Originally Posted by
truckflyer
There are jobs, but they are now primary going to MPL students or other flight programs, I have seen "older" candidates come through on these programs the last 12 months and straight in the company as an FO. You started your Modular route when 36, I was 40, there is some time, but if you are 50 you don't have 4 -5 years to mess around in my opinion if your goal is to get into an airline job.
There is a stage where to modular route is not the best option for some, unless they are happy to waste 70 - 100K (with TR), and see where it leads them.
Also there are many ex-pats who have been stuck abroad longer then they expected, dying to come back to UK for various reasons, and these are experienced both Captains and FO's, so getting in from the "outside" modular route is not going to be easy. Btw Ryanair are fairly ageist if you are low hours and over 40.
Also important, are you willing to re-locate / commute big distances to take any job you get offered. My first job I was basically away 8 days and 2 days home, missed every important significant occasions in family life over those 2 years, Christmas Eve and Christmas day was stuck in a 2 star hotel with no heating, where all the staff had gone home at 7 Pm so no food etc.
If you have been successful in business and had a "good lifestyle", this might come as a shock to you. Not every 50 year old are willing to be treated this way at this stage in their life, so you need to ask yourself are you willing to spend 4 - 5 years spending thousands of pounds, to then be treated and paid crap?
And the progression from TP to Jets, is not something that happens a lot anymore, so all depends what you want.
However there is no way someone starting at 50 who wants to have a shot in a good airline with ok conditions for a few years, 10 - 13 years is going to be the max, will have much chance of that going Modular that late in life.
Making the choice when you are 36 / 39 vs 50 are 2 very different things, 36 I would not even categorize as "old" to start.
Personally when I decided to go for it, I felt that was the latest time to do it, I would never have done it if I was 50. My personal cut off limit would have been 45 to have completed any training.
I'm not saying you don't have some points to consider, but I also think you paint an overly bleak picture.
At the end of the day the big thing I do agree with you on is that its really about how fast you are willing and able to progress your training as an older pilot, what you're willing to risk in terms of the life you already have, and how open your eyes are to the realities of being a new low hours airline pilot and that your employer (should you get one) is going to expect you to make the same sacrifices and moves as the guys who've just left 6th form college.