Want to become at pilot...at 34

staledog said:
Should be noted that the last several posts, while they may be correct, are primarily concerned with flying for the airlines and assume you will go that route. Don't forget that there are many other types of flying out there. The airlines aren't for everybody.

Personally I like corporate/charter, you get to visit lots of different random places and often get to stay more than one night, so you can really get out and explore things.
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Agreed. I'm not gonna lie I would be perfectly content to flight instruct and ferry fly with the occasional charter trip here and there. I think it may not be a bad idea to put together a "what you can really expect from a career change to aviation at 30+" thread/sticky somewhere.

I've always been aware of the fact that may age isn't exactly a negative factor when it comes to entry level airline jobs but it certainly may be as I try to approach a level of seniority that I would reasonably like to expect given my age (if that makes sense?). IE; Starting out as a regional FO in my 30's wouldn't be a problem but by the time I'm 50 I may or may not have achieved a level of seniority that someone 10 years my junior may have. And then I am faced with the dilemma that while I am now 50 and have 15yrs give or take until mandatory retirement, the airline would have less incentive to promote me while other who are younger would continue to advance.

Now, I know that may not be exactly how it works in the majors but that is my assumption. As a result, I would be content to fly nice equipment with a salary that caps much lower than a Captain at a Major makes. Either way, I know I wouldn't want career advancement issues to jade my love for flying and aviation. Anyway.... I'll end my ramble now.
 
staledog said:
Should be noted that the last several posts, while they may be correct, are primarily concerned with flying for the airlines and assume you will go that route. Don't forget that there are many other types of flying out there. The airlines aren't for everybody.
.
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I started flying in 2003…I have made over 100K a couple of times as I move through the jobs trying to get to my personal dream job. Enjoy, follow your heart.

Was offered a co captain seat in a Challenger and Gulfstream this year…didn't take it to fly an Aero Commander LOL.
 
Bumblebee said:
I started flying in 2003…I have made over 100K a couple of times as I move through the jobs trying to get to my personal dream job. Enjoy, follow your heart.

Was offered a co captain seat in a Challenger and Gulfstream this year…didn't take it to fly an Aero Commander LOL.
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I hate that I want to have your problems.
 
dasleben said:
$75,000 is certainly doable in this industry. However, speaking for myself only, it took me 12 years from the day I started flying lessons to the day I had a job making that kind of money (which isn't really a lot, anyway). Some people timed everything right and got into that position much more quickly, but in many of our cases, things weren't so easy.

Make no mistake: This industry is seniority-based; no matter your need, your aptitude, or your motivation, if your company parks jets and you're on the bottom of the list, you'll be in the unemployment line. If things grind to a halt and stagnate, you might be stuck in the right seat of an RJ for years on end making much less (If I were still at XJT, I'd be almost an 8th year ERJ FO). Just be prepared to not make anywhere near $75,000 for a few years.

Best of luck.
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Wow, this post really made me think. I started flight training in 2005, 9 years ago and i'm currently making 35k a year. It's a long road, the most I ever made was 52K in those 9 years. I went though, CFI'ing, aircraft and charter salesman, Part 135 flying a Citation, regional and now at a LCC. Think about it long and hard before you make the decision.
 
wheelsup said:
At 34 you might have to take some shortcuts, go to Great Lakes for example to upgrade QUICK get some TPIC and bolt. It works, lots of guys are hired from there, their training program is no joke and they produce a lot of competent pilots. If you can do something like that I'd seriously consider it. If you are married/have kids/people to support it's going to be tough and you need to realize you might never make it to where you want to be.
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Great Lakes will be done for long before this guy gets the shot.
 
bRandom said:
First of all, I just want to thank everyone for their responses... Its very nice to have a community of this many qualified individuals giving me their honest opinion, especially considering im not even technically a pilot...yet.
I guess not getting into more debt (of which I already have a huge college debt) would be of importance, but if its all lumped into the same payment (student loans), maybe it would be acceptable haha... I will keep painting and pay for my private locally out of pocket to start. Im ready to "go for it", so if I can get loans through the community college associated with the local field I may do that. I guess wait and see what financial aid options are available to me, and keep painting.... Also i'll spare the flightsim comments... Im a professional musician, and my friend pointed out to me that its like someone saying they want to play music with you, and they have 5,000 hrs. of guitar hero experience haha!
Thanks everyone!
Brandon
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I saw the advice about "get your private and make sure you really can handle/like flying after that". I sort of brushed that off because I thought I really wanted to fly bad enough as it was that I wouldn't have any issues. NOW I realize that the advice is pretty sound. Lucky for me, it is still what I want to do. However, there have been some times when I think, "holy crap this is more real/intense and dangerous(training) than I thought it'd be". That part is important.

I have seen a few start the zero to hero ratings and reevaluate if it's worth it. They thought it would be easier and thought it would pay better and there would be quick progress to a fat paycheck. Reality check dudes you should have done more research. You really need to know what you're getting into and really want to fly. Really want to fly. Expect the worst and hope for the best, come in educated about flying for a living and you should do fine. Be educated about this stuff.

I commend you on coming to this site and looking for knowledge. These guys, for the most part, will give you that. Good luck and message me if you have any questions.
 
Smart move to come here for advice- wish I had,..
Nobody mentioned the watermelon through a garden hose which is us BabyBoomers.
I got screwd by the 60 to 65 extension- at 34, you're gonna get some coin even if they extend again.
This profession requires an
enormous investment, may I suggest you ride along and punch a line of Thunderstorms before you pony up 10 years debt
 
Italianaviator said:
Wow, this post really made me think. I started flight training in 2005, 9 years ago and i'm currently making 35k a year. It's a long road, the most I ever made was 52K in those 9 years. I went though, CFI'ing, aircraft and charter salesman, Part 135 flying a Citation, regional and now at a LCC. Think about it long and hard before you make the decision.
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@bRandom you need to read this post three times. This is typical in the industry.
 
bRandom said:
Ok so if i go pt61 that will take place in a small local airport versus the actual flightsafety academy (pt141)?
Thanks
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I'll second everyone on here about not going the collegiate route since you already have a degree. Aside from being a test pilot, no one cares what your degree is in. No one cares whether you did 61 or 141. However, I will say that 141 will get you there faster and cheaper if you're starting from scratch. I received my Comm SE, Instrument, ME add-on and CFI in 230 hours through Part 141 training at FBOs. (Did the CFI 61, cause it actually took less hours than 141)

You can get a regional job with a R-ATP at 1200 hours, vice 1500 if you go the collegiate route and get your ratings through them. However, I would caution that you do the math on that investment first. Personally, I don't think the additional tens of thousands you'll spend to get a degree you don't need, just in order to secure financing to get ratings, is worth the extra 3-6 months of full-time flight instructing it takes to get 300 hours. I know the finances are tough. I used the old Montgomery GI Bill, but took a loan out while it took the VA 14 months to pay me. I went through Sallie Mae, and got a decent rate and terms, believe it or not! However, I believe SLM got out of the aviation loan biz during the last recession.

If you stay in STL, I recommend looking at either St. Charles Flying Service at SET, or Air Associates of MO at SUS. I moved for there a little over a year ago, don't know if Air Assoc has a 141 program yet, but St. Charles does. Also, if your interested in working part time as a line guy or dispatcher, you'll qualify for some good perks after 6 mos. that will make training a little more affordable. PM me if this sounds interesting.

Good luck in whatever you decide. Some people make a large investment in this, only to find out it's not really for them. I'm not one of those, but I've had the privilege of sitting next to some of those over the years. Don't let any naysayers on internet forums bring you down, but just don't forget about the whole green grass/fence thing.
 
If you're working for a living, the 300 hours between 1200 and 1500 hours will take very little time. If you're paying for time yourself, you'll almost certainly never make it to 1200 hours.

Pretty straightforward, in that respect.

If you CAN not fly,you SHOULD not fly.

If you CAN'T not fly, then why even ask "should I?"—just ask "How?" and ignore anyone who says "Don't."

The good news is that you've done something that everyone here recommends: You went to college, and you got a degree in something other than aviation. Everyone here will tell you that's the first thing you should do. Unfortunately, it sounds like the decision to go to college might have put you in a position where aviation simply isn't an achievable dream.

-Fox
 
@bRandom make sure you pay for your training as you go. Come into the industry with minimal debt. You never know how it will work.

I have been working as a professional pilot for over 6 years. I have made over 30K only one of those years. Not everyone has this problem, but it doesn't take much for this industry to tank like it did when I got my CFI certificates.
 
bRandom said:
I have been fascinated with aeronautics since I can remember, and have finally decided to chase my dream after getting a bachelors in Kinesiology (which does not particularly interest me career-wise) and pursuing a host of nothing jobs to try and make ends meet. So sparing the details, I live in St. Louis and have done little actual flying (although I have over 5,000 hours between DCS A-10 and Microsoft FlightSim haha)... So I am trying to find the best route to quickly and cheaply (and by cheaply I mean loans/financial aid) attain everything I need to fly at least charter/private and possibly commercially...

- I was looking into Parks college through St Louis University as a possibility (assuming I gain admission)
- I also spoke with a family friend who is manager of flightsafety international in orlando and he mentioned coming there along with embry-riddle... (flightsafety also has a st louis branch)
-I have a friend who is a member of this forum who recommended not necessarily going through college, but going to a local airport flight training program (due to cost effectiveness and not really needing college experience to get hired... just hours in the appropriate aircraft) and these two schools are available.

- http://stlflight.com/index.html (this program has a satellite community college program)... http://www.swic.edu/aviation-pilot-training/

- http://www.atpflightschool.com/flight_schools/missouri/st-louis-sus.html

-then the local college (Parks associated with St. Louis University) http://parks.slu.edu/departments/aviation-science/

Another option is to learn in Ohio area near my family at OSU...

Anyways, my friend recommended I give a shout out to this forum. I really appreciate any feedback and I hope this type of message does not overstep the boundaries of this forum. I am motivated and feel like I'm finally doing something I have always wanted to do more than anything else.

I'm honestly not sure if I have a preference to fly privately, commercially, or charter flights (well ok actually I guess I would prefer the A-10)... I just want to be a pilot! So, I have quite a few decisions to make, but just wondered of anyone had any good career recommendations.
Thanks,
Brandon Walker
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You, my friend, are NEVER too old to try anything. Of course, one must use some discretion! We all hear stories, now and then, about someone 80+ years of age, getting their pilot license. Anything on your 'bucket list' needs to be addressed asap!
 
Do not finance your flight training. I speak from experience. It can be done. But you'll be broke for 10 years. Many have done it before me and gotten completely out of aviation because the pay just isn't there for the first decade.
 
bRandom said:
I have been fascinated with aeronautics since I can remember, and have finally decided to chase my dream after getting a bachelors in Kinesiology (which does not particularly interest me career-wise) and pursuing a host of nothing jobs to try and make ends meet. So sparing the details, I live in St. Louis and have done little actual flying (although I have over 5,000 hours between DCS A-10 and Microsoft FlightSim haha)... So I am trying to find the best route to quickly and cheaply (and by cheaply I mean loans/financial aid) attain everything I need to fly at least charter/private and possibly commercially...

- I was looking into Parks college through St Louis University as a possibility (assuming I gain admission)
- I also spoke with a family friend who is manager of flightsafety international in orlando and he mentioned coming there along with embry-riddle... (flightsafety also has a st louis branch)
-I have a friend who is a member of this forum who recommended not necessarily going through college, but going to a local airport flight training program (due to cost effectiveness and not really needing college experience to get hired... just hours in the appropriate aircraft) and these two schools are available.

- http://stlflight.com/index.html (this program has a satellite community college program)... http://www.swic.edu/aviation-pilot-training/

- http://www.atpflightschool.com/flight_schools/missouri/st-louis-sus.html

-then the local college (Parks associated with St. Louis University) http://parks.slu.edu/departments/aviation-science/

Another option is to learn in Ohio area near my family at OSU...

Anyways, my friend recommended I give a shout out to this forum. I really appreciate any feedback and I hope this type of message does not overstep the boundaries of this forum. I am motivated and feel like I'm finally doing something I have always wanted to do more than anything else.

I'm honestly not sure if I have a preference to fly privately, commercially, or charter flights (well ok actually I guess I would prefer the A-10)... I just want to be a pilot! So, I have quite a few decisions to make, but just wondered of anyone had any good career recommendations.
Thanks,
Brandon Walker
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I just want(ed) to be a pilot too. Or so I thought until I actually got into the aviation business, and saw what the world of the commercial pilot is really all about. Now I can say I'm glad I didn't. I'm still in aviation, just not flying.

My point is this: you may think you want to do this, but as of now, it's not an informed decision. So before you think about flying lessons, pilots licenses, and commercial airlines, etc, take the time to inform yourself about what the world of professional piloting and commercial aviation, is really all about.

You've come to the right place. Lots of informed and knowledgeable people here. Take also the time to browse other forums, such as the dispatcher or maintenance forum. You may find something else that appeals even more.
 
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