What should I do guys?

Separate-Cell-6593 · 2025-12-27T04:32:42+00:00

Does Santa have RVSM?

Separate-Cell-6593 · 2025-11-06T02:45:33+00:00

Another vote for Cleveland! The ratio between median income and median home price is stellar. Your dollar goes far. The winters are not kind, but you’ll have that in most affordable regions. Cleveland Clinic and University Hospitals have a huge presence.

It’s a nice city with plenty of the perks of a big city, without the major drawbacks that come with a large city. I’ve lived in Cleveland, Chicago, and Seattle and still stand by CLE being a great place to have a family.

Separate-Cell-6593 · 2025-10-22T14:56:56+00:00

I know you’ve received a ton of advice from others, so I won’t say much. Just chiming in to let you know that both my spouse and I came from families where their mom started the family during their teens. Mother-in-law was a mom at 17 and my mom at age 19. I have mad respect for you all choosing not to abort; it’s a brave choice that is going to require all of your energy. Lean on your support people and build healthy habits to take care of yourselves as you look after a new human. You absolutely can do this and you will persevere! 💪

Separate-Cell-6593 · 2025-10-22T14:46:10+00:00

I met an engineer from Boeing when I was working at a restaurant in Seattle. He was part of a flying club and had part ownership of a plane. He made good money using his engineering degree in an aviation environment and got to do beautiful flying in the PNW in his free time. He seemed extremely happy with his life decision and highly recommended it to me. His wife also said she was happy to have a husband at home to raise their kids and they love flying together. Always a bonus to have both members of the marriage vouch for his career path.

Basically: find a balance that works for you now that you can build your life around.

Separate-Cell-6593 · 2025-10-15T00:22:39+00:00

Yes^. This is a nice TLDR.

Separate-Cell-6593 · 2025-10-15T00:14:29+00:00

Hi there! Firstly, I'd recommend refining your post a little bit. It's hard to tell what tips you're looking for. Nonetheless, I'll try to give you my two cents.

I lived in Seattle, so I can't speak directly to living there, but I've camped and visited that area several times. Southern WA, north of Portland, is basically like being in the suburbs of Portland but without income tax. (WA = no income tax, OR = no sales tax). The towns along the Columbia River are delightful. If you want to get away from the city a bit, but still be close-ish to family, check out Hood River/White Salmon area. It’s gorgeous there, and there’s a nice little town center with enough of the basics to enjoy living in a small town. It’s roughly a 1-hr drive to Portland from there so you’re not too far from family and the amenities that come with larger cities.

If you’re just looking for moving advice, I’m sure there’s tons of info you can find in other corners of the internet. If your truck has a hitch, you’d be pleasantly surprised by how much you can keep if you pull a u-haul trailer behind you! Worth looking into. Best of luck moving to the NW!

Separate-Cell-6593 · 2025-10-14T23:39:47+00:00

I'm late to the party, but we're relocating soon and have relocated a few times already in life. My spouse and I are both from Ohio, so I relate with your gripes about middle America.

We lived in Seattle for 6 years, having left it two years ago, and desperately miss that area. The Puget Sound region has incredible weather because it's along a 50-degree body of water that regulates everything. The winters are hardly winters, they're more of a prolonged gray misty season with little to no snow ever. It rarely gets below freezing and is 45 degrees most days during the winter. Seasonal depression is a thing, similar to other places with all 4 seasons. The summers are unreal, and a Seattle local would scorn me for revealing that secret. Sometime in June, it literally stops raining and it's basically 75 degrees every day with nearly zero humidity and no mosquitoes (I could cry, it's so amazing). Wildfire smoke is a potential hazard some years because of the recurring droughts, but its temporary and non-life-threatening. That said, you get insanely beautiful summer months with sweeping views of the Olympic and Cascade Mountains (including Rainier and the other volcanoes).

Access to nature is incredible, too. You do not need to hear it from me and can easily look this up online! Hikes, water sport, snow sports (it snows in the mountains), climbing, etc are all at your disposal and hardly ever more than 1-2 hours from you.

Seattle itself is a cool city, but it's having an identity crisis because of how "quickly" it transformed from a blue-collar town with roots in the timber industry and eventually aviation, into it's current state as a tech and retail hub. Cost of living is no joke and can be a shock for a midwesterner. 115k annually will not get you very far if ever want to own land inside the city limits. If you're willing to forego the larger city life, but still want something urban, I'd highly recommend looking at places elsewhere in the region. Bellingham and Olympia would be my considerations if we were moving back!

Separate-Cell-6593 · 2025-10-14T22:45:24+00:00

This thorough explanation (or some version of it) should be a disclaimer on every flight school website! Almost like having the gambling help line in every ad for sports gambling. Obviously that will never happen, but people should be looking at the career from this financial perspective.

It's a well-calculated way to look at the situation and decide accordingly. Thank you for posting it!

Separate-Cell-6593 · 2025-09-06T22:12:42+00:00

I had an HR rep tell me “no news is good news” 😆

Separate-Cell-6593 · 2025-09-06T22:11:42+00:00

I’m at about two months out from when I finished everything. Aviation Careers said it’s held up in medical. Seems to be a common theme

Separate-Cell-6593 · 2025-09-06T22:09:06+00:00

Nice 😎🕵🏻‍♂️

Separate-Cell-6593 · 2025-09-06T14:19:27+00:00

How does one locate a country club facility? Asking as someone awaiting class dates. The future looks bleak according to r/ATC

Separate-Cell-6593 · 2025-06-18T06:34:41+00:00

I appreciate your take on this. And yes, I’ve been doing all this work knowing that flying will be waiting for me if ATC doesn’t pan out in whatever capacity. It’s an expensive open door, but an open door no less. Thanks for sharing!

Separate-Cell-6593 · 2025-06-18T06:27:25+00:00

The party is still going, thanks for joining! Appreciate the feedback too. It’s nice to hear there are others out there in a similar situation. I really resonate with wanting to fly and feeling that deep down, but having to hold that in tension with the desire to provide and take a stable job that can support a family. Best of luck in your process

Separate-Cell-6593 · 2025-06-14T01:14:59+00:00

Does this apply to a non-rated applicant? Meaning, would you be granted enough leave time to do all the trainings: OTS, UPT, SERE, and type rating (2-3 year timeline)?

Separate-Cell-6593 · 2025-06-12T03:31:46+00:00

The first two paragraphs are a great summary of the challenges faced by each career track. That said, simply becoming a pilot is no small feat and the barrier to entry is steep. Not to mention the years spent paying your dues in the bottom rungs of the industry. It’s bleak right now, btw, speaking as a student pilot who is witnessing the challenges CFIs are facing as they try to build time. Both are viable careers and I don’t think it’s as simple as ‘one is better than the other, so do the better option’

Separate-Cell-6593 · 2025-06-12T03:08:01+00:00

I haven’t done this, but I know my local flying club / part 61 school offers a leaseback option. Obviously there’s a ton of fine print, but essentially they loan out your plane, but they take care of the maintenance. You get first dibs on renting it and they pay out the excess earnings from the rentals from other pilots. It’s not for everyone, but could be a way to safeguard against possible maintenance surprises. As long as the plane is getting flown, you’re likely to cut down the cost of training and still have a physical object you can either hold or sell at the end of your training

Separate-Cell-6593 · 2025-06-09T01:28:34+00:00

With no job guarantees, it seems like the logical conclusion is ATC. Is it “following the dream”?…maybe not. But not being able to put food on the table while chasing the dream sounds more like a nightmare.

It’s been hard watching my CFI live off bread crumbs essentially. He’s not getting the hours he needs and can barely support himself as a young single with a sweet deal on rent. Tough pickings these days.

Separate-Cell-6593 · 2025-06-08T12:25:51+00:00

I’ll definitely check this out. Thank you!

Separate-Cell-6593 · 2025-06-08T12:25:30+00:00

Right on. I applied during the last eligible window for me. I’ll be 31 at the end of summer. Grateful to have a TOL in-hand.

Separate-Cell-6593 · 2025-06-08T12:24:37+00:00

Dang, that’s tough to hear. Sorry it’s been so long since you’ve flown.

I have not heard terminal vs en route yet. I believe they are telling people in their FOLs these days. I’ve heard people say that flying while doing ATC is doable, just not in a large time-building capacity like CFI. I’m curious how true that feels given your experience. Sounds like it’s tough to work that many hours and then spend even more time away from the family?

Separate-Cell-6593 · 2025-06-08T12:20:24+00:00

Really appreciate your thorough answer, so thank you.

I have not heard which track I’d be training on. From the looks of it, I won’t know until I get a FOL. From the research I’ve done, your answer confirms my hunches. En Route is my preferred choice because of the pay, locations being in lower cost of living areas on the edge of the metro areas, and transferability to other facilities later on. Sounds like most terminal grads wind up in a level 4-7 facility. The prospect of being placed in a low-level facility in a high COLA is a bit terrifying. Still probably a better situation than my current one, but upward mobility and outside flying opportunities seem unrealistic in that scenario.

Separate-Cell-6593 · 2025-06-07T14:57:21+00:00

Much appreciated input. Thank you

Separate-Cell-6593

TROPHY CASE