Is it really worth it ??

[Skyone]

Reading from some other fellows makes me wonder is it really worth it?
I seen some post from people of my own age here that chase the same dream maybe little to late.
I am 38 years old working in IT making around 50k before taxes.
So lets see if I see it right if I
Spent maybe 30-40 euro somwhere in europe or usa for training and if I get lucky and get hired by some airline I will be making for a few years or longer half what I make now ,not mentioning investment that I put in. I love flying but at my age 38 doesnt it make sense to risk so much money even if we get lucky for years we will be making much less then we do now , unless someone makes same money now.
Are there any people who have same dillema here , or who had and succeded. I would like to hear from them
Thanks

[RVR800]

As you point out it will cost you a fortune up to 100,000 euro and it is very high risk. At 38 and £50K current salary you will not break even by age 60 (retirement). (Unless you are very lucky) Assuming you got a lucky break - a first officer position at age 40 (they prefer people in their 20s) you would be paid less than half that. You would increase you chances with a type rating though (expensive). You will find some that have been successful although many aren't......

[tom24]

you would be paid less than half that

For a jet FO? I don't think so.

But, back to the original question, I think it heavily depends on your personal circumstances. If you've paid for your mortgage, your kids are grown up, your wife won't mind the halting of meals out, can afford the loss of salary, you can survive whilst receiving PFO after PFO, then you may as well give it a go.

There are a lot of people on here who live with the fairies and don't seem to understand that people have responsibilities and commitments and will say things like "go for your dreams". Yes, we would all like that but at some point you have to get real and give into the fact that it may really be too late.

I don't know much about you, but age wise I think you still have a chance. If you have the cash to splash I would certainly give it a go. However, as time is the only thing against you I think you should consider an integrated course with one of the big boys (And before I get shot down I am going modular and prefer the modular route overall, but integrated is the way for this guy considering his circumstances). I'd go for Oxford. Yes, it’s expensive and it’s a gamble, but any school you go to in your case is going to be a gamble. If you are extremely gifted the chances are you'll be recommended to the airlines and then sorted.

Failing that, go modular, keep your job but you'll really have to work your ass off every night cos you'll want to complete the groundschool ASAP. Once done, quit your job, do a modular CPL/IR and then pay for a type rating straight away. With a basic CPL/IR at your age, you will find it almost impossible as you'll be up against a lot of younger people than yourself.

Good luck with whatever you go for. Some of my message may seem harsh, but this game isn’t for the faint hearted, but I’m sure you're still in with a pretty good chance!

Good luck.

[Skyone]

I think you are right on the money 100% right
Thanks for your comments

[VFE]

I would strongly advise against it.

There are guys half your age qualified and never getting so much as a sniff of an interview, indeed many give up the dream once they have the licence because it really is THAT bleak. You will end up either skint, depressed, lonely or all three.....

Guys are offering their services to airlines for free. Airlines are bonding people for type ratings of up to nearly £30k and for that you get paid minimum wage ON JETS! Holding pools are deeper than the Atlantic and those at the seabed get buried after being kept on tenterhooks for 12 months. I could go on?

It is a joke mate.

Stick to the IT and retire early with your health & savings intact, a PPL + aircraft share, perhaps an apartment in the sun and a happy family.

Of course, this advice is meaningless if a chief pilot or recruitment manager is a close buddy of yours.

VFE.

[tom24]

VFE

Have you considered doing something constructive, i.e. self-sponsoring a type. Lets face it, if you don't do that, the chances are you'll be instructing on a 152 or flying TP's on a low salary for the next three years. You may as well just take the extra financial hit now and you'll more than break even within 3 years flying a 737/A320. You'll also be 3 years closer to command. Its not rocket science really. If you say you can't afford it, then that's your problem as you should have realised from the start that having to self-sponsor a type to get ahead would be a real possibility.

[VFE]

I commenced my training prior to 911 so I'm afraid self sponsoring a type rating was not a real possibility when I borrowed my training money from HSBC. In fact not once did anyone ever mention that a type rating was the way forward following training indeed the idea was considered absurd by the majority of those undertaking their training prior to 911. It was once the same with MCC's because we never used to be expected to pay for those either but I did factor for that as the trend was changing towards the kind of 'proactive' (read:expensive) approach now being championed by many.

There are strong opinions amongst many in my situation against pushing the goal posts further away in an attempt to gain advantage over others. Soon the possibility of becoming a commercial pilot will be impossible due to the cost if everyone is to be expected to pay for their type ratings without promise of employment. There needs to be some kind of unity amongst us to ensure this doesn't happen but when there are rich scabs about who'll offer to work for free this kind of utopia is unobtainable and type ratings are the least of our worries.

Obviously the ideas you mooted have already been considered and I'm currently in the process of deciding whether to incur further debt by purchasing a type rating however you hear differing stories as to the usefulness of this particular course of action depending upon who you speak to. Everyone is an expert as you may have already discovered if you've been in the aviation 'sphere' for any considerable period of time but the depressing reality is that nobody has the definative answer to obtaining initial employment because predicting pilot recruitment trends is comparable to picking the lotto bonus ball. There is no reliable trend from one source to another.

VFE.

[Number Cruncher]

VFE

I feel for you and for every other guy out there struggling for their first break, but you really need to do what's best for yourself and worry less about your peers as I’m sure they'd do the same given the chance.

I understand peoples attitudes towards buying types, but as I see it at the moment it really is the only way to fast track yourself to the jets and a decent living with that. Its no good worrying about 'not giving into the airlines' because as you state there are a lot of others out there who will take up such schemes.

I spoke to a senior bloke from Astraeus just the other day and he stated that 100% of the students that had enrolled onto the 737 type with hours scheme to date had gone onto employment, most before even finishing the 100 hours they offer. There are other schemes out there. Wizz offer some scheme which gives you 500 hours A320, of which I know little more about.

If you can get the cash together I’d say go for it. If you don't, when you eventually get a job, if they have to rate you you'll be on a less salary anyway, so what I guess I’m saying is that you're gonna have to take the hit sooner or later.

I've done the sums (look at my username). Let this also be a warning to those looking for Oxford and the rest of those types - a basic licence is not very likely to get you a jet job - unless you're extremely gifted!

Good luck VFE

[Megaton]

Not all doom and gloom. I'm 38 and low-houred. Got first job on regional TPs end of last year but start with BA sometime in the near future on (probably) the Airbus. TP salary poor but starting salary with BA is £43k + £10K allowances. My salary has dropped since becoming a pilot but only for a few months.

[VFE]

But weren't you instructing out in the USA prior to your TP job Ham? Coulda sworn you've been qualified for some time now as I recall some of your postings from five years back.

Anyway, well done on BA job. Good to hear success stories.

Thanks for the advice too Number Cruncher. I am certainly considering the route you advise but I'm extremely challenged by my morals about the whole thing. You get to a stage where you have to draw a line and if I have to die defending certain basic morals then it could be a case of 'so be it'. Then again.... ;)

VFE.

[Megaton]

Qualified a couple of years back but couldn't leave my old employment until last year. Finished one career on a Friday, started new one as a pilot nine days later. :)

[flighttime2.0]

Guys it all depends on how passionate and how bad you want to fly as a career. I had to make a lot of sacrafises through my training but I tell you id have sold my granny on ebay to achieve my dream of flying jets.
I only competed my training about two months ago and got offered a job last week after my interview, after all the sacrafises and knock backs along the way Id do it all over again to feel the way I did after finding out my dream was going to be a reality. Flighttime2.0

[RobertFL]

Flightitime2.0 what are you flying now? and how old are you?, cause that probably has something to do with how many chances someone have at it

[flighttime2.0]

cause that probably has something to do with how many chances someone have at it!!

Not really sure what you mean be that RobertFL? but if your refering to how many interviews I had it was the first one. Flighttime:ok: