If you are a professional pilot, your career as a professional pilot may inspire your child, but deciding to become a pilot is a personal choice that depends on their own interests, aptitudes, and aspirations. At some point it has to be their choice, not yours.

Each person has unique interests and passions. Your child might be inspired by your career, but they should pursue a path that aligns with their own desires and talents. The journey to becoming a professional pilot involves significant time, effort, and financial investment. Your child must be committed to the rigorous training and ongoing education required in the aviation industry.

Your own career and experience may help provide your child with first hand opportunities to experience aviation. This can include introductory flights, visits to flight schools, or involvement in aviation clubs. These experiences can help them make an informed decision. It can also give them reference points and industry awareness that would be pilots without such mentors available to them simply do not have. It can be a leg up.

While your career as a professional pilot may influence your child, the decision to become a pilot should be based on their individual interests, skills, and commitment.

In the same discussion, if you are a professional pilot and have gone through some tough times in the career path, it also doesn’t mean you should dissuade your children from becoming pilots because they will go through the same challenges.

The industry has changed a lot over the past couple decades. New entrants to the pilot career path may not face the same challenges, such as furloughs and stagnated hiring, that many more senior pilots in our industry have had to endure. Don’t assume the experience will be the same as it has been in the past going forward.