Husband starting training - career change at 28
Posted by _AelinGalanthynius@reddit | flying | View on Reddit | 91 comments
Hi pilots and aspiring pilots!!!
Looking for a bit of advice and/or encouragement. My husband (28) always dreamt of being a fighter pilot, and for the last three years that we’ve been married he’s struggled with feeling very unsatisfied with his sales job. He’s always yearned for something exciting and with more purpose. Recently, without knowing about his childhood dreams (how did he never mention that?!) I pitched to him the idea of being a pilot because it seemed to check all the boxes he always felt were missing. He went on a discovery flight that Saturday, and he immediately fell in love! I want to do everything I can to support him through this so he can chase his dream, while also making sure we do this responsibly and don’t drive ourselves into debt.
I was a student athlete and studied engineering but he did online high school and college and got his current job through a mutual friend - so while he may not be accustomed to it, I’m no stranger to the hard work something like this takes and have been helping him mentally prepare for that. His end goal is to make it to a legacy airline like United, Delta, or American.
I make decent money to support us through it (26, live in FL, make $87k, chasing my PE license) so I’m not worried about going into financial ruin necessarily, but with increasing cost of groceries and gas and rent prices endlessly increasing I know we’ll have to tighten up for a couple of years. We were planning on purchasing our first home this year but probably will continue renting now due to his career change.
My husband makes 50k at his current role, so our game plan was that he will start flight training ASAP and continue working his full time job until he gets his CFI (his instructor said if he works hard, he can get it in 15 months). Once he gets his CFI, he plans to quit his full time job and fly full time since the internet says CFIs in Florida make anywhere from 50-70k which is the same, if not more, than what he’s making right now with the benefit of building hours faster. The school he’s going to quoted him around $45,000 to get through all of the training and certifications required to reach the point of CFI which I’ve heard is a great price for our area. With how often he plans to fly (3 times during the week plus weekends) I’m estimating that will cost us around $2500 a month, which is more than our rent which makes me nervous. We will be paying as he goes and not getting near any sort of loan with a 10ft pole, and hopefully we don’t have to pull from our existing savings.
So Reddit, if you’ve read this far, I’m basically coming to you to ask for thoughts and opinions. Does this sound like a reasonable plan? What would you do in this situation? Have you been in this situation and can offer any advice or encouragement? What’s a reasonable timeline for him making it to the regional airlines at that rate? Any tips or tricks financially? Any similar experience to share to make us feel not so alone and scared? Anyone who works at a legacy airline currently with advice for him to keep in mind while he works on the path towards that? Any older married guys who have made this career change with any wisdom?
Thank you so much in advance, and hopefully he’ll be seeing you in the skies soon!✈️🩵
ltcterry@reddit
You quote CFI salary in Florida. I think that seems pretty high, but more importantly, that's for the pilots who are working.
Fifteen months to CFI is technically possible but unrealistic in the real world.
Continuing to work while pursuing flight training is a great plan. It's the most insightful bit of your post. Don't start flying until you/he have put aside $18-20k specifically for Private.
There's an 80% drop out rate, so get your husband through the first couple milestones before showing you know the names of the "legacy airlines."
If your husband has ever been diagnosed with any of the "alphabet soup" of modern diagnoses people can rattle off or has ever "been on meds" then he needs to get really, really smart on the FAA medical process.
Be aware there is a massive oversupply of entry-level pilots. So much so that the needs for next few years could be met if training totally stopped. Yet over production continues, just slightly scaled back from the records of last year and the year before. Hence my comment above "that's for the pilots who are working."
Clearly you can't have a flying career w/o becoming a pilot. But it's important to know that many are going to spend $100k and never get an actual flying job. You and your husband need to take half an hour and watch this excellent video. It's FAA numbers. Not made up internet/Reddit BS. Informed planning.
There is a great FAQ here and lots of people who will willingly provide great info, help, and insight. But your husband not being the one to ask these questions is a total loser move on his part. To use modern vocabulary, what's the opposite of a "flex?"
_AelinGalanthynius@reddit (OP)
Thank you so much for the valuable info and for sharing that video!! I appreciate you sharing that insight! Very helpful.
He’s been connecting with pilots in our local area and picking their brains as much as he can, so no - not a loser move. Just a wife who wanted to know more to prepare herself as best she can because when you’re married, these things are a team effort. I chose to make a post on here without asking or telling him, so I don’t think that constitutes as a loser move just because his research didn’t include Reddit.
Thanks again for sharing :-)
ltcterry@reddit
I’ll give you the W for being willing to listen and learn!
Outside_Net6026@reddit
Absolutely watch that video
No-Cell-8208@reddit
Have him work and pay as he goes. Airline hiring is going to be a trickle for the next five years (before any kids jump on me here, I’m a career airline industry consultant) so there’s really no reason to rush.
Fizzo21@reddit
You are getting lots of good info here. I’ll share my timeline so you can have a real example.
2016 - 2019, I went to college for flight school. Cost me 100k in loans.
2019 - 2022, flight instructing. Made 23k a year. Mom and pop school.
2022 - 2024, regional airline. Averaged 128k a year
2024 - 2026, legacy airline averaged 175k a year.
I took a bit longer flight instructing I would say. Then when I started in the airlines, I had extremely fortunate timing of the industry. There was lots of movement at the time and who knows how long it will take today. Few friends that I started with are still at the regional. Just got lucky my name was called and I made sure the opportunity didn’t go to waste. It’s a very long road but the rewards at the end make up for it all. Very blessed to be where I’m at now.
Cyber__dude@reddit
I made the change at 28. My wife helped and supported me through training and CFI. She works in education so total we made significantly less than your situation. It’s totally doable but obviously we cut down on a lot of unnecessary expenses for a while.
Cfi salary was not 50-70k or even close to that lol. 45 for all ratings to cfi sounds decent as I think ATP is way higher for all that. Making it to regionals is all a matter of timing. For me doors opened post covid right as I hit my 1500 hours. Hopefully industry works in his favor by the time he’s ready!
Outside_Net6026@reddit
Now unfortunately is not a good time to try to start an aviation career. There’s a huge surplus of new commercial pilots that likely is going to last through 2030. There’s good cycles and bad cycles for jobs and we’ve been getting into a bad one. Your husband needs to keep a job while getting his PPL and then re-evaluate. Next is instrument training that will cost about the same and he needs to re-evaluate again after completing that too. If the job market is still looking like how it is now then I would not start commercial right after and dump money towards that. Because that license costs double what a PPL and Instrument Rating does.
Things could look totally different after 2030. If they’re improved by that time then I would proceed to get the Commercial license, CFI, Multi Engine, and finish the career change into aviation.
DDX1837@reddit
I've know a few people who did a career change to pilot.
Two things:
1) Before going any further, make sure he can pass his medical! If he's shooting for an airline job, first class medical.
2) I don't know any CFI's pulling down $50K-$70k. I haven't talked to any CFI's about their earnings lately so maybe it's different now.
_AelinGalanthynius@reddit (OP)
Yes that’s exactly what I told him!!! No sense in moving forward if you can’t medically fly anyways! He’s getting all of his ducks in a row medically this week and scheduling his exam within the next two weeks, but he’s very in shape and very healthy so hopefully no issues there.
Thank you for the insight :-) that seems to be the consensus on the CFI earnings, looks like Google is a liar yet again! Lol
GeorgiaPilot172@reddit
Just because he is in shape and healthy doesn’t mean he will pass. More people get got for mental issues or past medications than for physical stuff. I of course don’t know him, but I would do some reading and make very sure none of that will be an issue either. If it is, make sure to schedule a CONSULTATION (big emphasis on ONLY a consultation) with an ALE first to discuss. It makes it much easier than dealing with a denial or deferral.
_AelinGalanthynius@reddit (OP)
Ah thank you so much for the “consultation” but of information!! That’s so valuable! I will pass that on immediately. His instructor did warn him to have everything in check first because he could get delayed like 7 months if he went in unprepared, lol.
No history of mental health issues thankfully and he’s getting paperwork from all his physicians since the only medication he’s on is TRT. He had to take high blood pressure medication within the last couple of years so I’m wondering if he’ll need any sort of documentation for that as well since he doesn’t need it anymore and hasn’t in a while.
sawman_screwgun@reddit
No red green colorblindness?
Bunslow@reddit
Do not underestimate the ability of the FAA central medical office to utterly screw you on things that any other doctor on the planet would consider a complete nonissue.
PILOT9000@reddit
Blood pressure will require documentation showing it is under control. The TRT will as well, including recent blood tests and a statement from his prescribing physician. Blood pressure issues combined with TRT is even a little more sketch. Is he on anything other than testosterone cypionate or has he been recommended to routinely donate blood?
GeorgiaPilot172@reddit
For TRT ABSOLUTELY do a consultation with an AME first.
There is something called Conditions AME Can Issue (or CACI), TRT is part of this. It essentially lets the AME issue your medical IF you go through the proper steps and guidance. Make sure you meet with the AME to understand this process before going for the medical.
If you do not do the consult or do not follow the proper steps, you WILL be deferred and you will be extremely lucky if your wait is only 7 months.
Sorry if this comes off as harsh or directing, I’ve just had friends get screwed by this stuff before, as well as seeing how strict and unforgiving it can be, and don’t want it to happen to anyone else.
_AelinGalanthynius@reddit (OP)
No no, not harsh at all!! I can tell you’re just warning against an awful outcome😂 which is greatly appreciated. This will likely be the most valuable advice we take away from this post, so thank you SO much for sharing!!!!!
glassersies@reddit
I would suggest he do a consultation with an AME prior to the medical examination. They can potentially point him to the right direction on the type of paperwork he would need for the FAA on any type of condition. Otherwise, he could point whatever conditions he has out and then get deferred (not denied) and then the process is thrice as long to get his medical. It’s what I did and I walked out with a Class 1 medical.
Bunslow@reddit
The aviation market is highly cyclical. At booms, pilots can make a lot of money, in busts pilots can get screwed, CFIs most of all. 2022-2024 was one of rhe biggest booms in history, and correspondingly 2025 was one of the biggest slumps in history, altho it is kinda getting back to normal hiring levels recently.
Since the CFI market lags the airline market by a year or so, right now theres a lot more CFIs than openings for CFIs. Florida CFIs would be lucky to make $20k/yr right now, and they're some of the best-off in the country. Maybe in a couple years CFIs will get back to making $30k or $40k... or maybe not.
vivalicious16@reddit
The cirrus CFI job in my city is offering $129k, so there are the few rare occasions that skew the average lol.
CommuterType@reddit
I wouldn’t spend a penny more on lessons until he has a Class 1 medical in hand.
Mike5250@reddit
Fly more at a pilot mill. Make a better rate at a boutique school or cirrus center. Made just shy of 40k part time while I worked my business in 17-18.
2002_4Runnersr5@reddit
50-70k sounds like the decimal is in the wrong place.
mctomtom@reddit
I wouldn’t trust the flight school “estimated costs” for training. That’s probably assuming he’s a prodigy and passes everything first try on every lesson. I’d mentally prepare that it could end up costing double that quote, to get to CFI. Prices also go up every year due to fuel prices, so it might be even higher by the time he finishes.
pisymbol@reddit
Just to be clear: What's the difference between a CFI and a pizza? Answer: One can feed a family of four. Caveat emptor.
_AelinGalanthynius@reddit (OP)
Good thing we’re a family of 2 then😂 this made me chuckle. But yes, we will plan for the worst and hope for the best!
Necessary_Topic_1656@reddit
back when I became an airline pilot, the joke was, what is the difference between a regional Airline FO and a pizza?
the Pizza can feed a family of 4.
when I started 25 years ago, regional airline pilot pay was $18/hr for turboprop FOs, and $23/hour for turbojet FOs.
upgrading to turboprop captain 6 months later meant a pay raise from $18/hr to $26/hr.
for the first 10 years as a regional airline pilot, I never made more than $35,000/year as an airline pilot. my wife (the sugar momma that supported my career) always made double as a nurse ($70k) what I earned as an airline pilot. it wasn’t until I got hired at Spirit and got to 2nd year narrowbody FO pay, was the first time in 14 years that my wife and I made the same amount of money. and it wasn’t until I upgraded to 320 captain was the very first time in our marriage that I made more money than she did.
without my sugar momma wife I would not have made it very far in my airline pilot career to get to the phase of the career when the salary of a major/legacy airline pilot finally pays off decades after you start.
pisymbol@reddit
Just perspective. That's all.
PILOT9000@reddit
He will not make $50-70k as an instructor. Not even close.
He will not get all of his certificates and ratings through CFI for $45k. Not even close.
He will not be able to work his full time job and make it to CFI in a year.
Are you guys able to move around the country for him to find work after training?
_AelinGalanthynius@reddit (OP)
That seems to be the consensus with the CFI earnings, thanks for the insight!
His school sent him a quote with the hourly rates and everything laid out at exactly $45k. Maybe that only takes him through commercial? What does the transition between commercial and CFI look like? I could be misunderstanding, but I assumed that once you had your commercial you could go for a CFI right away if you had the hours. There’s a good chance I have that wrong.
If he flys 3-4x a week at 1-1.5hrs a flight, the math says he can make it to CFI that quick. But obviously that’s barring passing everything as he goes. He plans to fly MWF evenings after work and Saturdays at a school that has a well maintained fleet to help minimize availability issues. I guess we’ll see how it pans out!
We don’t plan on moving but where we’re located has a good range of options for regional airlines and he’s open to commuting! I also have a few pilot friends who have flown for said airlines and can hopefully offer a reference. We’ll see how that goes too :-)
DefundTheHOA_@reddit
You will spend $100k in flight training. Especially if gas prices don’t go down.
No one does the bare minimum flight hours and there’s always delays that happen in someone’s training. Even if your husband stated tomorrow he likely wouldn’t be a CFI for at least 2 years. That’s even IF he can find a CFI job in FL.
This subreddit is filled with people every day asking for a job because they can’t find any. Then being a CFI for a minimum of 2-3 years… he won’t be hired at an airline right at 1500 hours like people used to be.
And your friends who fly for regional airlines have no say in hiring. It’s all done by HR now. They can write a letter of recommendation but that doesn’t go very far these days
Yes I know that’s pessimistic but it’s reality. Most people drop out of training due to financial costs and then family or medical issues. The more responsible thing is for your husband to get his PPL and fly for fun on his days off.
Outside_Net6026@reddit
Agree with this. In Texas hardly anyone can find a CFI job right now as well. If I was starting from zero hours at this time I would just only focus on getting a PPL and re-evaluate after that
HighRiskInv143@reddit
Schools send the bare minimum. Nobody finishes in the bare minimum. Expect 65k through CFI, 80k if MEI. If you in a high cost of living area and with current administration fuel prices, maybe even up to 100k
_AelinGalanthynius@reddit (OP)
Ah, this is such a good point. I didn’t even think of the implications of fuel prices…. Thank you for pointing this out! I’d say we’re in a medium cost of living area, but his school itself in a low cost of living area.
fallingfaster345@reddit
I made a career change a little later in life than your hubby is. I am actually glad I waited.. not sure how successful I would’ve been trying to get through flight school at 20. I’m always impressed at the kids that are able to do it but I will say that there’s an advantage to having developed social skills and gaining some life experience prior to becoming an instructor and/or flying at an airline. I can always tell who went straight from high school to flight school and who didn’t.
I’ll echo the “get a medical” advice.
I’ll also recommend having at least a year or two’s salary saved up before beginning. Since there is two of you, a year might be fine. But that is for living expenses so he doesn’t have to work full time and can fly as much as possible. 3x a week just starting out may not be enough. You really want to try to be in the air as much as possible.
Schools always advertise best case scenarios in terms of timeline, which is rarely reflective of real life. Typically zero to hero (0 hours to ATP mins of 1500 hours training) will take 4 years.
The price they quoted you is a red flag. $45K is unheard of. I know people bend the truth with cost and timelines but that’s a BIG bad. Exercise caution. $100K seems more realistic for the cost of training.
I’m also someone who took out a loan and stand by that choice. It’s risky because if you’re Unsuccessful then you’ve got this huge loan. But if you Are successful, it’s a great option. I had mine paid off in less than 5 years from taking it out and, in the meantime, didn’t have the financial stress of training costs while I was going through it. That said, the wash out rate IS high, so paying for private before taking out any loans is also suggested for anyone contemplating the loan route.
CFI salaries can be a wide range. I was a CFI who flew a lot (both instruction and not) and my CFI monthly salary rivaled my first year FO monthly salary when I started at the regionals. But I also didn’t instruct in Florida where CFIs are a dime a dozen. That’s also the exception, not the norm.
Anyway, don’t let any of the comments here discourage you/him at all, but do let them shed some light on what might be more realistic expectations, especially in terms of cost and timeline.
I still think he should go for it! Best of luck with his journey and he’s lucky to have such a positive and supportive wife.
737driver12@reddit
Just a heads up, I wouldn’t bet on a CFI making 50-70k.
Impossible-Bad-2291@reddit
The cruel joke is: How do you get your CFI off your front porch? Pay them for the pizza.
Babaich@reddit
What’s the difference between a CFI and a large pizza? Large pizza can feed a family
UnfortunateSnort12@reddit
Hey, I’m glad you’re a supportive wife, but what I can say is, the best laid plans of mice and men often go awry.
I was supposed to get to the airlines quick. I didn’t. When I got to my first airline instead of upgrading in a year (like they said), I was furloughed. I slogged it out during the lost decade and qualified for food stamps 3 years in my 20’s.
I’d anticipate weather delays, scheduling conflicts, etc, to slow down his progress. It always does. The plan sounds good, but I just want you both to have a dose of realism. Those are ideal conditions, and this business isn’t always ideal.
Good luck!
hobo_highway@reddit
I am currently going thru this, hubby quit his job in 2023 to pursue his dreams of being a pilot and like yours, hopes to end up at a legacy.
His training was closer to $100k+ and it took him ~20 months to get all 7 certs before he began instructing as a CFI. He didn’t work at all, I have been supporting us both, so he could just focus 100% on his training, and treat it like his full time job. Most of the delays were beyond his control - weather, waiting for DPE availability, planes unexpectedly going out for maintenance, scheduling issues, etc. I went through law school and even I thought his flight training and studying was super intense. He’s currently making like half or less than half of what you quoted as CFI salary, but he’s now a multi engine instructor and is building a lot of valuable flight hours. The financial aspect has put a strain on our relationship, but hopefully we are getting past that soon, and he gets to eventually realize his dreams. Once he does, he’s promised me an early retirement 😂
So, I would prepare for higher costs, longer wait, lower CFI salary, and patience. Good luck!
phlflyguy@reddit
$40-$50k may be a low estimate. The 250 hour minimum to get CFI will probably be 10-20% higher and only possible if he actually trains 3-4 times per week to remain proficient.
Go in with eyes wide open. There are thousands of CFIs unable to find work. I also think the claim that they make $50k+ per year is way inflated. He’s paid by the hour that he’d be instructing/flying. And then there’s the time it will take to become appealing to be hired by an outfit for paid flying.
So, sure pursue the dream. But realistic and level set expectations. Don’t quit the day job and don’t pay any school up front. Pay as you go.
_AelinGalanthynius@reddit (OP)
Hopefully he’ll be able to get hired internal from his school, and we live in FL so hopefully the nicer weather will allow him to fly more. He made 40k at his last role so honestly we’re kind of used to him making around that amount and hopefully it won’t be too difficult! And hopefully I’ll get a raise this year.
I’ve heard conflicting reports about hiring…. A lot of people on Reddit say it’s impossible right now, and others he’s talked to say we’re about to hit a hiring boom. Leaving it in God’s hands either way and controlling what we can!
I’m not sure how to attach photos on Reddit, but they sent us an official quote that lays out everything and it sums to $45,000 on the nose. Some things will actually cost less because they included price for books and equipment which he’s getting through Gleim to save a few hundred bucks. That price was to get through his commercial I think. Then from there he moves on to CFI and hopefully gets paid to fly, do I have that progression correct?
N9NE_@reddit
The current state of hiring isn’t the best. Low hour pilots very rarely reap the benefits of a hiring boom. Realistically with how expensive oil and fuel is at the moment how can anyone expect a hiring boom? Furthermore based off of research from when I was looking at flight schools the vast majority of them give you a quote with doing everything in the least amount of time legally possible. I’d recommend comparing those prices to how long the average person takes to complete each license and compare the prices just so you’re prepared.
_AelinGalanthynius@reddit (OP)
This is a great perspective. Thanks for the insight :-)
Rush_1_1@reddit
28? That's hardly a career change. Good for him!
_AelinGalanthynius@reddit (OP)
Thank you for the perspective and encouragement!! & you’re awesome, I’m sure you’ve got this!
ThrowRAhelgapataki@reddit
Excited he loved it! You definitely did some research which is great, but I think some expectations to manage….
I’s suggest re-evaluating CFI pay. I’m a CFI/CFII. I made $12,000 the last two years. Someone in my family just full time instructed in FL and made $36,000. I have never known any CFI to make what you are quoting above.
I kept my full time job to make it all the way through CFI/CFII. I work mostly full time and instruct on the side, evenings, weekends, holidays. I’m approaching ATP mins which makes you eligible for the airlines finally after about 3 years. Keep in mind though that’s only meeting minimums. It’s not a guarantee the regionals won’t start upping their hiring criteria. There isn’t really ever a pilot shortage per-say, it’s more of shortages at times of qualified pilots for certain jobs.
CFI’s typically only make money when the plane is flying, so usually you’ll be at the airport for 10h and get paid for 5h. That part is hard. But I have had some amazing experiences though. Showing up at the airport has afforded me opportunities to fly turboprops, brand new airplanes, etc. It’s all part of the experience.
For flying, 3x a week is great! I did that and got my PPL in just over 40h and 4 months. You want a school with good instructors and available planes that aren’t down for maintenance often.
There is money in aviation but it comes a long ways down the road after a lot of commitment, time, energy, blood, sweat, tears. If you love it, you love it. The more self-studying you do the better. Ultimately up to you if you want to take a conservative or risky approach but, I’d always say plan for longer and way more expensive than you think.
_AelinGalanthynius@reddit (OP)
Thank you so much for your encouragement and insight! This was very sweet!
Definitely reevaluating pay….wondering if it would be smarter to go full time CFI despite pay to build hours faster and, in turn, get to more stable pay faster, or to keep his full time job and do that on the side. I guess it depends on how long he would be a CFI before getting hired on at a regional? But from what I’ve seen, that looks like it’s different for everyone. I know a couple pilots who worked at SkyWest so maybe I can secure references from them. Not sure if those matter much in the aviation world 😂
His flight school was recommended to him by 3 different people so I’m hoping his experience is up to par with what theirs is, and they do have a well maintained fleet so hopefully minimal issues with availability.
In his current role, the money comes with time and commission as well which is essentially also with hard work and waiting it out. Granted it’s a different kind of hard work, but given how much he loved his flight and his desperation to do something exciting with career that he can be proud of, I don’t think the discipline and focus will be an issue :-)
Thank you so much for sharing your experience, this truly is such valuable information and I appreciate you taking the time to comment!
ThrowRAhelgapataki@reddit
You got it! I did the latter, and every CFI I’ve worked with who was “full time” at my current flight school had to get another part time job to make ends meet.
My family member went from instructing to regional, to cargo, to major, but there were 2 times in his full time CFI job where he re-interviewed for engineering jobs. He just couldn’t pay his bills. Having two incomes helps. I do not but I’m not complaining because I was able to save a lot in retirement with my career and buy a house while doing my ratings. I still don’t have a jet job yet but, in every case where things have been slow, I still have my “min guarantee” job! I do wish I could move faster because seniority is everything, but sometimes you can’t have it all.
Definitely don’t want to discourage! I love aviation and wouldn’t change it for the world. You are definitely describing all best case scenario, which could happen. But I think some realism never hurts either.
Keep up the research, positivity, and I hope he continues to love flying!
NoConcentrate9116@reddit
Like most have said, medical first. No sense making any life changes or investing money into training until he’s got a class 1 medical in hand.
I can admire and empathize with the dream, like most of us in this sub. Plenty of people do make it through and become career pilots. That said, healthy skepticism/expectation management is huge here. Of course flight schools will lead with the lowest possible price quoted for training and advertise high hypothetical pay, remember that they’re a business and businesses need to make money.
What we’ve been seeing the last year and a half-two years is a huge surge in pilot hopefuls reaching ATP minimums and lots following behind them starting training. These CFIs reaching minimums are the ones who saw mostly military guys and some civilians post COVID speed running to legacies and thought “wait it’s that easy?” and many are left now that the music has stopped unable to break into an airline job. That trickles down to many wet commercial certificate holders behind them unable to get hired as a CFI because there’s no room. Unfortunately the unemployed commercial rated pilot bubble can get massive because there’s no genuine forcing function to stop its growth. It can keep going until either some huge opening at the top makes room for people to advance, or far more likely, enough hopefuls give up because they can’t get hired to even be a CFI and those pilots plus flight schools are left holding the bag as fewer and fewer people seek training.
1500 hours is a basically worthless benchmark now. It’s nothing more than a pat on the back. Yes, some people do get hired at it, but so many people achieve this and just expect they’re going to have their choice of regional to start with when in reality you should be happy if someone is paying you to fly. If you both do pursue this, he needs to get into cadet programs so he’s got a fighting chance at regional airline employment. Not being a cadet is a huge disadvantage these days.
Best of luck. I don’t envy anyone just getting started. I came in with military time and had to work as a ramp agent for six months just to get my foot in the door. The days of the mythical pilot shortage are long gone.
Environmental_Log792@reddit
Alright, so a few things here: 1. They say 15 months, 2-3 years if not 4 is more realistic. There are going to be things like maintenance, weather, examiner availability, and of course, monetary availability that are going to stretch the timeline.
3.CFI pay: expect to make around $30K a year, when I was actively CFIing 9 years ago, I made around $25K a year.
Jestia76@reddit
I went from aircraft mechanic to pilot at around the same age.
Everyone that says you can't make 50k+ is helping to set expectations, but you definitely can if you work hard, I easily make over that.
The cost is way to low, I'd expect double that.
The timeframe if hes working is a little short, id expect 18-24mo if you dont want disappointment from delays like weather and dpe waits.
Great plan to keep his job during training, if you can get it done with no debt that'll set him up for success, the next obstacle would be if y'all are willing/able to move.
Outside of getting medical first, I would have him start on a ground school and get his private written exam done ahead of time too. I personally like Sportys, but there are many you can choose from. That'll help him start out a little ahead, after that he can start reading the Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge (PHAK), which will help him get ahead on knowledge and cut down on ground time. It's completely free to get the pdf online, and it's pretty cheap if he prefers a paper copy.
_AelinGalanthynius@reddit (OP)
Thank you so much for your insight!!! It’s greatly appreciated! Will definitely take that into account.
Do you mean to do the ground school and written exam prior to flying and building hours? I didn’t even know that was an option. That would be a great way to work toward his goal while still giving us time to save money.
Jestia76@reddit
Sure did!
The written is good for 2 years once you take it. Once thats done, the PHAK will be alot of what an instructor is teaching, just conveying it in a way the student understands. So its a great first resource to study. There is also MANY free videos out there teaching aviation. With no experience in a plane, I'd suggest starting with topics more theory based that you don't need plane experience for, like weather.
_AelinGalanthynius@reddit (OP)
Ah!! Thank you so much for this, this is very helpful! I know he’s itching to get in the air but this seems like a great approach financially and logically. He doesn’t need to be involved with a school to do this, right? He can do this on his own since the written exam is through FAA?
Jestia76@reddit
Correct. Find an online course that gives an endorsement like sportys (doesn't have to be that one specifically), and that will let him start studying and get the written done. No school involvement needed.
At some point having an instructor helps clarify things, but the stronger you can come in prepared, written done, and knowledgeable, the more you can save on ground time when you do start.
Sad-Improvement-2031@reddit
45k seems a little low to me, but there are variables that we dont know that could make that possible. Id have it in your mind it would be closer to 65k if its your average school.
Also he is not going to make that much as a cfi. I made 50k and no one believes me when I tell them that.
It sounds like it is very important to him though, reminds me of one of my past students. Find some way to go for it! Save up for a while before starting training maybe?
_AelinGalanthynius@reddit (OP)
Thank you for the encouragement and insight!!! Yes, once he touched down from his discovery flight his heart was completely swept up in it. I think it would be life changing for him! What state were you a CFI in? Everyone says since we live in FL he’ll be on the higher end since weather is less of an issue and he can fly more frequently.
I might honestly redirect what we have saved for a house toward his flight training as a safety net if we have to - I think we have enough expendable income to be able to cover it if we cut back on what we’re dumping into retirement and the house down payment savings should offer us a cushion. Making sacrifices is always just a little uncomfy!
deetman68@reddit
Do not cut your retirement savings to do this. The time value of money and compounded interest will make that at least a 6 figure mistake.
_AelinGalanthynius@reddit (OP)
I only meant a couple hundred dollars a month as a last resort, but this is definitely good insight (we’re currently maxing everything out). Don’t want to do that if we don’t have to but it feels like a better option than a loan!
Sad-Improvement-2031@reddit
I was in Arizona, so we could always fly. However my pay was on a salary, not hourly.
Super cool to see such a supportive spouse :)
_AelinGalanthynius@reddit (OP)
Ah, so similar experiences!! Good to know that may help a bit with compensation. Not sure if his school is salary or hourly, that would be a good question to ask.
Thank you so much!🥹 I work my dream job and love it, so I definitely want him to be able to experience that too
DefundTheHOA_@reddit
Your husband will not make $50k-70k as a CFI.
Honestly you both don’t make enough money for this to be realistic without taking a $100k loan out and even then your husband has over a 95% chance of never making it as an airline pilot
It’s a cool dream to chase but it’s not really a great idea when you have a family to look after. You’re supportive now but that would likely change once you actually saw what this career requires.
_AelinGalanthynius@reddit (OP)
It’s just the two of us for the foreseeable future, and definitely planning for less and hoping for more from the CFI role after all the advice in the comments.
As for everything else, I’m sorry if you had a bad experience to make you feel this way! But I’m hearing lots of other positive experiences despite the hardships it comes with that is telling me otherwise, and that this is the outlier take. 95% chance of never making it is a very pessimistic outlook to have and does not seem on par with other testimonies and experiences, but all information is good information. Thank you for sharing your opinion! It’s already decided that he’s going to go for it, we’re just trying to do it in the smartest way possible.
DefundTheHOA_@reddit
Here’s some light reading as to why so many people drop out of flight training. It specifically mentions 80% of people drop out before getting their PPL.
https://www.boldmethod.com/blog/lists/2016/12/11-reasons-why-student-pilots-drop-out-of-training/
DefundTheHOA_@reddit
Oh I didn’t have a bad experience. I’m an airline pilot. But I DO know a lot of people who started this journey and never finished.
You don’t have to believe me now about the 95% but it’s the truth. It’s not a very forgiving industry like all the pilot influencers try to make it seem. Over 80% of people never even make it past their PPL. Even current CFI’s right now can’t find a job.
So yes, it is pessimistic but I’m being real with you instead of giving you false hope. Come up with a game plan on how you’d pay off a $100k loan working your current jobs.
Mike5250@reddit
I posted about $$ above. Take the job where you fly the most and get into a job that involves loggable charter part 135 as soon as qualified. With seniority and hiring timing is everything and getting hours quicker will make you a lot of money in the future.
Jealous_Set2993@reddit
Expect to pay 80k+ to get him to CFI. Then expect him to instruct for 2-4 years earning 15-30k per year until he has enough hours for jobs other than CFI. I know CFI’s who have 2500+ hours who can’t find jobs. Nothing is guaranteed. Think about it like this: he’s going to graduate school for a degree in something that will not pay by money right out of school and guarantees no job either. BUT if he sticks with it, and has a little bit of luck, and you can afford to pay for both of your lives for the next 5 years roughly, then go for it! Wish him good luck
Curious-Owl6098@reddit
Hey - I was your husband. I started a career change at 27 from sales. I’m about 18 months in and was able to earn my commercial cert and finishing up CFI now. Your marriage and relationship WILL be really strained with him going through flight training. I know financially it put a huge strain on my relationship and it still does now. It’s a really really really long road and he has to really want to fly airplanes to do this for a living. It’s incredibly expensive and he’ll probably have to work more than one job. There is always more training to do, more hours to build, more tests to take, and more money to spend… (about 80-100k to just get an entry level flying job) his ROI will take probably 10-15 years to fully come to fruition and get to a good place income wise flying. The job market for pilots isn’t good right now. I’m not sure what it will be in the years to come but expect him to basically have no life and make minimum wage for at least a few years after he gets his CFI and be working more than one job. Good luck… but it’s not an easy. There have been many times I’ve felt like I haven’t made any progress at all and all this money has gone to nothing. But you take it one day at a time
DefundTheHOA_@reddit
Finally another voice of reason
People don’t like to talk about how this is an extremely unforgiving career with a lot of pros but also a lot of cons. Financial strain and relationships definitely are a huge con that most people really can’t get past.
So many people are quick to say “chase your dream!” That it’s extremely disingenuous because that’s not reality. Especially if you have a family already
Ok_Witness179@reddit
First things first: to even start considering this, he needs a first class medical. Don't assume he'll be fine- there's countless things you wouldn't even realize can disqualify someone, there's way more to it than "be healthy".
Second: take all the numbers the instructor/flight school gives you, and double (or half) them. It'll cost more like 100k to get CFI. It'll take probably 30 months (especially with a full time job). He'll be lucky to make $30k (if he can even find a job). Etc. There's plenty of studying he can be doing in the meantime that won't burn $200/hr while he waits for the appointments.
Third: about 80% of students don't even get their PPL. And about half (or less?) of those who do, don't make it to the airlines. So prepare yourselves for that.
Tips or tricks:
1: Don't go into debt. If you can't earn enough to pay as you go, save up then go for it (see above about realistic cost expectations).
2: You're right to feel scared, it's a tough industry. It'll be expensive, and until he gets to the airlines, he won't be making much money. Even once he gets the 1500 (and an ATP), those are the bare minimum. Sometimes even having significantly more experience than that isn't enough to even get an interview with an airline. And even if he does get to an airline, he could fail out of training (20% of my new hire class) or be furloughed at any time (and be making 0 again). Or his airline could just go out of business (Spirit). It's a very tough and unstable career. Plan for and expect that.
Source: am mid 30s career changer. Good luck!
Sweet-Quarter3569@reddit
Does he have a degree? If so he could still enlist and be a fighter pilot. If he doesn’t have a degree he could go for warrant officer in the army. They have fixed wing and rotary wing options.
_AelinGalanthynius@reddit (OP)
He does have a degree, but military is no longer in the cards for him. But thank you for the insight!
caelum52@reddit
Does your 45k include the $1k for each checkride with $1.5k for each instructor checkride? Does it include the almost $200 for each written? The cost for the iPad and aviation headset? Easily can add 10k
_AelinGalanthynius@reddit (OP)
Yes it does! I don’t think the quote included CFI, I think I misinterpreted. It does include $3000 for his checkrides though! So I guess the $45k takes him through his commercial, and the CFI is after and comes separate. We’ll have to ask the school for more info on that!
caelum52@reddit
Also don’t forget that they quote the minimum and will shave off money due to time building. If they quote 40 hours for PPL, instead of a realistic 70 then remember each hour over the minimum is plane rental cost not being cut in half + instructor fee. Eg. If plane rental is 150 and instructor cost is 50 then every hour cost him 75 (1/2 plane rental since he isn’t time building and splitting cost) + 50 for instructor.
Worldx22@reddit
Get medical.
DO NOT go to a pilot mill in Florida. Please!
Big-Carpenter7921@reddit
I changed at 30. The only reason I regret it is because I went through ATP
nopal_blanco@reddit
Everyone in here saying 50-70k as an instructor isn’t possible.
I did it in central Texas about 5 years ago.
It is possible, but not something I’d count on. You’re a contracted employee, so taxes do come out of that.
_AelinGalanthynius@reddit (OP)
He is doing a part 61 mom and pop! I feel like that was important context to add, which I did not haha. Thank you for sharing your experience :-)
just-hangin-around1@reddit
I was an engineer and made the switch to flying around a similar time in my life (26). The $45K the quoted is absurd. Theres no way he gets all of the licenses done for that cost which would make me super skeptical of the school or their mx practices if they're really able to offer things that cheap.... If you get more quotes from other flight schools in the area I'm sure you'll see they are an outlier for sure. Just please be very carefule as there are many schools out there who can and will take advantage of students. Something is missing for sure. I was able to do it with one big loan for $100k and that was almost 5 years ago now. I own a house from my engineering days so I needed some extra to help my living expenses as I was single and didnt have any other source of income. Flying was a full time job for me however I made friends and moonlighted as a valet and did some odd construction jobs on the side for a little extra cash. Fly will never go as planned due to mx and weather delays. But its very do-able. Whatever time frame you think you can do it in add a little more to the time and budget. A single flight can easily be $300-400 after the instructor and rental fees so doing that 3 times a week easily comes out to more than $2500/month. As a CFI I doubt he'll make $70k but I'm not super familiar with south Florida. It is a long road but a do-able one.
Flying is one of the hardest and most rewarding things I have ever done. I truly believe anyone can be a pilot but some people might need to work harder than others. Lots of studying and a good mindset, it can be very mentally challenging but if he can stick with it through the tough times its the best job I've ever had (and I've had a lot of jobs) Good-luck to him!
_AelinGalanthynius@reddit (OP)
Definitely good advice to plan for more and hope for less! It definitely is an outlier. Most of the other schools we looked at are in Pinellas County and Tampa which everyone he talked to warned him against since prices are so inflated. The school he landed on is about an hour and a half north of there, so definitely a lower cost of living and less developed area. I was assuming that was the primary driver of the price, paired with it being a mom and pop shop, but now I think I’m going to dive more into review and see if I can’t find more people who attended to ask about it. 3 people did recommend this place to him and say they had a great experience, so we shall see!
Thank you for sharing!! It’s so great to hear from someone who was in a very similar position :-) thank you for the encouragement as well!!!
HoldinTheBag@reddit
They quoted you 45K but actual training costs will probably be double that.
15 months from 0 to hero will likely actually be at least two years.
Initial CFI earnings will be more like 25K.
If he’s 28 now, he’ll start earning respectable paychecks around age 35-40
Airbusa3@reddit
Wouldn’t do it unless you live and breath flying. Maybe as a hobby but it’s too many years earning basically no money.
ReadbackInfoAlfaa@reddit
Agree, do it as a hobby.
redcurrantevents@reddit
Just wanted add this: how hard you work and study and how good you are directly affects how much flight school costs. If you need to repeat lessons, then you need to pay for repeat lessons. Good luck!
iflyfreight@reddit
Only you know your personal finances but here’s the insight I do have.
45k is a little on the low end. I was in a very cheap area with a cheap flight school years ago and it was closer to 50-55k. I’d inquire what exactly that 45k is quoting, (multi engine? Instructor ratings, [CFI-I,MEI]. Additionally as others have said. He should get a first class medical before proceeding any further. It’s good to know you’re medically qualified before putting that much money into it. Lastly, I’d verify what his expected hourly wage is as a CFI instead of just looking at a google salary or what have you. CFI pay fluctuates greatly by school, area, and how busy you are but I’d expect significantly less. Good on you for staying away from loans. It’s doable with your support but make sure you’ve got a very clear idea of what the reality is/could be. Best of luck to you both!
PLIKITYPLAK@reddit
No no no, that is hilariously inaccurate. Except 20 to 30K. Maybe it was quoting being a Chief CFI or something which he will not be as somebody brand new. From his start of training expect a few years before he can make a livable wage. It is not a friendly market right now to new commercial pilots.
I don't believe that for one second. I mean I believe they quoted that to you but they baiting and switching. Expect costs to run 80 to 120K to get to CFI. Does it include his multi-engine certs? He will definitely need that if he wants to be a professional pilot.
LookoutBel0w@reddit
Typically the military will train you to be a fighter pilot and civilian licenses only help you get selected but aren’t needed.
Expect the cost of training to be double that 45k
Except CFI pay to be half of 70k and currently there’s very few jobs available but the industry is cyclical and could be better by the time he’s done.
He has to live and breath flying for it to work.
_AelinGalanthynius@reddit (OP)
Ah! Should’ve clarified - he wanted to be a fighter pilot growing up but knows it isn’t an option now, so he’s just wanting to be a commercial pilot :-) thank you for the insight!
The school he’s training at says they like to hire their CFIs internally from people they trained and it’s a mom & pop, so hopefully that helps his chances of getting hired there
rFlyingTower@reddit
This is a copy of the original post body for posterity:
Hi pilots and aspiring pilots!!!
Looking for a bit of advice and/or encouragement. My husband (28) always dreamt of being a fighter pilot, and for the last three years that we’ve been married he’s struggled with feeling very unsatisfied with his sales job. He’s always yearned for something exciting and with more purpose. Recently, without knowing about his childhood dreams (how did he never mention that?!) I pitched to him the idea of being a pilot because it seemed to check all the boxes he always felt were missing. He went on a discovery flight that Saturday, and he immediately fell in love! I want to do everything I can to support him through this so he can chase his dream, while also making sure we do this responsibly and don’t drive ourselves into debt.
I was a student athlete and studied engineering but he did online high school and college and got his current job through a mutual friend - so while he may not be accustomed to it, I’m no stranger to the hard work something like this takes and have been helping him mentally prepare for that. His end goal is to make it to a legacy airline like United, Delta, or American.
I make decent money to support us through it (26, live in FL, make $87k, chasing my PE license) so I’m not worried about going into financial ruin necessarily, but with increasing cost of groceries and gas and rent prices endlessly increasing I know we’ll have to tighten up for a couple of years. We were planning on purchasing our first home this year but probably will continue renting now due to his career change.
My husband makes 50k at his current role, so our game plan was that he will start flight training ASAP and continue working his full time job until he gets his CFI (his instructor said if he works hard, he can get it in 15 months). Once he gets his CFI, he plans to quit his full time job and fly full time since the internet says CFIs in Florida make anywhere from 50-70k which is the same, if not more, than what he’s making right now with the benefit of building hours faster. The school he’s going to quoted him around $45,000 to get through all of the training and certifications required to reach the point of CFI which I’ve heard is a great price for our area. With how often he plans to fly (3 times during the week plus weekends) I’m estimating that will cost us around $2500 a month, which is more than our rent which makes me nervous. We will be paying as he goes and not getting near any sort of loan with a 10ft pole, and hopefully we don’t have to pull from our existing savings.
So Reddit, if you’ve read this far, I’m basically coming to you to ask for thoughts and opinions. Does this sound like a reasonable plan? What would you do in this situation? Have you been in this situation and can offer any advice or encouragement? What’s a reasonable timeline for him making it to the regional airlines at that rate? Any tips or tricks financially? Any similar experience to share to make us feel not so alone and scared? Anyone who works at a legacy airline currently with advice for him to keep in mind while he works on the path towards that? Any older married guys who have made this career change with any wisdom?
Thank you so much in advance, and hopefully he’ll be seeing you in the skies soon!✈️🩵
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