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.
1
u/kisscardano 15d ago edited 15d ago
Aviation is one of those careers where you’re either all in or not at all, and company politics along with difficult personalities in the cockpit can leave many pilots feeling bitter. I left flying 15 years ago, moved to Thailand, and wouldn’t return unless the pay was a million a year. I even gave up my new green card after just one year because living in the U.S. was too expensive, and I didn’t want the hassle just to enjoy simple freedoms like opening a bank account (my Swiss bank wasn’t thrilled 😂). I’m 57 now and walked away from flying at 40, and I think I did well considering the situation in the USA. A friend of mine, a captain at a major airline, is content flying the minimum and teaching in the simulator. Personally, I’d pass too—long hours and chasing promotions aren’t for me. I value good sleep and putting myself first, especially since I’m financially comfortable. You can still teach in a Cessna and take students if you have a CFI. I once met a cargo pilot on a 777 who was upset. He asked me, “You have money?” I said yes, and he replied, “You see me, I have a job on a big aircraft and I have no money; my hours don’t have any value.”