Originally Posted by
knockknock
Evening Gents,
Long time stalker here and it’s finally time I thought I’d post on here.
I’m 39 years of age, and considered a “young” and junior pilot within the RAF. I’ve served for 15 years now and fulfilled a childhood dream but I think it’s time for me to finally move on, and I’m contemplating “signing off”.
I’ve gone from the mighty heights of the Beech Texan, Grob Tutor and T2 Hawk in training, to winning hearts and minds with the GR4, before moving onto the right seat on the E-3D where I am currently, and looks like I will be stuck for the foreseeable future.
I get that this isn’t the 80’s and 90’s where progression from RAF to civvy street was relatively (used loosely) straight forward.
At the ripe old age of 39 I get that in civvy terms, I’m fairly old, and will be joining the bottom of seniority with young lads and lasses probably half my age.
With a young family, leaving the military to join the well-trodden path to Commercial aviation is quite daunting and venturing into the somewhat unknown, but it’s something I am incredibly passionate for.
The cost of earning my ATPL, even with my “Learning Credits” still has a significant cost associated to it, at my age, is this a worthwhile investment? Is the demand there for old boys like me to take the seat that could be given to a 20 year old straight out of CTC?
Not only that, i don’t know how I feel about signing off (1 year notice period) without having signed on the dotted line with somebody, which I understand would be difficult without an ATPL, so I’m not guaranteed any income when I leave the gates for the last time.
I’m going to stop now before I end up rambling nonsense, but any advice would be very much appreciated, of course the t’internet isn’t really coming up with much apart from 14 year olds asking if they do 4 years in the RAF will they be able to fly a 747 for BA after, and the resettlement folks here aren’t exactly the most helpful on the planet.
Thanks in advance
Give me a PM I'm ex E3 now civi....