Hi All,
I have been a long time reader of pprune so I am across previous posts in this thread and in the wannabe section. As an introduction, I have just turned 39, married, kids, and mortgage. I have made the decision to pursue the dream of career pilot. If you think I shouldn't chase the dream, please don't comment - I might be a stubborn fool but I have only felt regret my entire life for not doing this earlier and now I have got to the point where I can no longer tolerate not having a go. I'm not going into this blind (metaphorically or literally - Class 1 medical approved) - I understand how hard this is going to be. I have worked my way up to my RPL and am continuing flying as much as I can afford (approx. av. 1 hr per week). This translates to getting my CPL at or around 41 years old and so far I have enjoyed every minute of flying.
If anyone has any advice on how I can make myself attractive to an employer I'd value any comments or PMs to assist me. I would like to know if I should get the MECIR after CPL to make me employable or if there is a reasonable chance to secure a job with CPL only - I understand this may require moving but would prefer a FIFO or commuter job - do these exist at the CPL level? I am happy to do anything from RAAus or G3 junior instructor through to airline SO - whatever it takes.
I also flew roughly 20 hours about 15 years ago but the flying school I did this through lost my logbook (they also didn't treat me very well which is one of the reasons I didn't continue back then)- can anyone think of any way I can evidence these flying hours or have them recognised towards my CPL?
I think a cadetship is out of the question as I cannot afford to not work for 12-18 months but if there are other suggestions I am happy to listen.
All opinions and comments from seasoned professionals and starters like me are valued. If I can learn from other people's experiences then hopefully that will assist me, so thank you in advance for accepting me on this site and providing any guidance.