If it helps, I did my ATPL writtens and got my initial IR in 1997 - I was 54
I got my first airline job in 1999 - wow! your arithmetic is good - yes, 56!. .That is not particularly unusual - what I am saying is, if you want to and if it suits your financial and other comittments, family included and if you get your class one medical before you shell out any money - then, why not?. .You may have to do FIC and get a few hours built up but, given the current climate, nothing much will be happening until, probably, sometime end 2003, by when you will be ready. .You will still be a relatively young man. .You probably will not be able to get into BA, maybe, if you wanted to and, possibly one or two of the other'biggies' - however, there are plenty more and, anyway, terms and conditions in BA are not what they used to be and won't be what they are now. They have to earn a living as well, these days -so, perhaps not the £100k job but they will be rare at current values in any event. .Do talk to lots and lots of pilots -difficult these days, but if you can get a couple of 'flight deck rides', so much the better. If not, talk to lots and lots of pilots and if they are not encouraging, they probably are in the wrong job.. .You will need to get a handle on what the job really is, not what you perceive it to be - and if you still want it, that will give you the steam to get through. Do not underestimate the slog it will be though. Unless you are one of God's gifted children - it will be very hard going, indeed, and you will want to quit at least three times during the process - don't!. .It's not a difficult job - infact in practice, it's far easier than the training - once you get your first OPC/LPC/Type training out of the way and get onto actual 'line training/flying'. .Keep a sense of humour and self-belief - you are a young person - in ten years you could be the skipper of a shiny new, or old, noise machine, thinking; 'I'm bored', as you do your umpteenth night on the same route as you did your umpteenth last year, etc
. . [quote] <hr></blockquote>YOUTH IS WASTED ON THE YOUNG