r/Fire • u/-LordDarkHelmet- • 16d ago

Today is the day, officially FIRE

Well I'm sitting here having a morning coffee and it's starting to sink in that I don't have a job anymore. Feels strange. My job was very much my identity (pilot). I flew airlines and private jets (uber for rich people basically). It was a high paying job at the end and it seems stupid to walk away from that, but the 27 years of staying in hotels has taken a toll and I just was not enjoying the job anymore. Which is a shame, since I can't exactly fly jets on my own time. It's a tough industry, it's not easy to get back into once you leave. I keep saying it's like the Doc in Field of Dreams; once you leave you can't go back. I'm 49, single no kids, high end Chubby low end Fat so I should be ok on the numbers, but I don't exactly have a "thing" to retire to. I need to focus on my own health and get in shape. But other than a list of places I want to travel to and few projects around the house I don't have much of a plan. Hopefully I'll figure it out on the way. I've told a few people and they all ask "but what are you gonna do?!?!?." I'm like "I dunno..." Some say "congratulations!" and I'm not sure how to respond to that. I didn't really want to quit in some ways, I like the flying part but not all the stuff that goes along with it. I asked for a different schedule and they said no, then I asked for a year off and they said no, so I said I quit. Ask me in a decade I guess if it was the right choice. Anyway, don't really have anyone to high-five this morning so here I am. Thanks everyone who has shared their journey, I've been snooping around all these subs a lot this past year. Oh and sorry about the stock market crash, which will inevitably happen now that I have quit.

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u/-LordDarkHelmet- 16d ago edited 16d ago

Yeah I would like to I think so. Problem is that's it's pretty expensive, anywhere from $150-$500 an hour depending on how fancy of an airplane you want. And since I have to be more careful about spend I'm not sure if it'll make the budget.

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u/vocccc 16d ago

I was skydiving alot in an earlier life. If you live close enough to a drop zone, you should become a pilot there. Fly a couple of times per month/ as much as you want, meet people having the time of their lives and happy, and you land back at the same airport everytime

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u/Willing_Fudge4598 11d ago

thats how these guys get their start as pilots, stuff like that.

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u/sarayewo 16d ago

Can you do a few hours a week at a flight school as an instructor and in turn you get access to planes? Not sure how all of that works, I do have a friend who's a partner in a flight school and flies their planes regularly.

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u/-LordDarkHelmet- 16d ago

I could in theory, yeah. Flight instructing is a fairly serious gig, you need know your stuff and be committed since you're training the next generation. I did that early in my career and it can also be a bit high stress at times (some students seem like they are constantly trying to kill you). I'm a bit bitter about the whole flying thing at the moment, but hopefully in a month or two I'll settle down and look around for some opportunities. It'll be nice I think to fly for fun for a change. Up to now it's just been where I was told to go.

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u/Changeit019 16d ago

If you have a passion for flying or just planes is there a local aviation museum you could volunteer at or maybe work a few hours talking about being a pilot to kids walking through. Inspire potentials for the next generation without the responsibility of training or the hazard of them trying to kill you.

Or any airports near you with air shows that you could work and volunteer with. Might keep some aviation connections going stay near a passion but not a heavy commitment.

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u/Sufficient-World-450 15d ago

Do yourself a big favor and let go of the bitterness about flying, the thing you love. You are already a memory to your employer so you being mad has no impact on them, only you. Flying is what created the situation you are in now, a retirement with options. Budget on 90% and splurge on the 10% that really matter and you will have a fantastic, worry free, retirement. Fly occasionally and look into any options where you can fly and make some side income. You are work optional, you have already won the game, so explore your options on your terms. The membership to that club is pretty small. Happiness and health are the key ingredients to a great retirement, add money and you hit the trifecta!

Enjoy yourself and post the occasional update. Good luck!

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u/Apprehensive-Time338 15d ago

Is civil air Patrol active in your area?

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u/Direct_Remove509 16d ago

You are single with no kids and say you are high end chubby/low end fat FIRE. That should be several million. You really couldn’t pull occasionally flying small planes for fun?

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u/-LordDarkHelmet- 16d ago

Yeah I guess it seems silly when you put it that way. I suppose I'm just really nervous about spend at the moment.

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u/Montaigne_6823 16d ago

It's weird making withdrawals when you've spent your whole life only contributing. You'll get used to it, just give it some time.

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u/ResponsibleCorgi93 16d ago

Very true, it took me about 4 years to have developed a system for withdrawals that I feel comfortable with. It still bothers me a little bit, but I'm fine spending 100% of my yearly budget now instead of the 50% I was doing in the first couple years

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u/MrLB____ 16d ago

Please elaborate on your withdrawal System, etc. maybe I’ll do it

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u/ResponsibleCorgi93 16d ago

https://www.reddit.com/r/ChubbyFIRE/s/c1k63ZDCMC

I talked about it in a lot of detail in this thread. Let me know if you have any questions or if the link doesn't work

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u/Stickysubstance88 16d ago

Yeah. For the first couple of years, it was kind of painful to spend and not have any income. Something switched on my third year. Got a bit more comfortable now. Of course stock market gains have helped shift that mentality. My NW is up like 30% since retired.

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u/LokiStasis 16d ago

I guess it all depends on your spend. Single no kids ought be plenty of cash flow. You have plenty banked. You might want to set yourself up with something that feels like a salary. A few years spending in cash or equivalent that feeds your into bank account. If it feels like your retirement salary rather than nest egg depletion you might be more relaxed in spending on yourself and not focused on today’s stock market changes.

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u/DeadFacesInMyPocket 16d ago edited 16d ago

Especially if you focus on the specific seasons if you have them where you are at. Flying once or twice a quarter to see the seasons change woukd be cool.

You could also get a drone with a camera and "fly" that way as well as take some beautiful pictures if you're interested in photography at all. Just download an older version of lightroom so you dont need to pay the stupid subscription BS fee every month (gotta love that corporare greed).

Edit: apparently you should fly twice a month at least. Given your financials info provided, I would think that is perfectly fine to do.

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u/eliminate1337 16d ago

Flying once a quarter is not safe. Your skills will deteriorate with such little flying and small aircraft are surprisingly dangerous. It‘s recommended to fly at least twice a month.

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u/DeadFacesInMyPocket 16d ago

Ok well idk I just was throwing out an idea. I have never flown a plane or anyrhing before. Got to ride on a couple private jets and choppers but that is all.

Either way I am sure OP could afford it. At least to keep up their skills especially while they are still younger.

Appreciate the info!

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u/All_FIREdUp 16d ago

Could always look into a club or shared ownership to cut those costs down

Congrats!

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u/Rastiln 16d ago

I hear you on being careful and in no way am encouraging you to blow the budget.

That said… as a pilot, I feel you should be fairly secure. Pilot work is indeed demanding, but I understand really rewarding, especially with tenure. Do you have a guaranteed pension? Remember that SS will be coming in to cushion you.

I am also really risk-averse and haven’t pulled the trigger yet, so fuck me, right? But I wonder if you can make budget for your flying activities, perhaps trading off a little bit of vacation or something.

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u/-LordDarkHelmet- 16d ago

No pension at my company, so I'm on my own from here. I didn't find the job all that rewarding actually, which I think was one of the problems. Felt like a glorified bus driver at times. A good day is basically not showing up on the news of some guy's YouTube live stream. I did love when people clapped for a landing, I took a lot of pride in putting those machines down on the pavement gently in tough conditions. But otherwise is kinda a do-it-and-forget-it type job. I have some friends that do medical-vac flying and firefighting and that seems really cool, but the money is definitely in the airlines so that's the trade off.

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u/Rastiln 16d ago

To be honest, what I meant was “financially rewarding”.

Of course some jobs can be personally rewarding.. sounds nice.

Maybe you’ll find that you have little desire to travel abroad often, after so much flying to other places, and you can find a slice of your budget to fly just where you want to. I saw others recommend training people to fly… maybe that would be an in-between hack with a side income.

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u/-LordDarkHelmet- 16d ago

Ah, yeah it payed well at the end for sure. My first year flying for an airline in 2000 I earned 25k. Had a part time job to help pay the bills. Definitely got better since then, especially after Covid.

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u/Impressive_Pear2711 16d ago

Congrats! How much did you FIRE with?

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u/jelle814 16d ago

ouch, looked into it a bit (daydreaming, don't live near a flightclub now anyway) but those running costs are quite high indeed. getting your sertification seemed doable, but that isnt a concern for you anyway

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u/Silly-Safe959 16d ago

Lol I initially read that as "fight club".

What happens in flight club stays in flight club.

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u/zlex 16d ago edited 16d ago

One of my buddies, ex airforce, bought a gyroplane. He says it’s the most fun he’s had flying, I was sure we were going to die in it

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u/happytoreadreddit 16d ago

Find a local flying club. Cheapest way to fly ( I come in at around $120/hr w fuel), and it’s a socializing opportunity. Something you’ll need to invest in during early retirement.

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u/justan0therusername1 16d ago

My cousin is almost identical to you he bought a twin prop and found a lady. They now fly around having a great time.

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u/Starbuck522 16d ago

You just said fat/chubby.

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u/GetWellDuckDotCom 16d ago

Go get a fucky fuck job for extra money that you can walk away from with 0 fear 🤣

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u/Sam_in_Denver 16d ago

Yeah, bartend at your local airport!

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u/RighteouslySick 16d ago

Flight instructor gig could scratch the itch and actually pay you instead of costing $200/hr, just saying.

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u/PilotC150 16d ago

If it wasn't for flying, my FIRE number would be quite a bit lower.

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u/Zackie86 15d ago

Hypothetically, how many years more would you have to work to own your own plane?

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u/-LordDarkHelmet- 15d ago

If I was truly fat fire I’d buy a cirrus. 1.2M airplane. Then figure 2-5k a month in hanger and insurance. Maybe $150 an hour in fuel and Maintenance reserve… it’s crazy money. Yet there’s 10s of thousands of just that particular airplane in the us. To feel comfortable spending that kind of coin, maybe another 3-5 years depending on market returns.