Welcome, I am a fresh Private, got my license couple a weeks ago. Currently with 65 hours, working on IFR, want to have it by the end of year with over 100 hrs. If time and money permits - double it, and get Commercial and/or multiengine sometime next year. I am almost 32 years old, working as a director of IT in a brokerage company (quite boring, but it pays the bills).
My question is, how real for me - concerning my current age - is to start a prefessional career as a pilot. Let's say I can log 500 hours by the time I am 35, part of it multiengine. As an almost-full-time working person I can't really afford dropping everything and going into a flight school, where I could accomplish it faster (some offer it in 90 days - can you believe it?
. I did my Private on my own - all studying of course - and that will be the case with any future ratings that i wish to accomplish. I passed the practical quite well having 43 hours, and my instructor says i am quite talented. So let's assume I CAN do it.
It will cost me a lot of money and courage to move ahead with big intensity, but i think, that it is possible and it is worth it. However, i want to know the reality. Am I not too old? At what level can I start thinking of flying planes for hire? Will anybody hire me? How many hour do i need to have under my wings? How could i be a competition to pilots in their 20s having already hundreds of hours in the military? What is the best path to go? Is it easier to get a job in the US, or rather start look for something in different countries (i am from EU)? If so, how hard is it to switch into a new enviroment (JAR)? Shall i think of going into flying school - is it seen as something more preferred - or is it perfectly ok to accomplish all on my own? Are these high-intensity courses valuable? Is there any on-line course, where i can get knowledge, and do the flying somewhere close to NYC? If so, does it make sense?
Thank you for all the advice, and - please - be honest.