Too old to start pilot career? Need advice!

mandyk

mandyk

Member
Hi everyone,

I am asking this question for my husband. Any advice would be appreciated.

My husband is 33 years old. He is thinking to go to flight training school and become a pilot in the future. Currently, he is in the military. (He is a combat engineer/parachuter ,not aviation related)

He has his bachelor degree on Geology, and he is working on his master degree on aviation at Embry -riddle.

He is thinking to get out of the army in 2017 then go to flight school.(Luckily, government will pay for his tuition) By the time he finishes his training, he will be almost 40 years old.

So my questions are

1. Is 40 too old to start a pilot career? I am sure his physical condition is good enough to pass the physical requirements, but is it too late to start this career at the age 40?

2.Any good schools that has fast track program recommended?

Thanks in advance
 
He'll have 25 years before he has to retire. Is that long enough of a career for him to want to make the commitment?

Keep in mind that he will be making food stamp level wages for a while. Can your finances handle that?
 
Thanks for your response, Tony. I am a little nervous about finance while he will be in training school and at the start of this process. I know it may depends on people ,but in general, in how many years does it take for a young pilot to reach 50 thousands in salary?
 
mandyk said:
Thanks for your response, Tony. I am a little nervous about finance while he will be in training school and at the start of this process. I know it may depends on people ,but in general, in how many years does it take for a young pilot to reach 50 thousands in salary?
Click to expand...

If he goes to one of the better paying regionals, he can make $50k in his second year. There are plenty of career changers who start at 40. Keep in mind, he needs 1500 hours of total time to apply and that will take years to accomplish.
 
I got started at 34, now 42 and a first year FO at the most hated regional du jour. I don't regret getting into aviation but your situation is likely different than mine. It can be done, whether its a wise choice or not is up to you to decide.
 
Repeat the mantra..."There are NO guarantees in aviation regardless of money spent in the pursuit or the preparedness of the individual". That's the cold hard bottom line.....

His he too old? Not necessarily since the mandatory retirement age has been raised to 65 from 60 a few years ago. Who knows where it will be raised 15-25 years from now. Having said that, time may not be on his side and the both of you will be spending a lot of money up front for potentially little financial return or job security in the historically unstable airline biz. It may take years after beginning his training before he even has the necessary requirements to get hired.

It's not one of those career fields that you finish your "schooling" and immediately make the jump to the airlines and begin rolling in the dough flying shines new jets. Chances are there will be some very thin years financially....and I'm talking McDonald's type wages. Are you really prepared for, and can you two handle that?

One item that many folks tend to initially gloss over is if they are able to pass the FAA first class physical? It's not a one time deal and it gets harder the older you get. He'll have to be able to pass that same physical twice a year every year for the duration of his career just to stay employed. There are many disqualifying ailments that wouldn't effect the average office worker but are a concern for pilots.

Sorry for the blunt reality slap.....

Now, on the plus side, the airlines will be retiring their current roster of pilots at an accelerated rate in the next few years( yes, I'll be one of them). Combine that with expansion or airlines worldwide (especially in Asian countries) and his timing may be perfect for the next hiring boom.

I think fewer and fewer young folks are looking toward aviation as a viable career choice. I think this is mostly due to the high financial investment required upfront vs the low beginning wages. I also think the mystique of aviation is gone for many of the younger crowd versus when My generation were growing up. I believe the airlines will soon be forced to begin their own ab initio training programs to fill the seats much like foreign carriers have been doing for years.
 
Your hubby might be one of those cases where he would be better off at a 135 gig topping out at 60k a year than grinding out at the airline game. I'm told that even with the wave of retirements it is a little late for guys who aren't in 121 to be jumping in but whether that's true or not is anyone's guess.
 
A300Capt said:
Chances are there will be some very thin years financially....and I'm talking McDonald's type wages.
Click to expand...
Actually at one point of my flying career when wages weren't paying the bills I looked at McDonalds. As an assistant manager you can pull in $60K, managers even more. It was looking like quite a good option as compared to aviation for a long time.
 
@mandyk my husband got his first 121 job at nearly 38. He wanted to do it and I supported him (literally--both emotionally and financially). It was what he wanted. If you are not happy in your job, why bother? 24 years later he is a CA at a major and winding down this phase. If you are on FB, there is a pilot wives group or three in addition to Jetgirls.net.
 
Last edited:
Or a mining company.

If I had a geology degree I would be an expat again. Better money than any pilot I know and you get to see the world.
 
Thanks for everyone's insights. I appreciated it. I will have a furthermore discussion with my husband. So in general,how long does it take to meet 1500 hours requirement ? How to build these hours ? By being a flight instructor? It sounds like a pretty long process ...
 
mandyk said:
Thanks for everyone's insights. I appreciated it. I will have a furthermore discussion with my husband. So in general,how long does it take to meet 1500 hours requirement ? How to build these hours ? By being a flight instructor? It sounds like a pretty long process ...
Click to expand...
These guys are a better source because when my husband got hired at a commuter, he had 2,500 hours and that was light! :) good luck to you in what ever you pursue!
 
mandyk said:
Thanks for everyone's insights. I appreciated it. I will have a furthermore discussion with my husband. So in general,how long does it take to meet 1500 hours requirement ? How to build these hours ? By being a flight instructor? It sounds like a pretty long process ...
Click to expand...

It is a long process.

Figure about 12-15 months if he goes to a full time flight school that will train him from 0 - Private Pilot - Instrument - Commercial Multi - Comercial Single - Flight instructor.

Then about 2 years working as a flight instructor to build flight time and experience up to 1500 hours.

Then and only then can he apply for the airlines.

My suggestion is to have him get his private license part time locally before taking the plunge. See if he has any aptitude for flying and if he actually enjoys it as much as he thought.
 
mandyk said:
Thanks for everyone's insights. I appreciated it. I will have a furthermore discussion with my husband. So in general,how long does it take to meet 1500 hours requirement ? How to build these hours ? By being a flight instructor? It sounds like a pretty long process ...
Click to expand...

The only surefire way is to pay for them, at ~$100-150/hr. Nothing else is guaranteed.

That said, it's probable that after 250-500 hours of paying for it at $100-$150/hr (~100-120 hours of which will likely be instruction at an additional $30-50/hr), he'll be able to get a job doing flight instruction for about minimum wage. If he gets on at a good school, or moves on from there, it's possible that he can have 1500 hours in a couple of years. If it's a less-good school, and he's flying less, and he has to pick up multi time/ratings himself, it can be three or four years before he has the minimum requirements necessary to become a first-year regional pilot... providing any regionals are hiring at that time, provided he gets selected to interview, and provided he makes it through the interview and training.

The good news is that from there it only gets better, unless the company experiences instability, the economy becomes unhappy, the market shifts, he dings something, he fails a medical exam, checkride, line check, gets violated for a loose dataplate, or any of the myriad other reasons that ones career can come to a screeching halt.

Here's my take: if he CAN not fly for a living, he SHOULD not fly for a living. In other words, if it's essential to his being happy that he fly (and that that isn't simply based on wearing a pilot costume and strutting around an airport), then nothing I, you, or anyone else can say would stop him, and the point is moot. Otherwise, the first step is for him to take everything he thinks he knows about what it's like to be a professional pilot and chuck it out the window.

Forewarned is forewarmed, and it's a cold business.

~Fox
 
Roger Roger said:
Your hubby might be one of those cases where he would be better off at a 135 gig topping out at 60k a year than grinding out at the airline game. I'm told that even with the wave of retirements it is a little late for guys who aren't in 121 to be jumping in but whether that's true or not is anyone's guess.
Click to expand...
I'm curious to know how many regional pilots there are right now to fill those retirements. It looks like they go pretty well through 2030. Obviously the guys that will be 777 CA are more than likely already at the major.
 
I'll give you a quick answer. Sorry short on time. I didn't start flying until my 30's, and that was just for fun. I received my commercial cert. when I was 40. In 6 years I got my cfi,cfi-i, and mei, did flight instructing. Got a job at a regional airline, and then a corporate job flying a citation xls. I've had many issues along the way, that in reality could have ended my flying career before it ever started. However, I believe anyone can obtain their desires/dreams, with effort.
 
mandyk said:
Thanks for everyone's insights. I appreciated it. I will have a furthermore discussion with my husband. So in general,how long does it take to meet 1500 hours requirement ? How to build these hours ? By being a flight instructor? It sounds like a pretty long process ...
Click to expand...

Depends how much he flies. Either way, its going to take a few years.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top