Young Dad Considering Career Change & ATP Program

Airline Pilot Questions & Answers
1

Greetings pilots, mentors, ATP students, and alumni!

I am seriously considering making a career change to become an airline pilot and could use some outside perspective and advice.

A little about myself first…

I am 31 years old, living in DFW (about 20 minutes from ATP’s school in McKinney, TX) and working as a Program Manager in the semiconductor industry.

I have a B.S. in Biomedical Engineering and I am married with 2 kids (ages 1 and 4). I have 0 flight hours so I’m starting from nothing, although I have been on a couple small single-prop flights around Dallas out of Addison Airport.

I’ve been reading countless posts and FAQs on ATPs main site as well as AirlinePilot.life so I definitely understand and appreciate the rigor of ATPs program and formula for producing successful pilots.

ATP’s school is definitely my first choice for training and I’ve already submitted an application and been informed that I meet minimum course requirements.

I am planning to schedule an Admissions flight in the coming week or so as well.

My questions come from being a primary provider for my family and being a relatively new dad; is there anyone here or knows someone who has made this change at this life stage?

I’m making about $130K+ with bonuses and my wife works part time. We’re fortunate in that the only debt we have is our mortgage. The cost of the program, while large, isn’t scary as I’ve seen from numerous posts that the later income and potential airline reimbursement programs will help greatly in that regard. While I wouldn’t be able to work for ~9 months, we have savings that we could survive off of during the program.

More of my concern comes from after gaining my CFII cert. I’ve seen that CFIs likely would make around $35K/year in this area, but this is all from online forums and discussions. Would you say this is still roughly an accurate assessment?

I’ve seen it mentioned on here that I could complete training, clock 1500 hours, and gain my ATP cert to get hired at a Regional in 2 years. Is this still reasonable? Looking at the Airline Placements page on ATP’s site, I’m seeing some graduates who were ATP CFIs that didn’t make it to a Regional until closer to 3-4 years.

Also, with some airlines (such as Southwest) lowering hiring rates and others like Frontier halting admissions into their cadet program due to an “overwhelming” number of applicants, what is your take on job opportunities for pilots at regionals and majors over the next 5 years? I hear all the time that pilots are in short supply, but some of these occurrences, to me, indicate a changing market in the near future.

I know there’s uncertainties with every industry and sometimes it’s all about taking the risk. I’ve wanted to fly since I was a kid and this would be my dream. But today, I’ve got my wife and kids depending on me. They are super supportive, but they also haven’t gone 9 months of barely seeing me yet. I don’t want them to make this sacrifice only for me to not be able to create a sizable return for them.

Apologies for the long post. I greatly appreciate any feedback or guidance you are able to provide.

Questions from my post copied/rephrased below:

  1. Anyone here or know someone that has made a career change to become an airline pilot with a young family? What was that transition like?
  2. What is the expected pay range for CFIIs at ATP in McKinney, TX? Is $35K/year an accurate assessment?
  3. Is it reasonable to complete the Airline Career Pilot Program, gain the remaining 1250 hours as CFII at ATP, and be ATP certified (Regional Airline ready) in 2 years?
  4. I’ve seen some Airline Placements on ATP’s page that take closer to 3-4 years. Are there any specific challenges or factors that contribute to a longer timeline to build up flight hours as CFI at ATP?
  5. With the latest updates on airline hiring (Southwest) and cadet program admissions (Frontier), do you still expect a positive job market outlook for new pilots over the next 5 years?
  6. [BONUS] Do airlines allow for schedule accommodations for religious obligations? For example, needing to attend Mass on holy days of obligation or going to Mass on Sundays.

Thanks again and I am looking forward to hearing from you!

-Vinay

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Vinay,

  1. Since the average age of new pilot students starting their training is 33, it’s safe to say many have been in similar situations with family and obligations (myself included). The transition was hard and it required a tremendous amount of sacrifice on the part of my family. In fact when I did it things were far worse as first year at a Regional was $18k. Wasn’t easy but it was doable.

  2. Salaries are based on the number of students you have and the amount of flying you do. That varies month to month, season to season and there’s no way to predict what will be in the future. That said I think $35k is on the high side and you should figure on being closer to $30k. Again far higher than it was.

  3. No it’s really not. The Career Pilot Program is now 9mos. The average instructor flies 70hrs a month. 1250/70 is 18mos + 9mos = 27 mos. 2yrs may be “possible” but the above is more realistic.

  4. I think you’re seeing placements at LCCs or even Majors taking that long. It shouldn’t to get to a Regional.

  5. The airlines will continue to hire as they always have, but (as I’ve been saying) the hiring boom had to slow. That means the days of people getting hired with 1500hrs and a pulse are probably gone (which is a good thing). With that the airlines are bound to get more selective. The fact you have a degree and life experience will definitely help you. You may simply need to work a little harder to get that interview.

  6. Absolutely positively not. EVERYTHING at the airlines is based on seniority and NO considerations are ever given for ANY reason ever. If this is a problem this isn’t the career for you.

Adam

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Vinay,

Let’s get to your questions:

  1. This does not apply to me, but I have seen it done. I will say I think the transition would be rather hard, especially with having small children and the time required to be on the road as a new pilot.

  2. I would say $30k per year is a fair estimate.

  3. Yes, it is reasonable to meet do all you mentioned in two years, but I would budget some extra time in there just in case there is a slow down in hiring, you dont fly as much, etc.

  4. Some people take some time off, people have issues with heir medicals, some work harder than others, some work someplace else first and then return to ATP. There is an endless list of variables.

  5. Yes, I do expect a positive job outlook for pilots, albeit it at a much more reasonable and traditional rate. Pilots will still die and retire and those pilots will need to be replaced.

  6. No, none whatsoever for any religion. The Supreme Court covered this in Trans World Airlines, Inc. v. Hardison.

Chris

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Vinay,

Almost in your exact same situation in the same metro area (North Richland Hills) doing training at GKY once I get past my medical flight exam (SODA - Vision). I understand the hesitation and from everyone I’ve personally spoken with (Father in law retired AA Pilot) and my neighbor also a retired AA Pilot. You have to be 100% all in on making it a successful career. If something like a hiring slow down makes you pause then you may think twice about making a career switch and just get your PPL and make it a hobby. The good times are fleeting, with an oil embargo, war, etc. always on the horizon that can affect the airline industry drastically.

5

That’s exactly right. You have to jump all in, be diligent in training, make sacrifices and hope for a little good timing! At the end of the day, you’re getting paid to fly airplanes… it’s a pretty great way to make a living.

Hannah

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Vinay,

Couldn’t agree more. While I don’t wish bad fortune on anyone and the shortage was/is wonderful, I do believe it attracted many who were simply looking for an easy career that pays well and didn’t really care much for aviation.

Adam

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