Hello all,
I am new to this forum. Like many of you, I'm at a crossroads.
I would greatly appreciate your opinions. Let me give you my background info.
- 35 years old (will be 36 in June,Ancient in aviation terms!)
- 4 year college degree completed.
- Private Pilot Cert. with approx. 90 hrs., working (slowly)on Inst. rating.
- married w/ 2 children & typical financial obligations, (mortgage,college loans,etc.)
Now to my questions.... At my age, is it still possible to put some kind of aviation career together? I'm aware that the major airlines are an unrealistic option at my age,so I'm not really interested in trying for them.
Due to family issues, I was thinking more along the lines of a Staff flight/sim instructor at like Flightsafety,Pan Am, an aviation university OR better yet, I wouldn't mind a job with the FAA /ubbthreads/images/icons/smile.gif
Now here's the rub, I have some problems with allergies and have had some cardiac testing done. (The cardiac tests came back negative...Thank God!) But it caused the FAA to request TONS of paperwork at my last medical. I rec'd my class 3 medical with no restrictions or special issuance. Still, I kinda feel like I have one strike against me already now that my FAA medical file is thick.
Thus, between the medical fiasco and the dismal aviation hiring of post 9/11, I've been hesitant to rush right out and go into debt up to my eyeballs for the additional ratings.
So fellas...Is it time to throw in the towel and forget about an aviation career? I would appreciate your responses.
Sincerely,
Mark P.
I am new to this forum. Like many of you, I'm at a crossroads.
I would greatly appreciate your opinions. Let me give you my background info.
- 35 years old (will be 36 in June,Ancient in aviation terms!)
- 4 year college degree completed.
- Private Pilot Cert. with approx. 90 hrs., working (slowly)on Inst. rating.
- married w/ 2 children & typical financial obligations, (mortgage,college loans,etc.)
Now to my questions.... At my age, is it still possible to put some kind of aviation career together? I'm aware that the major airlines are an unrealistic option at my age,so I'm not really interested in trying for them.
Due to family issues, I was thinking more along the lines of a Staff flight/sim instructor at like Flightsafety,Pan Am, an aviation university OR better yet, I wouldn't mind a job with the FAA /ubbthreads/images/icons/smile.gif
Now here's the rub, I have some problems with allergies and have had some cardiac testing done. (The cardiac tests came back negative...Thank God!) But it caused the FAA to request TONS of paperwork at my last medical. I rec'd my class 3 medical with no restrictions or special issuance. Still, I kinda feel like I have one strike against me already now that my FAA medical file is thick.
Thus, between the medical fiasco and the dismal aviation hiring of post 9/11, I've been hesitant to rush right out and go into debt up to my eyeballs for the additional ratings.
So fellas...Is it time to throw in the towel and forget about an aviation career? I would appreciate your responses.
Sincerely,
Mark P.