Long time lurker. Gonna retire in a couple years as a MSgt, been a flyer (eng and boom) my whole career, and thought I could get a sanity check from some dudes just like those I've spent almost 22 years flying with. I'm realizing more and more that I'm really going to miss flying and being around airplanes, so I'm seriously considering putting myself through pilot training when I retire. Cost aside (6 figures, I imagine), I'm wondering what those of you flying the line think the landscape will look like in 5 years with regards to hiring trends and an elderly guy like me trying to make it after I somehow scratch together another 1490 hours.
I have no grand aspirations to be in the newest shiniest jets at a major, but how realistic is this? All my pilot buddies that are always scratching for that extra .1 on a 781 is enough to put me in my place...if they're worried about getting picked up, I shouldn't even bother. On the other hand, everything I hate about the AF is what my current future looks like (politics, office work, middle management, 40 hr clock watching, ugghhh).
