Making the Switch

Doug asked a question I've seen, or been asked, several times: What's it like to leave a 'real' job for a career in aviation later in life.

The best advice I can give is to have a spouse who works. Barring that, have a pile of money that you can live off of while you're getting established.

I'd also suggest trying it out while you still have a 'real' job. Instructing, or even flying professionally, isn't for everyone. I know I'd be bored out of my mind as an airline pilot, for example. I was pretty certain flight instruction would be a fun job after I flew as a safety pilot for a few people and realized I had something to offer and enjoyed the experience as well.

The brutal truth is that after leaving journalism, where I was paid pretty well, I don't make enough money from flight instruction to live on. Making the switch required a fairly significant change in our lifestyle. Luckily, we don't have children to feed or send to college, my wife has a good job so the mortgage is taken care of and I make enough to pay some of the other bills.

I planned my move for over a year, which meant I was able to save enough cash to see me through my training. But it was still tough to have zero income for seven months while I was spending a fair amount of cash flying.

Financially, switching careers is tough, takes some planning, requires discipline and most of all requires the full support of your spouse.

The upside, at least from my perspective, is that I'm doing something I enjoy and something I've always wanted to do. It's a difficult job with a level of responsibility I'd rather not ponder but it's also hugely satisfying at the end of the day.

The pay is lousy, especially considering the responsibility but also when you factor in all the time spent driving to and from a lesson, waiting for a student to show up, preparing for a lesson, studying stuff you've forgotten, time spent working to land new business, following up with existing clients and generally dealing with all the things that go into running a service business.

I'm not terribly worried about the pay, at least not yet. I've only been doing this since September and I knew going in that it was going to take some time to get established. As far as I'm concerned, I'm still in training. I learn every lesson, both about flying but also about teaching effectively and about offering a service.

I also know that there's a market for mature, professional instructors that is potentially fairly lucrative. Not hugely lucrative, but big enough that an instructor could make a decent living off of it if they're willing to work hard to develop their skills and build that business.

Let's face it: People who can spend $500,000 or more on a new airplane aren't looking for the cheapest flight instructor they can find, they're looking for someone who knows what they're doing, who they can relate to and who they can go back to year after year. For that, they're willing to pay a premium. I'm not that person yet, but I'm getting there as quickly as I can.

I was talking with an instructor a few months back who flies a Malibu part-time. He had met another instructor who specializes in teaching the Malibu. Turns out the guy is fully booked in 2007, which is probably an indication that he's not charging enough. So, it's certainly possible to make a decent living as an instructor but it's not easy.

Likewise, a successful business person who has always wanted to fly and finally has the time to do so just won't be satisfied by the lack of service that's typical at a lot of traditional flight schools.

Call it a leap of faith, but I've always thought it made sense to choose a career or a job based on how much you enjoyed the work, not on the pay. The pay will come eventually but life is too short to do something you don't enjoy.

Just make sure you have a spouse who works.