Should I chase my dreams

[marks99]

G'day All,

I'm doing a lot of soul searching atm and hope someone can help!

I'm 20 years old, in my 3rd year (1/2 way) of a combined Law and Computer Science program at Uni. My whole life I loved anything to do with flying and wanted to be a pilot.

By the time I got to the end of high school however, I had been scared off a career in flying by being told "It's too competitive, there are too few jobs, only a very few make any money etc etc" So I did Law, something sure to earn me heaps of money!

I now find myself not enjoying my studies and look at a career where i may make some good money, but be stuck behind a desk 12 hours a day for 40 years. Making millions doesn't seem as attractive anymore and my passion for flying has never died. I think I have made the wrong choice.

If you are still reading after that sob story, my question is should I take a chance and follow my dream?

What realistically are my chances of making it to an airline, or at least finding decent work? Given I've already spent 3 years at uni, what would be the best way of achieving this (I have a fair bit saved up)?

My heart says throw caution to the wind but I want to make some informed decisions... please help!

[OpsNormal]

Oh to only be twenty again....;)

FWIW, my advice would be to continue with and finish your degree, get into the work force and start earning some bucks to at least start getting some sort of financial security. Then set about learning to fly, at least to a private level to see if you actually enjoy it as much as the romance phase of the dream. Then I'd set about finding-out about getting into either a Qf cadet course or going the whole hog with your flying school to the commercial level at your own speed.

You have umpteen choices, and the world is still yours for the choosing of your career path, but I'd get that degree first.

"Patience glasshoppa"

Regards,
Ops. :)

[Balthazar]

I agree with Opsnormal, get the degree first, you will never regret it. Learning to fly at 22 or 42 is ok, but its a hell of a lot harder to study uni again after you have stopped. Take that from someone who is doing it.

Get the degree, get the degree, get the degree. I think I have made my point.

Oh, and keep the passion alive by flying privately whilst still at university.

I know a British Airways pilot who went to flying school whilst doing his medical degree. He is a doctor, but now is about to do his command on the 747 with BA. His medical skills are put to use in IFALPA quite well. Maybe one day you can help the community legally.

Keep the passion alive, but remember that the industry is in a large amount of flux industrially and having a backup career is not something to be shiffed at.

Good luck. I wish you the best.

[Capt Claret]

I can only agree with the other respondents thus far. Finish your degree.

Aviation is a pr!ck of an industry from a security point of view. I've been retrenched 3 times, as have many of my friends and I'm sure, many of my aviating colleagues.

A pilots licence isn't worth much when one is unemployed and looking for work, a profession or trade to fall back on would be a god-send, I'd say.

Qantas for a start will look more favourably on you with a degree, as compared to your identical twin who only has his/her HSC.

My suggestion is to be honest with yourself, and decide whether you can continue with your degree with some level of enthusiasm. At the same time if you can manage the time and distraction, commence flying lessons, on a regular basis - irregular lessons end up costing more in the long run- so that you work towards dual goals, flying and a degree.

The industry has its ups nd downs and to some degree whether its up or down depends on one's own situation. I started at 26 years of age, 20 years ago. I was considered at the time too old for both TAA and Ansett.

However nothing would deter me from chasing the rainbow and I have now held a jet command for 3 years. In 20 years I can say that I've never woken in the morning and thought "sh!t I've got to go to work"! A lucky situation to be in.

Go for it! :ok:

[Dupre]

All good ideas above.

I worked my @rse off through my degree so I could afford to fly - and got my PPL at the end of second year (4 year degree). I continued to fly (mostly cost-sharing) until the end.

But when I started a masters, without enough money left to fly, I found my motivation dropped big-time (though my grades stayed the same... go figure). I'm now working and saving for the CPL, and will return to study when I have enough cash to keep me airborne every once in a while.

My advice: Stick with the degree, but if you want, do the flying as well. You'll probably go mad if you don't.

Dupre.

[solowflyer]

I'm in a simular situation, life would be so much simpiler if i had finnished my degree. Each time I have had an interview its the same question "why have you not finnished the degree". Finnish it, it's only 48 months.

Don't be put off by anyone, there are alot of negative people out there (just look through pprune).

I have just compleated my CPL after about 5 years, and decided to start looking for a job last week. With the advice of some pprune members i have managed to secure a job within 24 hr. Jobs are out there you just have to look outside the square, as long as there is sky there will always be oppertunities to drill holes through it.

My point is finnish the degree, if you can afford to fly regually do so. If you cant fly regually yet, go sit your exams to get them out of the way. Don't be an airfield sheep (tends to be too much negativity, politics, and too much competition for jobs), approch smaller opperators/schools away from the city for flying lessons (more chance of better contacts for a first job rather than waiting for an instructing job), Get involved with organisations that tend to have older people involved, such as Warbirds or home built aircraft club (senior airline people tend to be members) it is amazing who you can meet. The other day was having a quite bevy got chatting to this old bloke for a while turns out he was an ex chief pilot for cathay, say no more.

Don't let anyone put you off your dream of flying, the ones who sit arround the airport bar bitching and whinning about no job will most likely still be sitting there well after you have got one. It's all about attitude.:ok:

hope this helps and good luck:) :cool: :} :ok:

[marks99]

Thanks all for the advice. I hadn't realised how many people switch to aviation later in life although I supose it makes sense given the costs involved. This alone I think will motivate me to finish both my degrees and get a job (maybe in aviation law) so I can re-evaluate my options after gaining some money, security and life expereince.

In the mean time though I think I will start working again part-time (been living off the government too long anyway) and save enough to start doing my own PPL. As time and money allows hopefully I'll be able to build up my expereince until I can afford to do a CPL.

Once again thanks to all who replied, I tend to make rash decisions and your advice stopped me from doing so :)

[Continental-520]

Marks99,

It looks like I've read this a little bit late, but if I could add that the life experience and the time that will pass before your first aviation interview could actually work to your advantage. I'm a year younger than you, got my CPL as early as I could (meaning on my 18th birthday).

Those who I did my CPL course with were anywhere between 22 - 33yrs old and got work a lot quicker than I did. I like to think I have the right attitude, and if I actually do, it boils down to the fact that most operators would rather put, say, a 25yr old with 200hrs in a plane than an 18yr old with the same, which is entirely understandable from their perspective.

Given that the law degree will also help you immensely in your aviation endeavours, I would hope that this provides sufficient incentive for you to complete it. :)

All the very best of luck, mate. It's more than worth it, I reckon.


520.

[Towering Q]

The law component of your studies may prove invaluable with any future dealings you may have with the industry regulator.;)

[Skyway]

The dreams the thing, go with it. Sounds like you have a foundation education from which to work. If you do not like law anymore, stop wasting time. You can do anything in this world given three things, Time, Patience and money. If one runs out forget it. It is taken that you have motivation to want to do it.
Realistically, the flying game in Australia is about being apart of a big family, everyone knows someone that knows someone else and so on. It is very competitive and we are going through a rough economic time, know need to mention why, but all things pass. Always when flying have an escape route in the air and career wise.
Good luck.:ok: