Too old to start pilot career? Need advice!

fly22 said:
With a geology degree you could do so much more than fly planes.
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So true. But a lot of us with degrees in other fields decided to fly instead. I'm happy with my decision... It made me a much happier person.

Oddly, the only people I've come across that were negative about my decision to leave engineering for aviation were people that have only worked as professional pilots their entire career. They really have no idea what it's like outside their little bubble.

What's right for me (or whoever) isn't always logical.
 
GypsyPilot said:
So true. But a lot of us with degrees in other fields decided to fly instead. I'm happy with my decision... It made me a much happier person.

Oddly, the only people I've come across that were negative about my decision to leave engineering for aviation were people that have only worked as professional pilots their entire career. They really have no idea what it's like outside their little bubble.

What's right for me (or whoever) isn't always logical.
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And yet when you tell them that, they generally don't get it.

Honestly, I have a feeling that professional pilots are largely polarized into the obligate and the facultative. The former fly because it's all they want to do. The latter see it as a job, equivalent to other forms of work, and chosen for the benefits they perceived came with the position before they started.

Stuff's complex, yo.

-Fox
 
Sometimes openings like flying FO in Shorts 3-60 freight open up for kids with 300 hours.
100 hrs a month add up quick with senior Capt's allowing PIC.
40 with 25 years can be quite a positive result.
The Geo degree is banked already, the dream is the Cake and ice cream for you both
 
Don't base your decisions on pay as it is literally impossible to predict your husband's potential path. I am of the belief that pilots at heart, will always find a way to fly because that's who they are. To those who are just casually intrigued to pilot an aircraft but don't do well tolerating the professional pilot lifestyle, it is prabably not a career choice that I would endorse. The stability and predictability of an airline career is very difficult to draw a bead on and has the potential to destroy relationships and finances if not managed carefully. The old saying is that becoming an airline pilot will either make a strong relationship stronger, or quickly finish off a weak one.

I am one of the guys (and there are many here on JC) that was born, and maybe pre-ordained in a prior life to fly airplanes. As the doctor pulled me out, I was looking for an airplane and the keys that would make it fly. It's part of our DNA and if you were to draw blood on any of us, I'm pretty certain that part of it would show up as jet fuel. It's just who we are and we never considered being someone or something else.

The age issue? I read a story about a 60 year old lady starting law school. She was asked why, at her age, she would ever consider such a thing? She explained that she had always wanted to be an attorney. If she starts today, in three or four years, she's a 64 or 65 year old attorney and is happy. If she talks herself out of it and listens to all the nay-sayers, she will still be 64 or 65 in a few years and not be an attorney and likely have regrets. Time doesn't stop, but dreams unfortunately run out of steam all too often.

Are you and your husband dreamers? Will your husband be happy NOT being a pilot? Will you embrace and support his efforts? Will your husband look up at a passing jet and always wonder what could of been that now isn't? Those are the keys to your puzzle, not how much you will make or how soon he will be a captain. Those things the Universe gets to decide.

If it makes emotional sense and it feels right to both of you, do it. You will likely be hard pressed to sell the idea (even to yourself) if it is based on any sort of logic or common sense. Don't fight being who you are, but don't try to become someone or something that you are not. Hope that helps...

Good luck.
 
If you do your training at the right place, you can qualify for the restricted ATP (go to the regionals with 1,000) hours. Instructors at the busiest flight schools can fly 100+ hours a month. So you could, if everything goes smoothly, qualify for airlines within a year of finishing training.
 
Thank you everyone . I really appreciated your advice. I know flying is what he always wants to do so I am trying to do research and seek for advice for him. But I am just a more realistic person and want to plan everything ahead. So that's why I am concerned about time issue.

Another quick question : looking for flight school that can be covered by gi bill and it can be finished in one year. Any recommendation ?
 
mandyk said:
Thank you everyone . I really appreciated your advice. I know flying is what he always wants to do so I am trying to do research and seek for advice for him. But I am just a more realistic person and want to plan everything ahead. So that's why I am concerned about time issue.

Another quick question : looking for flight school that can be covered by gi bill and it can be finished in one year. Any recommendation ?
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One year? Thats likely not going to happen. The new 1500 rule put a halt on those fast track programs. There are schools out there that have 100 day fast track programs to get the commercial cert but they are expensive. For example, ATP is $65,000 for the 100 day program which will get him 275 hours. Have a look around their website. It will give you an idea on what to expect from those types of schools.

http://www.atpflightschool.com/
 
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How come it's not going to happen to get commercial pilot license In one year ? Since there are other schools like ATP offering 100 day track. ATP doesn't accept gi bill. I think gi bill only can be used to college based institutes.
 
mandyk said:
How come it's not going to happen to get commercial pilot license In one year ? Since there are other schools like ATP offering 100 day track. ATP doesn't accept gi bill. I think gi bill only can be used to college based institutes.
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You can easily get a commercial license in one year.
 
Zero to commercial pilot, the shortest time I've ever personally seen with my own eyes was five months, but that was a person who did nothing but fly and train literally every day. In that short a time frame, you probably wouldn't see your husband much, if at all.

Commercial pilot to instructor, that can be done in 1-2 months. Then from instructor to 1500 hours, as previous posters have mentioned, probably 1-2 years.

The trade off with using a GI bill is that if you do your training at a college, it will likely be a college-paced program, which means 2-4 years.

In addition to the loss of income, don't forget the potential quality of life impact, especially if you have kids. He'll be away a lot.
 
mandyk said:
How come it's not going to happen to get commercial pilot license In one year ? Since there are other schools like ATP offering 100 day track. ATP doesn't accept gi bill. I think gi bill only can be used to college based institutes.
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It can be done through a fast track program or 90% of his time is spent flying. I dont think you will find anything through a college based program that does it in a year. Whats the rush? There are plenty of folks who started in their 40s and went on to fly for a regional.
 
I made the decision to pursue an aviation career about 18 months prior to separating from the military at 32. (I never had a desire to be a pilot or be an airline pilot). When I made that decision to switch careers, all I had at the time was a private pilot certificate and instrument rating, and in order to work as a pilot I needed to get the commercial certificate and multi engine rating and flight instructor certificates, so I dedicated my last 18 months in the military to getting at least those three certificates/ratings. I wasn't eligible for the gi bill and it was before the post 9/11 gi bill so I paid out of pocket for all of my aviation ratings with discretionary/having fun money.

If your husband has 3 more years to go before leaving the military, does he have any flight experience now? He should at a minimum try to get as many certificates / ratings done prior to separating in the next 3 years while he is still in the military, instead of waiting to do flight training after he separates, so that he can start on his aviation career at 36 instead of 40. it might mean he might have to forego using the gi bill benefits to get the required certificates while in the military

The biggest issue I see starting an aviation career at 40, is that you are at a point in your life where your career earnings should be enough to prepare for retirement. The first few years as a regional pilot are slim where you're just making enough to live paycheck to paycheck but not enough to put away towards retirement. Yes you make more as you progress in the career, but now you have less time before retirement and need to contribute more to make up for lost time.

If your husband is going to be 36 when he separates, can I assume he will be retiring from the military? If so at least you have a little bit of retirement covered with his pension and the above paragraph is not much of a consideration.

It is possible to start a career at 40, lots of people do it.
 
If he's interested, look at crop dusting/ag flyingTotally different from airline flying, but home every night, you have to work your way up but there's no 1500tt req. Due to less supply and constant demand wages start at about 25-30k/season and it works it's way up 85+ for turbine sprayers in larger equipment. A season can be 3 to 6 months (sun up to sun down flying 6-7 days a week). But, home every night and most guys make enough once they get exp to take winters off. Others travel south to extend they're season and make more $$$.

FYI Im not a crop duster, but I've met quite a few. It seems like a viable option for a 2nd career guy. I'm actually an airline pilot and currently serving in the USAR myself. It's hard for me to recommend scheduled passenger flying to anyone starting out over 28. Sounds rough I know, but true.
 
HVYMETALDRVR said:
It's hard for me to recommend scheduled passenger flying to anyone starting out over 28. Sounds rough I know, but true.
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Honesty from someone like you in the business is the best advice careers changers can get. If nothing else it will set realistic expectations.

I know because I am 28 working on my IR and have always wanted to switch careers to become a professional pilot. Problem is, now that I finally earn enough to afford flying (100k+) I wonder if I am too late to the game.
 
AA34 said:
Honesty from someone like you in the business is the best advice careers changers can get. If nothing else it will set realistic expectations.

I know because I am 28 working on my IR and have always wanted to switch careers to become a professional pilot. Problem is, now that I finally earn enough to afford flying (100k+) I wonder if I am too late to the game.
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Buy a plane, or a share of one, and fly for fun. It'll take a LONG time for you to get to that pay rate if you ever do.

That's why I stopped pursuing an aviation career. I couldn't make it work. I'd have to go back to what I was making when I was fresh out of college, and I ain't going back to eating mac and cheese six days a week.
 
mandyk said:
How come it's not going to happen to get commercial pilot license In one year ? Since there are other schools like ATP offering 100 day track. ATP doesn't accept gi bill. I think gi bill only can be used to college based institutes.
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I just read an article in the US Airways magazine last night featuring a community college aviation program in eastern NC (maybe Lenoir in Kinston?), I think it mentioned that there are 3 total community college pilot programs in the state. This is the route I would suggest because he can likely find something close to home, keeping a part time job, and he can finish the program in 2 years rather than 4. Then, once he has his associates and ratings, he can build flight time as a CFI while finishing his 4 year degree online at the same time at Embry Riddle or TESC or another 4 year school.

I say put the GI bill to use and go for it.
 
Thanks again for you guys ' advice. How about flying cargo , crop and something else besides passenger airplane ? Is still as strict as passenger plane for at least 1500 hours ?
 
mandyk said:
Thanks again for you guys ' advice. How about flying cargo , crop and something else besides passenger airplane ? Is still as strict as passenger plane for at least 1500 hours ?
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Nope... and if he really wants to fly, and not just "be a pilot", he'll probably have a lot of fun there.

The downside is that there's really no money in it, you have to go where the flying is, and depending on what you're doing the schedules can either be decent or brutal.

Bottom line: In aviation, the $50k bar you're looking for is considered by many to be "good money". Listen to pilots talking among themselves, and you'll hear people referring to a $40k/yr job as paying well. When people outside of aviation think about the aviation industry, they typically think $100k+, but if the recent past is any indication, the odds of a new pilot seeing that level of income are fairly low. And frankly, $100k doesn't buy nearly what it did even ten years ago.

I'm not trying to discourage you.. er.. him... yall... but I think too many people get smoke blown up their leticibles about what aviation is and enter the field with a set of preconceived notions. Embry Riddle et al. are some of the worst offenders when it comes to building that image, and so if it sounds like I'm being overly negative that's probably why.

-Fox
 
As far as pay goes I recently changed airlines (less than a year ago) and while I am happy to be at the airline I am, my last paycheck was $649, not quite what I imagined I would be making when I am 40. Sounds like everyone has given great advice, and it sounds like you are trying to be proactive which is good. My best advice, ask questons, really read the answers and step back and think "is this really worth it?"
 
mandyk said:
Thanks again for you guys ' advice. How about flying cargo , crop and something else besides passenger airplane ? Is still as strict as passenger plane for at least 1500 hours ?
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You can do non-airline commercial flying with just the commercial license (250 hours). It's tough though to find a job with the bare minimum of hours, but possible with really good networking.

The far more common career path is flight instructor first, then something else (cargo/corporate/crop dusting/airlines)

Another path is just to be a career flight instructor. From that, you can go into an Assistant/Chief Pilot role (supervise other instructors at a school), specialize in a particular type of instruction and charge a premium, or own your own flight school. A more normal schedule and QOL, but income potential has a ceiling.

Just some more ideas.
 
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