no way it will ever happen for me right?

G

g48dd

New Member
I have had many exciting jobs and I should be thankful. The one thing that I really wanted to finish out my life with was flying. I am 50 years old. I was hoping that maybe just maybe I would be able to fly commercial, but now I think that by the time I am actually ready which will be 3 more years, because I am paying for two daughters in college at the same time and can not afford to give up what I do right now ( combat truck driver IRAQ ). That by the time I finish here and start flight training I will be way, way to late. I would be 54 with only 6 years left, if I remember correctly pilots must retire at 60? Then I suddenly realized I was turned down in the service for flight school because I am partially color blind. I can not pass the plate or lantern test. I can tell the difference between red and green stop lights but I can not pass those tests. I am right that would mean no commercial lic., would it also mean that not matter how qualified I get that I will always be limited to day time flying? I will still fly, and I will still get at least a multi engine turbo qualification just because I want to and I am earning enough money that I can afford to pay for it and I want that challenge. I will never be able to afford the purchase of a KA350 or something similar but I can always rent lease to say that I can fly it.

Anyway am I correct no night flying and nobody is going to hire someone with only 6 years to give?
 
You never know. Our Chief Pilot was offered an interview with ExpressJet when he was 54.

You may not be able to fly for the airlines, but you may be able to hook up with a charter job somewhere. Depends on who you know and who knows you in this industry.

The only thing stopping you..... is you.

BEST of luck and keep us posted!

R2F
 
Hi, Welcome to JC!

I personally have beaten the colorblindness topic to death. Check out the Aeromedical forums for more detailed info. You should know that the FAA allows you to receive a Statement of Demonstrated Ability (SODA) for your colorblindness. Basically you go to an airport and stand next to a FSDO rep and say what color a light gun from the control tower is shining (red, green, or white). This test is supposedly easy for people with the most common type of colorblindness (myself included). Since the regs say that a pilot must be able to "perceive those colors necessary for the performance of airmen duties" a SODA will prove that you can. However, some airlines don't accept SODAs and won't hire you at all. If you don't pass the lightgun test you will be stuck with the "No night flying or flying by colored signal" restriction on your medical and then your airline hopes are all but gone.

Check out www.aviationmedicine.com if you want more info on the color vision issue as they have a boatload of info.
 
To talk about flying at night--you might be able to make it happen. You have one option other than the color vision tests through a doctor. You might be able to get a statement of demonstrated ability (SODA) from the FAA.

When you get a chance, call up the flight school or FBO at your nearest airport with a control tower. Tell them the situation you're in and ask if you could come out and they arrange for you to view light gun signals from the tower. The tower will shine different lights at you, either red, green, or white. If you can tell the difference, you should be able to get a SODA. I wouldn't say the light signals are as easy to discriminate as a traffic light, but they are much easier than a color vision test. To actually get the SODA you will need to arrange with a representative from the FAA to be present when you identify colors from the tower.

As for flying as an airline pilot, you're probably right. The age 60 mandatory retirement rule will make you less attractive to airlines. However, if you are able to get a SODA for your color vision, you can still fly professionally. You can become a flight instructor to build experience, then work your way into charter, small cargo, or even being a designated examiner possibly.

In fact, your position in life might make flight instructing fit you well. Although there's nothing wrong with young flight instructors building time to move on to bigger things, there's something fun about flying with a pilot who instructs only for the love of flying. If you are doing it for recreation, rather than needing to put food on the table and move up, it will show.

I know a middle-aged anaesthesiologist (sp?) who is in a similar spot. He has earned a single-engine commercial certificate for the fun of it and has considered getting his CFI certificate in a few years in order to give himself something to do when he retires.

For now, check into getting a SODA and see what happens. Good luck.
 
To clarify a little, the age 60 rule is for the airlines. There's lots of other opportunities for flying jobs past that age in other areas.
 
Yeah, flying 135 or 91 corporate is not out of the question. However, if you don't happen to land a flying job, "fly for fun, part 91!"

So I say.... get your licenses and ratings.... overcome the color blindness matter with a SODA..... and IF you don't happen to land a flying job, then by all means lease or rent a fun airplane and just fly around with family and friends.... there's no better joy to me than flying up there with fam and friends!

BEST OF LUCK WITH EVERYTHING!
 
hey g-

good luck with things. don't give up on the color thingy. it took me a few months of mass letters to local optometrists to find one with an accepted FAA approved method of determining an applicants ability to see colors. Thoses tests are:

crap - my roommate took my car with the keys to my firebox. anyway. i'll get you the lists of tests. all you'll have to do is take that test, get the optomitrist to make a statement saying you can see color. get a photocopy of the med records and submit it to the FAA in OKC.

I had AOPA get involved because it took them a while to find the submitted documentation.

after that I just show the letter to the medical examiner every time I go in for a medical and i never have to look at the ishihara plates.

there are opportunities out there for a mature guy like yourself :P
don't worry.

as for getting your daughters through school - good luck to them, and

good luck to you

-mox
 
You just might find that flight instructing is what floats your boat, for which there is no age limit and can be done with only a 3rd Class medical certificate.
 
aloft said:
You just might find that flight instructing is what floats your boat, for which there is no age limit and can be done with only a 3rd Class medical certificate.
Click to expand...

To add to that, you technically don't need any medical, as long as the student is qualified to act as PIC. In other words, you could instruct instrument students, commercial students (who already have a complex endorsement), CFI applicants, etc.

The biggest activities you would be prohibited from would be private pilot training, multiengine training, and any of the endorsement training (complex, high performance, tailwheel, high alt).
 
Agreed

I know a couple of instructors that do it for the sole purpose for the love of flying. They are well over 60 and love their job. One of them happen to be a female. Good luck and keep us updated.
 
Wow that was nice, I just left my tent knowing that I was walking over here to get the bad news. All I wanted was a little bit of hope. I certainly got that. I am stick to it kind of guy. While I was driving a truck in the states, I had met a great girl on the net from Canada. we met fell in love and started living together, one day I crossed the border coming back from the states, they ran my drivers lic as usual and found a dwi from 1984 and court collected check from 1992. Those two things kept me out of Canada. We kept our relationship going through cell phone and the Internet. Now 6 years later, one week before my first R & R from here I received my permit to enter Canada. We were back together again like nothing had changed both stayed true blue and we will be married this summer.

I want to fly bad. It was how I wanted to spend the last few years before retirement. I did think about CFI. When I was much younger I was a paramedic in Orlando. They made me an instructor because I had a knack for good communication and infinite patience under lots of pressure. So if all else fails I will choose that. But I would like to work first as a commercial pilot and then move to CFI as I am forced into retirement. I should have enough saved by then to buy my own 182 cash. But that is aways off and I just wanted to thank you all for shedding some light on this for me.

can anyone tell me if this light from the tower is given during daylight hours, twilight, or night? I was thinking I might get some practice here just standing out at the runway but then had to realize that most of the time they are coming in blacked out lol. At least the C-130's do, some of the Russian transports are coming in with nav lights on no strobes though.

Thanks,
Ken
 
Well as far as being 50 now and flying for a regional as a FO that ia certainlty a possibility. With upgrades at most regoinals averaging 3-5 years RJ captain is not too far fetched. ExpressJet recently hired two guys that were 56 going into ground school, not sure of their background however. You should be competitive for a regional within two years of starting training, if you dedicate yourself to it, especially if you attend an accelerated program like AllATPs (and others that are advertized on here)

Ameriflight and AirNet are both 2 good part 135 freight companies (with no age restrictions) that you could get into a lear after 3 years or so (I think, please correct me if I am wrong).

If you want it bad enough, you will not have a problem finding a suitable job for you at your age. You may have to work harder than some of us younger folk, but by no means give up.
 
Just echoing what everyone else is saying here, but airlines are probably not for you. You are obviously not in it for the money and have a lot of flexibility because of that. You can do the fun kind of flying like instructing or maybe even running a flight school some day. There are plenty of day only commercial jobs out there even if you are restricted to that (think banner-towing). Small planes are more fun anyway, so I would say go for it.
 
if you dont get to fly as the end of your career making money, you can still have it as a weekend hobby.

but anyways, come home soon, come home safe!
 
g48dd said:
I have had many exciting jobs ... can not afford to give up what I do right now ( combat truck driver IRAQ ). QUOTE]

Exciting no doubt! Keep your head down ... I had a good friend who took a simular job in Iraq ( the money looked real good ), any ways he's dead. Got hit by a IED.

Come home safe and pursue your dream ... it can happen.


Jim
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