Some opinions needed

[Deano777]

Hi everyone
This is my first post on PPrune (as you can see) so hello to all,
basically I am at the very end of my PPL, and believe it or not I have been waiting to do my skills test since the end of January at BFC, the weather has not helped, basically I work a 3 day week, as soon as I go to work the sun comes out, as soon as Im on my days off the cloud and rain roll in, that coupled with the fact that my training aeroplane has been in the engineers since the end of March hasnt helped either, but anyway, I am one of the lucky ones who so nearly enrolled with Pilot Assist, I was defering signing with them until I had done and passed my skills test, so I guess the bad weather in the SW here hasnt been all bad.
Basically, I am 30 years old (only just) and am looking to undertake my ATPL as soon as practically possible, what I am looking for is some opinions as to whether you think I would be wasting my time/effort/money due to my age, bearing in mind I have a timeframe of obtaining a fATPL by the time Im 32/33,
at present I have a mortgage, a wife, no children and get 4 days off every week, I can self fund (only just) but I am just slightly concerned with whether I am an employable prospect at 32/33 with fATPL and little experience, I fullly understand the demand right now for pilots is not there so my chances right now are not good, but maybe (and everything goes in cycles) when the industry climbs out of the hole it is in there may be, I never want to give up hope of doing something I have had a love for since I was a boy but I have to look at it realistically and face facts,
what do you guys think? I only want to gauge some opinion, I will go ahead with it anyway because I do not want to look back in 10 years time and say to myself, 'If Only' I would rather have 'been there, tried that and failed' than not to have tried at all

Thanks in advance

Dean.

[Vortex Thing]

Deano777,

There are those who go to sleep every night and dream of doing something that they always wanted to do and there are those who get up in the morning and do it.

Very little in life worth having comes easily. Those who dare to try can succeed. Some may win and some may lose but if it doesn't kill you you learn from it and use the experience to eventually succeed.

Those who don't try will only achieve as much as their efforts belie.

Go for it... If you don't make it at least you tried and lived.

Whats the point in living if you can't feel alive.... Go out there and like the good man said, 'Slip the surly bonds of earth to touch the face of god.'

[benhurr]

Well I started training when I was 30. I am now 32 with a fATPL, no flying job and not much on the horizon.

I can say however, that I do not regret the decision I made one little bit. And during my training, I came into contact with a lot of people a lot older than me.

By the time you finish training things will be better, purely based on the idea that they can't possible get any worse (he says touching lots of wood).

Good luck

[Onan the Clumsy]

If it's what you want to do, then go for it. You can always go back to a real job if you need to. But you can't roll back time and change a decision you made when you were thirty.

I'm 43 now and still plugging away at it in my spare time. I don't think age is a problem - especially if you're only 30 :yuk: In the states, they have age discrimination laws any way and I've heard of 58 year olds being hired by majors.

As for prospects, it's like buying stocks, the best time is when it looks darkest. When your ready for the job, the market will be totally different and they might be begging for pilots again.

Like the other guys said, you're a long time in a box under the ground.