Advice Sought

[Biggles' Apprentice]

Hi guys, and excusxe me for taking a few moments of your time.

I am 41, 200 hourer PPL going for Instrument mainly on Jodelle and 152, (with the great Brendon O'Brien beltching his advice as my instructor!) with a stable professionbal career and, in modesty, a comfortable financial base.

I really feel that I want to fly in some guise for a living and would love your thoughts on this, however brutal they may be (!)

Income/renumeration is not as attractive as enjoying the rest of my working days.

Advice that would be useful is things such as opportunities, marketplaces for pilots, hours needed and so on.

I have worked a lot in the Industry as a former director of BRE where we worked for the likes of Boeing and Airbus on Cabin Enviroment and Air Quiality issues so understand it's not quite the fly-boy glory life some perceive !(in fact I know a lot about the oil ingestion issues suffered on 75's and 146's as I was approached by BALPA to investigate them- we didn't do the work in the end due to commercial conflicts, but I assure you the concerns are very real and there is a way of attracting funding to deal with them- private msg me if you want info)

Lastly, I am reasonably fit, very slightly asthmatic but a keen good level sportsman, and have eyesight of -5.25.

All help greatfully received.

[christn]

Stay as you are and fly for fun! If you fly commercially you will lose your love of flying and your 'comfortable financial base'

[ifleeplanes]

Im sorry to say that I think 41 is getting a little late to start out. I have known of people starting at that age and know of one in the RHS of a B737 for BMI. However, they are the exception to the rule.
Im sure you would find some form of employment but what form that would take is debatable. I would only recommend it at your age if you can afford to blow in the region of £40-50k plus the lost salary for the period in training and STILL be perfectly fiancialy secure at the end of it when if you dont get a job you have to go back to your old job. You would also have to face the fact that even if you did get a job the chances are it would pay very little for a long period of time.

[BoeingMEL]

Hi Biggles.. I really believe that the previous replies are spot-on...even though they may not be whay you wanted to hear. All is not lost however.. have you considered working towards an instructor's rating...or joining a small shared-ownership group... what about trying a helicopter PPL course? There are many options which can extend your enjoyment ....some will cost you and some will bring modest income. They all have the potential to enrich your aeronautical life. Good luck anyway..bm:O

[scroggs]

I think that your asthma and your eyesight may well deny you a Class 1 medical, which you would need to earn a living from flying. I am not a medic, however, and you should check this with a qualified Aviation Medical Examiner.

Scroggs

[The Pink Panther]

I think scroggs is right, your eyesight may well be beyond the class 1 limit.:ugh: