Hi all, I've been reading these forums for about a week now, so just wanted to say thanks for all the great info - I've already learned a lot. The point of this post is just to put down in writing and commit to my dream. I'm thinking it will probably take me around 6 years to be able to switch careers, but I'm treating this post as my first step.
I'm 31.5 years old, from the UK now living in Australia. For me, the dream started in my early teens. I'd grown up with my grandfather's stories of being a navigator in the RAF in the war, but had never thought about it. In secondary shool I joined the RAF cadets. This is where it really began. We were an inner-city school in south London in the 90's. Nobody had much money, so we qualified for an RAF scheme where you could fly for free. It cost £2 to go on the trip - £1 for petrol there, £1 for petrol back, just be at the school at lik 6am on a weekend lol.
For that reason most of us didn't want to go, but my dad made me. For £2 I flew for an hour and I was hooked. We got to do aerobatics as well as flight training. Over the next three years I got about 18 hours under my belt (I think - it's been 16 years!), mostly in the then new Grob Tutor's. I was going to be a pilot. Then I found out at 15 years old I had just ticked over into too tall (6'4''). It was over.
I'd never really wanted to fly in a war, I struggled with that a lot... the RAF had always just been the route to commercial flying that was open to me. When it shut there was just no way flying could even hope of being paid for, and that was it. Since leaving school I've worked mainly in hospitality and retail, flying was just a dream I had as a kid.
Over the last few year's I've been studying computer science in my spare time using online courses. I've also gotten married and moved to my wife's country, Australia. Now my circumstances are changing. I'm moving into a new field (Developer) that will actually pay enough for me to save, and in 3 year's I'll qualify for a FEE-HELP loan that I could use to become a commercial pilot. From almost nowhere, the dream is back alive!
So the plan: As I say, I think this is going to be at least 6 years. The next year will just be saving and researching everything I can. Then two years Of saving and flying as much as I can afford. I'd like to get my RPL and be on my way to my PPL in this time. By the fourth year I should know a lot more, and know whether financing myself through my CPL or taking on a flight course (and around A$90,000 in student debt) is the right choice for me (This would be the first year I'd be eligible for FEE-HELP). Either way, I'd be looking at 2 years to get my CPL, from which I'd want to head toward instructing. Currently, to help me towards that goal, I'm planning to support myself through the 2 full time years of CPL and instructor training by becoming a part time driving instructor. I think that would easily fit around the hours, and help me develop soft skills that I could use to get an instructor position that's closer to home.
Phew, that's it. That's my promise to myself. It'll be a long time until I'm flying for an airline, but for the first time in half my life it actually looks possible. Wish me luck
