I’ve been creeping on here for awhile and just wanted to post after completing my Admissions Flight. Thought I would list the steps I’ve taken so far and update as I cross a decision point.
Background-
I’m 30yrs old with an obscure degree (European Humanities lol). I’ve worked mainly in the Telecom industry as a Project Manager with a brief period as a consultant with PwC. Decided this year that I need to find something I love doing for the next ~30 years.
Steps Taken-
I’ve applied for Sallie Mae funding with a Co-signer. I chose the $25 monthly payment option which resulted in a 5.25% fixed rate. Not saying that’s the best route to take but seemed like a decent approach with the current state of airline signing bonuses and tuition reimbursement.
I took the Admissions flight at the BJC location with Spencer. He was super informative and had a fairly similar life story to mine. We took a tour of their offices/student spaces and then went flying! After walking through the prep stages and take off, he let me have controls for about 30-45min which was amazing. I had never been in a small aircraft so it was pretty surreal when I was doing turns over the Red Rocks in Morrison, CO!
Next Steps-
Need to schedule my medical but not super worried about that.
As far as start date, I have two options I’m considering.
A. Start on ~3/23 and commute 40min one way to the BJC location.
B. Start on ~7/3 after moving to an apartment with a 2min commute to BJC.
I realize the general opinion is the sooner the better, but 80-90min of driving per day vs walking/biking over after a 3mo delay is pretty enticing.
Anyway, happy researching and thanks for all the insight from the Mentor’s and Contributor’s alike!
The sooner piece is held up by a trip I’m locked in to from 3/8-3/17. It seems to be a consensus that taking that kind of break during training is highly disruptive to the process (totally understand).
The location piece is related to my current apartment lease. It concludes at the end of June ‘23. I would break it but the cost to do so is pretty high.
That being said, my “C” option could be breaking the lease, moving closer, and starting ~3/23.
Fair enough Caleb. But know this, pilots have a finite amount of years to work and those at the top earn over $400k+ year. While breaking your last might be expensive, I’m reasonably sure it’s not $33K+ a month expensive. Just saying…
How about a D option… start 3/23 and commute the 40 mins until your lease is up? Getting started right away should be a top priority. The commute isn’t great but if the cost is too high to break, than you might just have to be inconvenienced for a few months.
If you plan on staying to instruct after completing the program, you’ll eventually need housing near the location anyway.
That’s a good call, didn’t think about the ROI including the ~3 months gained at the back end of a career. Definitely bringing the lease breaking option higher on the list!
I like Hannah’s option as well. Time, and seniority, is everything in the airlines. I would just deal with the commute for a few months, then move closer when need be. I do not think that 40 minutes is too much of a commute, but of course your tolerance for such may vary.