Andrew,
That is awesome that you are getting going on your flying career at such an early age! I remember when I was your age taking my first flying lessons in small airplanes, thinking how neat it was doing something that not very many other people get to do. (Out of 300 million people in the US, only 619,000 have a pilot license! That is less that one quarter of 1 %!) I actually earned my private pilot license in a PA-28-161 Warrior, out of a tiny airport in New York State, too!
I'm an airline pilot, Andrew, and I can tell you this is a pretty tough career! You will work hard, you will put in lots of hours of study, take lots of exams, and spend a lot of money. But here's the thing... When you get to see the sun set from 6 miles above the Earth... When you see a thunderstorm lighting up clouds at night like giant fireworks... When you level off at 35,000 feet, roll your seat back, pop open your bag of peanuts, and watch the world drift by below you- you will instantly realize that for everything you put into it, you got back times 10.
I'm about to try out to be a pilot at Southwest this week. I'll let you know how things go. For now, just keep your eye on the prize, Andrew, and never give up on ANYTHING!
Dan H.
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