I'd like to learn to fly, but it's not financially responsible for me to do, and I'm middle-aged now, anyways. I play flight sims to fill the void, but I think I shouldn't because I worry it just feeds a desire I know I won't be able to fulfill. Should I stop playing the flight sims?

>>33345219 (OP)
Age. If you’re not in your 60s yet you can still spend time enjoying flying while you get the chance. There’s also plenty of need for qualified instructors for new hire pilots. Don’t give up on something you feel a passion for.

>>33345219 (OP)
911 terrorist were older and poorer than u and still they learned to fly, dont let ur dreams be dreams

>>33345239
Wrong. If you weren't an ostrich you'd know they cut a lot of air transportation programs.
>t. Air traffic controller

>>33345452
It won’t be like this forever. OP could always just pilot as hobby. Or if that’s too much money, he could invest into making a really good sim setup

>>33345452
I work for a regional and we’re hiring 20 instructors this month. There’s opportunities.

>>33345219 (OP)
join a gliding club. if you're in the US it's a pretty unknown hobby but there's probably still a club near you. it's cheap (by aviation standards) and members are mostly retired guys, you'll be younger than average

>>33345219 (OP)
You could join the civil air patrol. They get to go through plenty of training albeit at a much slower pace while not having to pay anywhere near as much for it. Availability and depth of the program is very dependent on your location though.

Dunno about where you live but in Ausfail there's a thing called a recreational pilots license. It allows you to fly single engined, up to 2 seater planes that are under a certain flying weight. The requirements for that license are 10x less than a full pilots license and you can still tour the entire country solo on it if you wanted.

>>33345219 (OP)
Just expect it to be expensive, and much moreso if you don't do it in one go. Set aside a summer to really focus on it. Also, if you study the ground training beforehand it'll make it easier.

>>33345814
Not OP but cool, thanks anon!

>>33345452
>Blah blah blah
t. Smartest guy in the the thread.
>>33345219 (OP)
Buttloads of oldfags get pilot license. My work bud played sims and went to scoo mostly for fun, but got a job flying stuff in helicopters to oil rigs in Louisiana. He was in late forties when he started. Flight schools and even clubs have arrangements to get hours pe from teaching others so it may cost less than you think. Yeah, if you’re actually broke and really can’t afford it, don’t do it. But do.