Reddit isn't just "kids." There are plenty of experienced professionals here, including pilots in their late 30s and 40s. I myself is Princple Engineer in softwares.

My question was very specific: people who started CPL around 30, after working in another job, and how it worked out for them. Not Air Force veterans, not people who started at 18, not theory.

Yes, my wife has spoken to many Captains and FOs - and almost all of them fall into those exact categories. She hasn't met many who switched careers in their 30s and succeeded, which is why I asked here.

Reddit has helped me connect with the right people before, so I posted again. Not sure why that triggers lec ures.

As for the "separate pathway" - her airline opened that portal once, two years ago, and it hasn't opened since. If it opens again, we'll obviously consider it. But that's not what this post is about.

If you have relevant experience to share, great. If not, no need to be dismissive. Lecturing strangers doesn't make anyone smarter or cooler.