ariel,
You want me to admit to my age!!! On PPRuNe!!!!!!
Oh, alright then. I suppose it might help some of these 30 and 40 somethings who agonise that they're too old...
PPL(A) at age 50
PPL(H) at nearly 52
CPL(H) at age 53
FI(H) at age 54 (and a half)
First instructing job (part time) at nearly 55. First fulltime instructing job, when other work started going down the tubes, last year at age 57. Now 58....but I don't look it!!!!!! Errr...or act it, probably.
Why did I do it? Partly for the challenge, partly because no-one believed I could ("Oh don't be silly, Whirly, of course you can't become a helicopter pilot"), but mainly because I loved flying helicopters and couldn't afford to long term - the inheritance which paid for the training wasn't a regenerating money tree.
Was it worth it? An unqualified YES!!!! Instructing is hard work, insecure, and by no means as perfect as I thought it would be....but I still love it.
But ariel, my friend, you know all this! And you're younger than I am. And yes, you can do it too - if that's why you're asking.
