My dad told me to forget about being a pilot when I was 18

He said it was too expensive and unstable, and I should pick something practical. So I went into business school instead. I saw a small plane land at a local airfield yesterday and felt that old pull again (you know, the kind you can't ignore). Now I'm 34 and wondering if it's too late to even take a discovery flight. Has anyone else picked up a dream they shelved for over a decade?

4 comments

4 Comments

sage_green3mo ago

That pull doesn't really go away, does it. A discovery flight is cheap and tells you if the spark is still there. Plenty of people start flight training way older than you.

luna_wright3mo ago

You're right about that pull. My friend's mom always wanted to paint but put it off for years. She finally bought a cheap set of watercolors at 50, just to try. Now her kitchen is covered in her landscapes, and she sells a few at the local market. That discovery flight sounds like your version of her first paintbrush.

avery_ross3mo ago

Sometimes the smallest start leads to the biggest change.

ryan_barnes1mo ago

That line about "that pull doesn't really go away" from @luna_wright is spot on. My dad did the exact same thing with woodworking, bought a cheap jigsaw at 55 and now his garage is basically a small workshop. It's wild how just giving yourself permission to try something small can unlock all that.