I think all you need to do @Troll is start a business… in your garage 
thx @komemiute , seems like you wont join troll if he ever launch it 
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I can leave on early retirement in 4 years… I am toying with some ideas. 
I’ve already hired him as my creative consultant.
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Count me in if you need to develop any software. I am already kinda half way over the fence, since I am working as a freelancer currently.
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Hey @NEVO! You gave it a good go. No question the flying career would have offered far more options if you were here. Companies are scrambling and hiring standards are lowering. But it doesn’t matter where you sit nor what’s out the window, so long as the job uses a few brain cells and usually leaves you more satisfied than frustrated on the drive home. Sounds like you have found that. So…good on yer!
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Didn’t spot this wee little thread before!
@NEVO too bad and congrats at the same time then, I reckon?
You’ve got something many people can say, at least; you tried it out!
Many are stuck just thinking about the ‘what if’ while never actually doing the legwork to get there.
As long as you’re happy still, its a win no matter how you look at it!
Now I need to write up my own little story here soon. Got some good stories to tell about how things often hang by a thread.
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what bothers me the most is the ‘image’ aviation world many times poses for the people not involved. many times it is really not fun at all and can be toxic as any other job.
but its great when it all clicks and then its a dream job 
@smokinhole that particular window bothered me before I started my aviation career seated behind one as IT guy and watched the planes and helos flew past.
but as mentioned by @Yassy , fortunately now I am in the mood ‘been there, done that’ and trying to not look back. at least for the near future.
but surely good job, good team is the key whether it is at the airport or anywhere else. and imo its profitable to seek such good job even when sometimes it can be complicated.
btw looking forward to your story @Yassy
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Very interesting thread. I am 46, working in IT, and after recently changing employer, I realised while they were great and the pay is good, I am not really happy with where I am at professionally. Something is missing. I am not really enjoying IT and programming any more.
On a bit of a whim, I took a discovery flight at the local flight club, and despite having suffered from a fear of flying, I absolutely loved every second of it.
My instructor let me fly as much as I wanted, but helped out a bit with the throttle and rudder pedals, and the feeling was… I can’t really describe it. Blissful maybe? If you can feel that while being 100% focused on the task a hand. Got a bit motion sick after some steep turns, but even that couldn’t doacourage me.
All I could thinknof the next morning when I woke up was ‘when do I get to go again?’
Thursday I have my medical, and if all goes well I’ll start my journey towards a PPL and will enroll in the ground school that starts in October.
I can’t help but feel I should have done this earlier. Starting a career as a professional pilot at 46 seems insane (at least here in Sweden), but maybe I can at lrast fly for fun, even if it is expensive. 
Why on earth did I wait so long?
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Hi there!
Good luck with that PPL!
Flying sure is fun! The aviation job market is a bit crazy though. Chances are that you will end up flying for free for quite a while, building your hours. And flying for a living often means being away from friends and family a lot. Pay isn’t great in the beginning. But start out with that PPL and see where it takes you. Flying for fun and do something else for a living, is absolutely a good compromise.
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Yeah, I feel I’ve missed my chance to go pro, but you never know! One day I might get a CPL.
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I wouldn’t say it is completely too late, as long as you keep your expectations realistic. There is a pilot shortage right now, and if you hit the training hard, you could have a career of at least 15 years ahead of you. Having said that, everything @Troll said is right. If your current job pays well then flying for fun is a good way to go. When I made the jump from IT my salary level wasn’t really great and so I was used to being broke .
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I was in development and I was having very, very, very dark thoughts. I mean seriously bad ones. So, I changed to flying instead of ending up another story on the 6 o’clock news and I’ve never been happier.
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If you are in America, especially, it is not at all too late. 55 would STILL not be too late. Good, conscientious pilots with 2000 hours (sounds like a lot but it comes quick)…anyway…they are way more valuable than 20k hour pilots with poor attitudes. Experience is overrated and airlines know it. What matters is love for the job. Maybe it is unseemly to talk about money but we all have families to feed and toys to build. The money is fabulous. Will this great wave last forever? No good thing ever does. But ride it before it crests. The job has never been this good!
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If that doesn’t earn a Bad Influencer tag I don’t know what does?
I’m 55 and now thinking of applying for a Green Card… 
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Haha, yeah, good thing for me is that my salary is decent with some added bonuses on top. I’m just starting to hate what I do. But yeah, if it helps me fly for fun, at least that will provide some additional meaning to the grind.
Unfortunately I am Swedish. Being a pilot here is from what I gather not great, and no pilot shortage. Quite the opposite. Not sure how things are in the EU in general, and a move to the US would probably be off the cards if I spend all my money on getting all the licences required.
That’s awesome!
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Unfortunately I am Swedish. Lot’s of pilots over here.
it depends if we take what amount dedicated flight simer spends on the hobby in average per year, its quite nice money which could be spend on flying for fun instead.
can be hard to feed both hobbies at the same time though
based on the availability of flying clubs in your vicinity and based on the availability of economical light planes I would even think of forgeting about PPL and just keep flying for fun with some experienced pilot.
if you decide eventually that you are going to give the flying career a go, or some sport flying career a go, then go ahead! as I mentioned already, when it clicks then its dream job!
but from my point of view, there are no bulletproof arguments to be PPL licenced for flying for fun.
its like having a drivers licence.
when you are young you want drivers licence so you could drive alone so nobody can see what you are doing with the car or inside it or whatever but if you are older you just want to have clever fun.
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Sound advice. The club in my city is small, with a Cessna 172, Piper Warrior and 2 UL a/c. My plan is to get the PPL (pending medical to.orrow), the get fa.iliar with the modern UL the club has so they become cheaper options for local flying.
I have done the calculations, and as long a I give up some of my other hobbies that cost a bit, flying should fit my budget if I get the PPL. Right now, I just want to fly again. It’s an obsession.
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I have passed my medical, paid my membershio fee to the flying club and will start lessons as soon as weather allows.
Only thing is, weather will probably put an end to flying for a while during late autumn/early winter, but we will focus on ground school during the downtime.
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