Q:Q: I am 30-year-old private pilot, certificated since 2008 with about 62 hours. I am a father of a 2-year-old daughter and a 4-year-old son. I have a beautiful loving wife who tries to support me in my career dreams. I have been a union electrician since 2002. I currently gross roughly $70,000 per year and have a company vehicle. Ever since I started flying in 2008, I’ve known it is what I should be doing for a living. I was considering at the end of this year leaving for an accelerated professional pilot program, but now I am getting cold feet. Am I spinning my wheels thinking I can make a living being a pilot when it seems so many new pilots are right out of college with a degree in aviation management or something equivalent? I have some college but no degree.
I am very driven and tend to strive at most things I put my mind to.
I have talked to a few local pilots: one CFI and one corporate pilot. Both said I would have to spend years at a regional airline if I was lucky, making pennies for the hopes of making it to the majors—not to mention spending more than $100,000 in education and training. My wife works making decent money but not enough to pay all of our bills. Am I crazy thinking I could make close to an equivalent income in five years? I used to be a member of a flying club but needed to drop out because of financing. Can you recommend financing for someone in my position? I have been thinking about this for the past four years and don’t know what to do.—Jamie from Antioch, Illinois
� A: Jamie, I sense from your letter that you are truly conflicted. Although I am generally someone who sees the glass as half full, your CFI and corporate pilot friends are not far off. First, without a college degree, there is little chance to make the major airlines.
Second, making an equivalent income of $70,000 within five years in this industry is virtually impossible. Nonetheless, I am going to toss this one to the readership. I would like to invite replies from those readers which I will forward to you, but only those responses that are thoughtful. I may include some of their wisdom in a future column.
I did hear of a physician who gave up his practice, sold his home, moved his family into a modest apartment, went to fly for the regional airlines, and is now a pilot for United. So, it can happen. But, it is a long shot.
Be sure to read “Year One,” July 2012 Flight Training, for some sobering thinking.
Honestly, there comes a time when reality demands an understanding that not all dreams come true, but you can come close. Fly for the Civil Air Patrol or Coast Guard Auxiliary. Get hooked up with Angel Flight. There are ways to satisfy your passion for flight without the financial sacrifice that you are contemplating.
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