Hi I'm new :)

[rickrawson87]

First of all I'd like to say hi and that i hope posting here is ok because i couldn't see a newbie section to post in.
I'm Rick and i've just very recently got bitten by the bug! to cut a long story short my family have never really been interested in aviation and neither have I. I started dating a girl and her family are aviation mad. Her dad has a ppl and told me he'd take me up. That was 4 months ago and i think he now regrets it as i bug him to take me up now every spare second haha! The thrill of flying is nothing i've ever felt before and I started studying for my own ppl already! i've been very confused about what i want to do with my life and since that first flight i now know exactly what i want to do.
Anyways onto my question i've tried searching to see if it yields any results but alas i can't. My family aren't exactly the richest and I don't really have the greatest job so it will take me a long time to save up the required funds for the professional licenses. How old is too old to start in this business? if i save like made i will have enough to qualify me at roughly the age of 35. would i be past it at this age?
Thanks for any input you'd have!

[Mickey Kaye]

You very much have time on your side.

Over the years I've come across many a person who has managed to get professional licences on very meagre incomes.

Just fly as often as you can afford. If its once a fortnight then so be it.

Do it.

[mrmum]

Hi Rick,
Who knows where the aviation industry will be in ten years time, when you've saved up enough, could be better, could be worse. Generally, the situation seems cyclic, so starting training when recruitment is slow might be the right time. By the way, how much do you think you'll need to fund the process?
If money's tight, fly as much as you can with the f-in-law,all experience is useful. Borrow his old books and equipment, if he did his PPL relatively recently, they'll probably still be okay.
You've got a good choice of schools around there, where does the f-in-law fly from? I hear they're friendly and good value at Full Sutton;)
If you want to minimise costs, you should save up several thousand before you start, then fly regularly, a couple of times a day, several days a week. Do most or all of the theory exams before you start having lessons.
If it's a CPL or nothing for you, then go and get a class 1 medical from Gatwick before you start flying, it's expensive, but you need to know you meet the standards and it will be valid as a class two for your PPL for five years.
If funding is really a problem and you have spare time, get yourself out and around your local airfields and see if any of the schools have openings for op's/reception/refuelling/cleaning which they'll pay you for in lessons.
If it's what you want to do, go for it. It's not an easy road, hard work at times and financially stretching if you're funding it yourself. Most of us have probably been where you are, I know I have, you'll need determination to get through it, but definitely worth it in the end.

[rickrawson87]

from what i've been reading on here circa 50 thousand would be enough to cover training etc which is what I intend to save up. He flies from Gamston which is quite a nice air field. I'd love to make it a career i just want to be sure that i don't put the next 10 years of my life to waste by scrimping and saving to then at 35 be told i'm past it!

[LPVL]

Hello all,

I am in the same dead-lock as Rick.
I already hold a PPL since 2006, but my profession being an Electrical Engineer steals me so much time that I have no time for flying. Its a shame but in fact all I have been doing is to re-validate every 2 years the PPL SEP license.

All I want to do is going to the ATPL, but there is the issue of being old for that, the huge investment that in the end could not be put in practice.

In terms of investment, having already the PPL, it could be softened going for the Modular ATPL, making 36 kEUR, much less than the standard 70kEUR mean value for the Integrated ATPL.
In terms of being old, can you please give me your kind and wise advices.

Looking forward to hearing from you.

Kind regards!

[mrmum]

You're certainly not past it at 35, but the clock's ticking. Your choice of prospective employer may well be different to a 22yo 200hr integrated student, but that's not necessarily a problem. Depends what kind of flying you aspire to do, starting at 35, you're not realistically going to end up LHS of a long-haul B747 for Cathay, but there are loads of other rewarding jobs out there, what do you fancy?

[rickrawson87]

i'd like to make airline pilot but i don't know how realistic that is going to be. i wouldn't mind flying freight or working abroad somewhere. anythying basically that will put food on the table and a shelter for my future children i guess.

[rickrawson87]

so i was just reading another post on here, is it possible for an airline to pay for your training?! providing you obviously work for that company for x amount of years as is the norm when a company pays for training.

[MartinCh]

in which case, trying to be airline pilot, based in the UK, planning to be the provider for the family with stable income etc, you better stay flying for fun in syndicate/local flying club.

I know you've got many questions, but without wanting to be annoying, please spend few hours and go through 'stickies' and maybe SEARCH for key words. Those threads with lots of responses should be looked at briefly. Then you'd have better idea.

There used to be GAPAN scholarship for FULL ATPL theory/CPL training paid for, but it finished. Other than that, some part-sponsored schemes for the 'last part' of training for airline wannabes or MPL.

As long as there are heaps of lemmings willing to sell house/take out equity and spend more than needed and then pay Eaglejet and similar to fly for them, especially Irish/UK guys, T&Cs going down the drain, ryanair continues exploiting both employees and customers, it's not good time to make solid career out of airline flying.

Don't take it wrong. I know how you feel, having drive and desire to fly after discovering the skies. Most of us do (except the 'born to be captain' guys who take piston flying as necessary evil on the way to jets, during the initial training).

I wouldn't want to try and get airline job myself. Not in Europe, not nowadays.
Many agree that to fully embrace the joy of flying, one should keep it as hobby.
I am more into helicopters and fly gliders and got fixed wing licence. While the gliding is time-consuming, once you fly solo, it's pure aviation joy. Challenging. Anything but routine (if you don't get bored of circling for best lift in thermal and constantly adjusting it).

And don't upset the cargo pilots implying that you'd do anything to fly, even fly freight. haha. some pax carrying flight crew wish they'd fly crates instead. less hassle, less slaving up to max annual duty limitations.

[punia.amandeep]

Hi, Everyone
My name is Amandeep, quit difficult for every one to pronounce my name. Spare me. My problem is 80% close to what rick is facing now. The only difference is that Rick was not interested in Aviation and it is my childhood dream to Fly one day! My question is to all the current pilots in the industry and a Humble request to try and give me useful suggestions as even my future In-laws want me to become a Pilot. Because in India if you go ahead and wish to marry some one who does not belong to your cast then it sounds like you are committing a Sin. Anyways don't want to bore you guys with my love story. I am 21 years old now and i work in BPO in India, trying to get into this Industry form last 4 years but couldn't catch a link to it. I got into contact with IAANZ, New Zealand. I spoke to them so many times about it. But when i read the comments about IAANZ in this forum, i was shocked and now again I am clueless and don't know what to do. I cannot do it from India because there is lot of corruption and the institutes usually play with your career and money. So, I don't have any option but to pay the huge fees in IAANZ and do the course. Is there any one who can help me finding the right place in New Zealand to do this course. Please, its a request. :):)