Good luck and Adios!
Thought id share my story with a few of you. Have been browsing the forums for about a year now.
Basically, I've decided not to try and attempt to get into the commercial aviation industry as a pilot.
Im 29 and about a year or so ago I rekindled my childhood dreams of becoming a commercial pilot when I took a trial flight over Sydney Harbour. As soon as I got back to the UK I told myself that I had to learn to fly and started a PPL. The plan was to try and get my PPL and then decide whether flying was what I really wanted to do. As the course progressed, I got more and more into it. I learned to fly at Staverton (Gloster) and there is some great flying out of there over the Cotswolds and up/down the Severn Valley and Estuary. At the same time, my job as an IT consultant was getting more and more mundane. I did alot of research into gaining commercial licences and visited flying schools all over the place. I got my class 1 and passed selection at Oxford for the APP. I talked to as many people as I could including quite a few commercial pilots. For me, my sights would have been set on getting captaincy on a heavy jet but I know that would have taken years to get. Although modular training was appealing, I beleived it would have taken me longer to get it all done and as I had a bit of cash, set my sights on Integrated.
The reasons Ive decided against taking it further are numerous but I guess it boils down to the simple fact that I didnt want it enough. I am just about to get married and although my fioncee is incrediably supportive and has a good job, I think that the future will put a hell of a strain on our relationship. Not only that, I have a job with prospects altough what I do now is not what I want to do for much longer and I also dream of a my own business one day, perhaps even aviation related.
I agree with the old phrase of 'Never having regrets' and I dont think I will have any. Sure, there'll be days when I sit in the office and think about being on the flight deck but there'll be more days when I dont think about it I think. Im going to keep up my private flying and enjoy that as much as I can (when I can afford it!)
If your desire is to fly and to fly only then you have to do it.
As I mentioned, for me, there were also some push factors and some doubts and I thought that was a dangerous game to play at 29 with 55 hours TT.
I have the utmost respect to those of you that succeed, especially the ones that want it so badly and have to borrow large amounts of money to train and/or put relationships on the line. You are the true aviators and I hope you get the jobs you are looking for and deserve. Remember, theres one less to compete with you now!
May see some of you in the Private Flying forum!
See ya
PS - the negative stuff banded around on these forums hasn't influenced my decision one bit.