Hello again all.
Yes, all interesting stuff, and valid points regards spending £20K on a rating, and spending ones last years flying.
I seem to remember reading something somewhere about pilot mortality rates after retirement, and it wasn't too clever. Then again, my dad retired from a job at the local steelworks at 65 and managed to draw only half a dozen pension payments before dropping dead (literally) with a heart attack. As I said earlier, it's a funny old game!
I spoke to an Australian mate recently who flies for Virgin blue. He's just turned 47 yrs old and said he would pack in the flying tomorrow if he could afford it, he's had a belly full.
Well, it's too late now to get a type rating done before I'm supposed to start the new job and I've told my mate as much. He's going to ask the CP or DFO if the airline will pay for the rating and put me on a course. I'm not holding my breath and will keep you updated. It won't be the end of the world if it doesn't pan out, as I was an electronics engineer in another life and make quite reasonable money in retirement. I just fancied a few more years before hanging up the headsets. I'll see what happens over the next week to ten days. It'll either happen or it won't.
Btw, how does one land a job flying a Gulfstream at my age and with no rating, I thought that market was all sown up?
Regards.