Finally Worthless...Started ~120k in debt a little over 2 years ago

[patriotkg]

@dancinglamb Okay this is relatable. I still have six figures in student loans and I’m able to pay more than the minimum payment, but I’ve also been able to contribute a good amount to my 401K and I’m looking forward to when I have more in retirement than my loans.

 

[stizle]

@dancinglamb Nice to see a brag that lower and middle middle class people can easily relate to!!! Congratulations!! Go enjoy it with a reasonable splurge!

 

[bipolarbear46]

@dancinglamb Fuck yeah, killing it!

 

[imingtown]

@dancinglamb Are you a pilot? How is that?

 

[dancinglamb]

@imingtown Anyone can learn to fly as long as you can pass a 3rd class FAA medical physical.

 

[resjudicata]

@dancinglamb I think they’re asking if this is a career option, and what that’s like.

 

[dancinglamb]

@resjudicata Oh gotcha, it's definitely a career option for me if I want to transition but that comes with more debt. If I start to hate Engineering I'll probably try to make the change.

 

[imingtown]

@dancinglamb More asking about it as a career. I’ve got a decent career now (low 6 figures) but I’ve pretty much topped out at what I can make in this field, and have recently been thinking about a change. I saw another post about a pilot and they were making $250k as a relatively new pilot.

 

[dancinglamb]

@imingtown Gotcha. Keep in mind the training to become that "relatively new pilot" costs almost as much as a Bachelors. You need your Private License(fly for fun), your Instrument Rating(fly thru clouds), your Commercial Rating(fly for hire), Multi-Engine cert (self explanatory) and finally your Airline Transport Pilot Certificate (1500 hours of flying time).

Pilots once they get to this level get paid exceptionally well like you suggested. But it's a lot of effort to get there.

The best suggestion is always to keep your cozy 100k job and fly on the side to get your ratings. Don't quit and do an accelerated course thru loans unless you have a ton of savings. Most Pilots without the ATP cert make shit money.

 

[jessica23]

@dancinglamb aero engr here.. been considering getting my private license. Only small problem, height scare me a little lmfao but not that much. I've flown in a few cessnas and those tiny planes terrify me due to me knowing how dangerous they can be

 

[dancinglamb]

@jessica23 While heights don't scare me, I'm with you on small planes being a little nerve-racking. But it's so much fun. You are mostly in control of your own destiny up there. As an engineer, it's fun to physically see some basic aerospace principles in practice.

Plus, you are part of a unique club of humans in history to pilot an aircraft.

 

[jessica23]

@dancinglamb i'll definitely think about it some more.. bonus is my company covers part of flight school since they build airplanes.

 

[dancinglamb]

@jessica23 I always liked how Boeing did that for their Engineers.

 

[juliangulard]

@imingtown A relatively new pilot is not going to make anything close to 250k

 

[dancinglamb]

@juliangulard Yeah that's when someone gets picked up by a major.

 

[flyingfoamies]

@dancinglamb How’s the job market for new pilots rn? I’ve kinda had the urge to maybe do that for a while, but I recently got a new position at work I kinda like.

 

[dancinglamb]

@flyingfoamies Some major airlines are on hiring sprees and others recently said they don't plan on hiring anyone this year. Overall, once you have the necessary hours you will find a job.

You don't have to quit your job and go balls to the wall though (although some do lol). Work your cozy job and have it finance your training. Then, if you get to the point of having all your certs and enough hours, you can comfortably leave your job to go fly professionally.

Me personally, I'll probably just stop at my Instrument Rating and fly on the side for fun. But it is nice having somewhat of a foot in the door in another career.

 

[tisati]

@dancinglamb Accumulating 1500 hours pretty much requires you to quit your full time gig, no?

 

[dancinglamb]

@tisati Depends how long your timeline is. I heard of people cutting the cord to bang out the last 500 or so as quick as possible but it's not completely undoable with a full time.

 

[gubbell]

@dancinglamb

100k student loans

•10k Pilots License on 0% interest credit card

How expensive is it to be, to become a pilot? 100k student loans and then another 10k loan???