He always wanted to be a pilot. Now he’s training to become one.

In 2024, the International Air Transport Association expects about 4.7 billion people to travel, which is above the 2019 record high of 4.5 billion. To meet demand, the airline industry will need pilots.

Adam Kephart, a flight instructor from Poulsbo, Washington, hopes to achieve his childhood dream of becoming a pilot next year. When he set off on his aviation journey five years ago, Kephart made the difficult decision to quit his job working for the state of Washington to pursue his airline pilot’s license.

“I switched from a salaried position over to a coffee barista, which allowed me to flight train about one to two times per week,” Kephart said. “All the money that I was making was going into flight training, while my wife supported us financially and in other ways.”

Eventually he moved from serving coffee to teaching flight and now sets his sights on ascending to the cockpit.

Kephart joined “Marketplace” to talk about what this career change has meant for him and his family.