chasing a pipe dream

[Lemonbelly]

hey all. i have been looking into private lessons and asking around about commercial training. most people say don't even bother. if you manage to get the money together to get trained and get enough hours of flight time it doesn't mean you can find a job. so i want to know whats the facts.
is the job market flooded?
how old is to old to become a commercial pilot?
do all pilots need a degree? (cargo)
whats it like for women in the industry?
is it true it takes 4 years before you can get a job flying because its hard to get flight time and other experience and training.
i know all these have been asked before but i would really appreciate some answers. especially if there are women in the industry also.
thanks a lot!

[taybird]

- Is the job market flooded?
Yes. There are many more qualified pilots than there are jobs.
- How old is too old?
Difficult one this. Some say 30, others say as old as 45 is still ok. But the chances reduce with age, for sure.
- Degree?
Not necessary, although it can help for some recruitment programmes.
- Women?
From personal experience, some pros, some cons, but these balance each other out so there is effectively no difference.
-4 years?
Yes, and more, plus a lucky break or two. There are those who go straight into good jobs, but they are the exception rather than the rule.

I would recommend using the search function, there's a lot of info on age and employment prospects already out there. The gender thing is largely irrelevant, in my experience. Sometimes it works for you, sometimes against, but overall it makes no difference.

[Lemonbelly]

thanks for the reply. i will keep looking up info.
i am in my 30's and live in a small agg town. I'm not really looking to go to a major airport or fly a large passenger plane. so i don't know if i'm still competing with the more qualified pilots. its good i dont need a degree i'm not really a fan of college. i was hoping to work hard keep my head down and study and hope to find my place in the business.
are there any shipping or cargo type company's that use small airports?
would i be looking at crop dusting in a small town?
thanks again
have a great day!