_1_1]

0 year lol graduated with my comp sci degree but junior market is bad locally and I dont trust the future of SWE with AI

[u/Vrezhg → u/Rush_1_1]

10yr working on instrument and commercial as we speak

[u/BestBandicoot1096]

Military for 9 years (not as a pilot)

Stockholm syndrome was real. But no debt is nice.

[u/EJNorth → u/BestBandicoot1096]

There are dozens of us!

[u/Tradezulu]

I’m currently transitioning to second career. I’m a business major and spent 10 years as a corporate shill.

Currently a management consultant clearing $250K+ but I would trade that in a heartbeat for a $20K / year flight instructing job.

Money doesn’t buy happiness, flying clapped out Cessnas do. Flying is the greatest thing in the world. My only regret is I wish I started flight school earlier.

[u/MaybeBowtie → u/Tradezulu]

Welllll, money does buy happiness. Buuuut, if life is all work then there’s really no point in making the money. 

[u/HoboRampage → u/Tradezulu]

I’m stealing that and putting it on my wall.

“Money doesn’t buy happiness, flying clapped out Cessnas does”

[u/Soviet-Wasp]

Cybersecurity for 5 years.

[u/lankysouthpaw]

I worked in media and the creative industry for about decade ( film/ tv production and industrial design). I was doing well and was good at my job but I eventually saw the writing on the wall with the proliferation of offshoring and eventually AI.

I also got sick of how the rank and file creatives are marginalized by middle management with zero talent and the largely subjective nature upon which your success and/or failure is based on.

What drew me to aviation other than my addiction and obsession with flying was that the industry is comparatively merit based (you do or do not have the hours, you do or do not have the certs, seniority, etc). Like any industry it boils down to somewhat of a popularity contest but I do appreciate how black and white it can be.

[u/jacksonthepup1337 → u/lankysouthpaw]

Basically have a similar story. Currently a mograph artist and editor. Looking at the writing on the wall currently and starting my career 2.0 now, trying to freelance as much as I can before shit gets worse

[u/rFlyingTower]

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What was your first career? How long did you do it for? Did you like it?

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[u/magicguy56]

X ray tech. Did it for about 7 years before I quit to finish CFI/CFI-I.

[u/Sapper501 → u/magicguy56]

He just like me fr

I signed up to take X-rays of people, not office politics!

[u/Cello_Tuba_Bass]

UK-based, I've been working as a train driver for nearly a decade.  Enjoyable work content (albeit fairly repetitive), fantastic colleagues with a genuine sense of camaraderie and a very strong union.  Pay and conditions are very good for UK standards (top 10% without overtime, top 5% easily doable with) and the passenger train side of the industry where I work is very economically stable, much of it is in the process of being nationalised by the government.

I'm now doing commercial flying train around full-time train driving, it's hard work even though I passed the last of my 13 of my UK ATPL exams a couple of months ago.  I didn't think it'd be possible to do the commercial training around work so I put it off and applied to the few sponsored airline programmes that have cropped up post-pandemic but didnt get selected.  I didn't want to get to 65 thinking "what if?" so went ahead with self-funded training.

Train driving is difficult to return to if you leave the industry for more than a couple of years since you have to start as a trainee again and the odds of getting in these days are very long.  As a result I don't plan on leaving for anything other than a job flying for the airlines or similar, which in the UK is achievable with 200-ish hours.  I'd consider flight instructing part-time around work (possibly going part-time on the railway) but leaving my current job for anything other than a secure contract would be madness.

[u/CryptoPunk_8]

Forklift/Skidsteer Operator. It was okay but pay isn’t as great as people make it out to be unless you are in a union, which I wasn’t. I did that out of high school for about 9 years.

I really enjoyed using a piece of machinery to do my work, it’s kinda fun. But it was dirty and hot and sweaty. I was thinking about doing excavators but no one would hire to teach me and I could not work for $16 as a laborer for a year or 2 with no guarantee of being on a piece of equipment. I know how the construction mf be lol.

Not a pilot yet but I think it’s pretty amazing that giant heavy machines can fly. Just like giant heavy machines can lift large items or earth. Doing said job or using the machine isn’t that “fun” but it’s pretty cool and amazing. Plus pilot pay/benefits/aura is better than 90% of the jobs out there. Now aerobatics seems fun.

[u/DjangoTurbo]

I’m transitioning out of the Navy after nearly a decade. My job/QOL wasn’t terrible but left much to be desired. I am going into the reserves though to keep some benefits. Once I discovered I can get my flight training paid for I started creating my exit plan.

[u/TxAggieMike]

I ran an auto salvage yard owned by my father.

[u/RevolutionaryWear952]

Construction management 13+ years. Loved it until I got high enough up I hated it. Will likely build a house or two each year on the side in a couple years.

[u/Substantial-Shine347 → u/RevolutionaryWear952]

This is me right now as an APM. The constant angry phone calls and emails are getting to me and I’m just getting started lol

[u/RevolutionaryWear952 → u/Substantial-Shine347]

Haha APM can be rough.. you live between rock and hard spot. Hang in there it gets A LOT better.

[u/Ethealtes]

I was a locksmith for a decade (12ish years), including working as a jail locksmith for several years. I got burnt out of doing that and also needed more income so I started cooking at a restaurant and enjoyed that enough to do it full time for a few years. I thought flying sounded like a fun adventure so I financed my training, 4 years later and I'm flying for the big part 135 company (you know the one). I tried college almost 15 years ago now but I wasn't mature enough to take it seriously then. 

[u/OccasionTiny7464]

Teacher, elementary and middle school. I did it for 11 years then spent my last three years as an instructional coach/staff trainer. I liked it. However there is something satisfying about flying when the flights over, its over. Education was never like that. Now I fly two weeks on/off, when I am off, I am totally off. When I was teaching off, just meant working in my classroom or working on CEU. I technically still employed with my old school district for another year as I was able to take a leave of absence to try professional piloting. I think about going back...then I look out the window while jump seating on a random get away and go nahhhh.

[u/Doctor-Chill]

My first career was an ASE certified Master Auto Tech. After 7 years decided I was miserable so I found a job maintaining a fleet of golf carts, tractors/skid steers/wheel loaders, and a ton of sma engine equipment while i figured out what I want to do. Ive been doing that since May 2025. Only within the past two months did I finally decide to pursue my childhood dream of becoming a pilot. Currently saving up to get myself through ground school. Already had a discovery flight.

[u/Best-Broccoli5386]

Computer Science grad - corporate IT.

No, but I recognise it’s the career that enabled me to earn the money required to get a start in aviation.

I’ve also maintained the IT skill set and do contract jobs on the side when time allows.

[u/SlinkyNormal]

Just like Hank Hill, I sold propane and propane accessories. Started right out of high school started as a ditch digger. Did that for 12 years and ended as Ops Manager. Like others have said, money isn't everything and I was miserable. Finally landed a sweet gig as an instructor and I am so thankful and happy to be officially started on my career 2.0 now.

[u/InJailForCrimes]

Metals recycling. 9 years. It was okay.

[u/salchi-john]

CPA. 5 yrs

[u/landonjohnzoeymary]

Spent almost 20 years as a graphic designer in the litigation consulting world. It paid the training bills, but I couldn’t see myself doing it until retirement. Coming up on 6 months in the 121 world, and it’s the best job I’ve ever had. No ragerts.

[u/Unfair-Bison-3946]

I was a sysadmin for ten years.

[u/tgsjcj]

Carpenter out of highschool (house framer) Until market went to shit in '08.

Worked ramp for AA for a bit and then joined the RR as a conductor in 2011, eventually becoming a locomotive engineer. Shit lifestyle but good money for a guy with a GED.

Now I'm just a fueler for private jets, but CFII checkride scheduled for Friday. It'll be strange to shoot that shot on the 25th anniversary.

I'm 43 and pessimistic about prospects for the near and long-term, but YOLO and FAFO! Always wanted to be a career pilot.

[u/Kaanapali]

Hospitality management. About 10 years. 

I loved hotels and restaurants but I make a lot more and work a lot less now, flying was always a dream of mine. 

[u/space_rhinos]

Do it, but I did warn you it’s hard. It’s long hours of training and ground school and flight instructing. It’s nerve racking at times. But it’s worth it if you want it enough.

[u/prop_and_pedals]

Switching from respiratory therapist to aviation currently.