For those who did not start in aviation and now flys full-time, what’s your story?
Posted by XchowCowX@reddit | flying | View on Reddit | 42 comments
This post is for those who were not born into aviation or didn’t know they wanted to fly straight out of school
I read plenty of zero to hero success stories coming out of 141 programs or aviation universities but I’d love to hear from those who experienced a less traditional/structured path
What’s your story? What industry were you previously in? How long did it take you to get where you are today?
TheGreatestAuk@reddit
I went to uni for mechanical engineering, decided I hated offices, so went to be an engineer officer aboard cargo ships for a while. The travel was okay, but being so isolated for 4-6 months at a stretch was brutal, so I came back home. At that point, my experience was a bit too focused to do anything other than ships, I'd always fancied owning my own bar or café, and I'd kept one foot in hospitality when I was home, so I tried my hand at running other peoples' venues. Started in cocktail bars, but working insane hours for no money got old, so I switched over to cafés. The hours were better, started in an indie but rose to running an area of 50 cafés for a national chain. Again, the grey just wasn't worth it for the money. I ended up catering weddings for a while, and while the work was fun and varied, it was a bit too feast-or-famine, so wound it down and sort of fell into estate agency for something to do while I worked out the next move. I'd always loved aviation, three partners over the years each reached the decision that my first birthday treat with them was a day at Duxford! I'd always been jealous of my ATPL(H) brother, and realised my nest egg was enough to get me through an integrated ATPL course, so here I am! Varied, but I wouldn't have done it any other way.
Temporary-Gold6401@reddit
After high school, I spent a year in business school, but I found it quite boring and knew I wanted to do something different. I applied to a flight school and started my training. Fast forward two years, and I’m now working on my type rating for the Boeing 787. Best decision I’ve ever made.
Bowzy228@reddit
I went to trade school and made enough to have my first child, buy my first house and pay for flight training out of pocket, all within 5 years of graduating trade school. I can always get a college degree as I work my way to a legacy some day. There’s more than one way to skin a cat , as they say.
SoloCFI@reddit
That is impressive. How long have you been flying now?
Bowzy228@reddit
Started flying March 2023, got CFI and multi in December 2024 and added CFII February 2025. I’ll admit it was challenging doing all that with a full time job and family.
SoloCFI@reddit
Honestly don't know how you pulled it off given everything mentioned. Immense respect for the hustle.
JumboTrijet@reddit
I got tired of flipping burgers and wanted a change. I got a job as a bag smasher for AA and that lit the aviation fire. 35 years later, I am a wide body CA
SoloCFI@reddit
So many great stories. Can't say I fly full-time, but I started in MS Flight Sim X around 2008. I joined a random online multiplayer session and observed the person running the tower. He was an Army helicopter pilot and we developed a friendship. He was very kind in teaching me how it all worked and handing me the reigns. A new ATC program opened up in Tulsa right at that time so it seemed like a calling. Absolutely loved it and spend every chance I got on the sim creating ridiculously challenging scenarios and working to be top in the class with like-minded Students. Despite doing well on the ATSAT, I eventually aged out before being hired. Fast-forward and I am now a Lead Developer for the best airline I can imagine. I enjoy flying recreationally while building web and app experiences for an industry I love.
4surenotathroeawhey@reddit
Graduated highschool 2014, did about a semester of college and didn’t have the patience for anymore school at the time, joined the workforce working in weapons manufacturing, bought a house 2016, bought another house 2018, wanted to fly for a long time but never made the commitment till 2021, sold one of the houses, paid for flight training and time building without taking on any loans, finally got a survey job late 2025, currently in my early 30s hoping there’s an airline job for me in the near-ish future, just happy to be an employed pilot atm
SoloCFI@reddit
Nice. Well done. I've wondered how fun survey jobs can be. Keep at it for your dream role!
AKPilotz@reddit
Started my career commercial fishing in Alaska. Did that for about 5 years and then wanted to make a career switch. Got my ppl at 24 years old and within two years was flying part 135 in Alaska. Did that for about four years until I switched to 121
SoloCFI@reddit
I am curious what it's like for those who learned to flying in mountainous terrain to then fly somewhere flat like Texas. Does it suddenly feel like a piece of cake? Or maybe it's the opposite since routes are less determined by the lay of the land so it feels more like a free-for-all.
Jacrifice@reddit
Come from an aviation family but wanted to be a lawyer, decided to throw my hat in the ring for an off the street bid for air traffic control during college and never really looked back.
Since then I’ve done quite a bit in the field and am plugging away as an independent flight instructor.
I’m sure there is something I could have failed on every checkride but went 7/7. A lot of it is the person who you sit across from and how you present yourself.
SoloCFI@reddit
Gnarly story. Congrats on all of the achievements! So you're currently operating as an ATC and independent CFI? My best all-time ATC instructor was also an exceptional flight instructor. Truly appreciated him teaching things both by the book and real-world.
MEINSHNAKE@reddit
Got my ppl at 17, didn’t fly for 10 years, university, opened a business, started flying again, covid hit, finished cpl, multi, ifr, flight instructor. Now I’m a chief pilot, flying fun planes on fun missions and I don’t have to shave or put on a white shirt. Hell, I wear shorts all summer.
Own_Knowledge_417@reddit
that's really cool, what kind of missions?
MEINSHNAKE@reddit
Forest fire stuff mainly
ATrainDerailReturns@reddit
He said Fun missions
e_pilot@reddit
Had zero prospects out of high school, enlisted in the air force and worked IT there. Floundered around in that for a decade, discovered flying while putting together a package to apply for rotor wing pilot in the army. That didn’t work out (fortunately in hindsight) and I decided to separate and pursue it on the civilian side. Instructed for a year, flew 135 for a year before getting to the 121 world. A decade after that I was a 737 captain and 2 years after that a 767 captain.
Necessary_Topic_1656@reddit
Same same. About 13 years after separating from the military to get to a 320 then 320 captain 16 years after separating from the military. Finally 777 hope that will be my last airplane.
Styk33@reddit
Not me, but my friend went to college, got a degree in accounting and worked in a cube farm for five or so years. He hated it and wanted a change, but wasn't sure what he wanted to do. His father was an airline pilot and they talked about what it would take. He started training and took a year to get his PPL, and once he got that, shortly afterwards he quit his job and went at it full time. Took him under a year to get through everything else and he became a CFI. Did that for around 2 years and got picked up at the airlines during that big boom in 2023/2024.
corenfa@reddit
Former pastor who “retired” after navigating COVID. I loved ministry, and helping people, but just couldn’t continue on given the changes in myself and others at the time.
So,I decided to become a pilot. I found a Cfi, who remains a great friend, and started flying in 2021. I took some savings and bought a Cherokee - as planes were still cheap, and then sold it and bought some others, until the market convinced me to sell them and make a bunch of money (which completely paid for my training and a good portion of the fuel for time building). While I had them, I knocked out my ratings (no Cfi), built up some hours and then got a local gig flying jets.
A couple thousand hours later, and I am leaving for a ULCC in a few weeks. I will start on my 4 year anniversary from the completion of my ratings, and end around the time of my 5 year anniversary of my first flight.
There were lots of lean times in there. And plenty of waiting. But overall it has been a huge blessing to me and my family.
As an older fella, I would be remiss to not offer some advice. So here goes. Your path is yours alone. Find it. It won’t find you. You have to dig it out of the dirt. Make it happen. And once you find it. Be grateful for it. We are blessed beyond words to even be able to fly.
ATrainDerailReturns@reddit
1) can you elaborate on “just couldn’t continue on given the changes in myself and others”
2) can you elaborate how you “got a local gig flying jets”
corenfa@reddit
Sure thing! I’ll try to be as brief as I can and it’s general as I need to.
So that conflict, along with the deep divides in our culture created by (and honestly beginning before )Covid (I even had one church member who claimed we should keep meeting in person because only certain blood types would die from it…) created a ticking time bomb in my soul that I thought it was best to diffuse by leaving ministry
It turns out I was right! I still volunteer weekly. I still give my time and care to people. I just don’t get paid to do it. And I feel much better about myself.
I had other flying gigs along the way. Some good some bad. And lots of temptations to do something else! But thankfully, I never got hung up on comparing myself to others too much and found any flying I was able to do to be quite fulfilling.
Inevitable_Cook_1423@reddit
I am very near sighted, but got a medical with a waiver while in college. Then I took 3 years to get my private, taking lessons during summer when I had a job. After graduating, I took a job in Southern California as a software engineer. I added ratings , and eventually the waiver wasn’t necessary any more. I got married and started instructing part time. After nearly 8 years I quit my full time engineering job to instruct full time. My wife supported us until I eventually made it to an airline (even though I only made $19 an hour to start). Eventually I ended up at Southwest where I retired early during Covid.
XchowCowX@reddit (OP)
Very inspiring. Thanks for sharing!
I am currently 2 years into my full time mechanical engineering job and started training for privates a few months ago.
Don't get me wrong, I love my current role AND company. It was my dream job coming straight out of engineering school but I've come to realize that in 30-40 years, I want to retire as an airline pilot, not an engineer.
Limp_Flan8573@reddit
Never dreamed of flying, nobody in my family ever had been a pilot. I graduated college and started working in restaurant management. Did it for 8 years and enjoyed it but during Covid I felt like I was pounding my head against a wall so I decided to make a change. Set up a bunch of informational interviews with any connections I could find, ranging from sales jobs to fire fighting. Spoke with a pilot and it intrigued me so I lined up a few more pilots to talk to. A month later started ATP and now I’m a 135 charter pilot and it’s super fun.
andrewrbat@reddit
I went to school for audio production. It was something I really thought was cool when I was younger and I still do, but it wasn’t the best career choice for me. I worked in the industry for a while. I repaired vintage audio equipment. Built custom cables, and wired up gear. I did live sound. I did some studio work. It wasnt paying the bills. No benefits. No control of my schedule. I wanted a life. I took a desk job to make ends meet snd have a life. I worked at bose in tech support for a few years before “remembering” that I thought airplanes were cool my entire life.
I did some Flight training on the weekends for fun and the more I did it the more I was into it. One day I asked my Flight instructor what his job was like and it sounded awesome to me. It inspired me to keep pushing flight training further and further. The more we talked, the more it seemed realistic that I could get into the airlines or do something cool with my career if I switched to aviation.
I spent the next few years working full-time and getting my private on the weekends. It was a long frustrating road. I eventually quit my job and finish the rest of my ratings ATP. I instructed there for a little less than two years. I went to a regional airline. Went through the whole Covid nonsense. Thankfully, in the recovery of Covid, I got hired at a legacy airline during the best possible time and I am now a legacy captain.
I spent several years and at least $12,000 getting my private pilot license. I financed most of the Atp experience, but it only cost $50k ish back then with credit for private.
I refinanced once I was at the regionals and my monthly payment is like $400. I think it’s actually a little less I haven’t checked recently.
My first flight lesson was in the very beginning of 2013. I was 23
Double-Ad9382@reddit
The music industry is my first love, but it’s tough to make a living with it. I decided around 2019/2020 that it was going to stay a hobby after 10+ years of going hard at it. It sounds like we did similar things, as I also did live sound, roadie work, studio work, etc. I also was a studio musician and occasional fill in for live shows. I did all of that while maintaining a full time job, and around the time I backed off from music I opened a business.
Still working through my ratings, but I’m looking forward to a career in aviation!
andrewrbat@reddit
I started doing live sound in the summer and over weekends during school at a family friends company when i was 12, so i had about enough of the grind with little return by age 23. We both seem to have gotten about 10 yrs out of it. Injust gave up younger, and was never good enough at bass to play in a real band or do studio musician shit.
Necessary_Topic_1656@reddit
never wanted to be an airline pilot.
I was military for 10 years. got my private pilot certificate my first year in the military. got the rest of my certificates my last year in the military because i decided i was tired of doing the military things.
got hired by a regional airline and went right into new hire training while i was on terminal leave.
EliteEthos@reddit
“Born into aviation”
Like, born on an actual aircraft?
/s
extremefuzz777@reddit
Not me but my dad.
When he was starting out he flunked out of college, so when he started having kids he took up a job at a local food chain and worked his way up to manager for a few different stores. After awhile he got sick of that job and my parents went out to start their own restaurant. First couple of years were shakey but once the found their balance it became stable and profitable. After some time the decided to leave that (profits were declining so they felt the effort wasn’t worth it anymore) and move onto something else. This was when I was in high school.
My dad decided to pursue aviation in his 50s since he already had his PPL and IR. He finished the rest of his ratings and worked his way up to a company similar to Netjets and rode that most of his way to retirement. This was back before the hiring wave started.
Cougarb@reddit
I didn’t really have a good idea of what I wanted to after school. Always had an interest in planes but just assumed I could never afford flight school.
Picked up a trade after school just to get something going. Ended up going into the field and started pulling in crazy money for an 18/19 year old. Working in the oilfield I was making like 3k/week, although working over 80hours a week and absolutely hating my life.
I saved and saved and one day the just depression of being in the middle of nowhere and slaving away for an oil company pushed me back to my original goal of flying. I was realistic. Made sure I finished my ticket before I was going to drop it completely. Slowly started flight training although with the oilfield over a course of 5 years, and came out of it (mostly) debt free and the trade background was the thing that set me out and got me my first low time job in the bush.
Informal_Policy_2957@reddit
6 years military service. Started out as a medic, then became a MED EVAC flight medic. During one of my training missions I was on a C-17 and was invited to watch an aerial refueling. I was hooked lol Told my leadership I think I want to be a pilot. Got picked up for pilot training in San Diego. Had the time of my life. Now pursuing the airlines baby lol
Au201@reddit
Hope to be able to answer this one day! Just started my PPL…currently a 28 year old manager in a fortune 100 accounting department…always dreamt of being a pilot so I’m trying to run it concurrently at a part 61 and pay as I go for now, until I can start getting paid for flying
motocourierLA@reddit
I’m doin the same except at 36!
Entire_Talk839@reddit
I'm also 36 and have an interview for a CFI job today!
motocourierLA@reddit
Proud of you!!!!!!! I hope you get it!
Elvin-Taveras@reddit
For me, it all started in 2017. At the time, I was working as an attendant for a small, family-run car wash company. When I learned the business was being sold to a large franchise, I realized it wasn’t the kind of environment I wanted to be part of anymore.
I had always loved planes, but I never seriously considered becoming a pilot. It felt like a far fetched dream. Still, I knew I wanted something different, so I left the car wash and took a job at the airport assisting passengers in wheelchairs.
That decision changed everything. While working there, I met pilots flying for regional airlines who encouraged me to take a discovery flight. From that moment on, I was hooked.
I went on to join and graduate from the American Airlines Cadet Academy (2019–2020). Like many others, my path wasn’t without challenges, faced COVID disruptions, a broken femur, and financial struggles. It took time, but in 2021 I landed my first flying job as a flight instructor and pipeline pilot.
From there, I earned my type rating in the ERJ-145 and spent two years flying charter operations for Nascar. Today, I’m a First Officer at Piedmont Airlines.
This industry is demanding and often unforgiving, but it builds resilience like nothing else. Looking back, I wouldn’t trade this journey for anything, truly love what I do, and I’m grateful I took the leap to pursue it.
swakid8@reddit
9 years military service…. Got screwed out of a promotion so decided to get out and use GI-Bill
2014 Got my PPL at a 61 school and started at a University 141 program later that year.
2014-2016, got my IR, CSEL, CMEL, CFI, CFII, MEI all done at 141 school, started instructing.
2017 - 6 month internship at a legacy carrier and instructed some more
2018 - started at Regional
2019 - Took first upgrade at Regional
2020 - Displaced back to FO at Regional, Left for ACMI
2022 - Hired at Legacy
2023 - Upgraded at Legacy and been chillin since then…
I was actually about to start flight training back in 2001…
rFlyingTower@reddit
This is a copy of the original post body for posterity:
This post is for those who were not born into aviation or didn’t know they wanted to fly straight out of school
I read plenty of zero to hero success stories coming out of 141 programs or aviation universities but I’d love to hear from those who experienced a less traditional/structured path
What’s your story? What industry were you previously in? How long did it take you to get where you are today?
Please downvote this comment until it collapses.
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