I just became a pilot after spending $80,000 on flight school. Here's what the intense training program was like.

"I don't see myself being anything other than a pilot," one 32-year-old commercial pilot said (not pictured).
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A 32-year-old commercial pilot (who asked to remain anonymous) shared what training was like.
They went through instruction during the pandemic and recently were hired.
They say demand is higher than ever for pilots but standards for training remain stringent.
This as-told-to essay is based on a transcribed conversation with a 32-year-old commercial pilot from Wayne, NJ