May I ask how old you experienced guys are? Who of you are Captains, and at what age did you do your command courses? When was the last time you went through a TR?
I am 52 years old. I passed my command course 10 years ago. I did my last type rating 9 months ago.
My career is not typical for the UK/European market. I was a flight instructor, bush pilot, coastwatch pilot, regional turboprop pilot in Australia before coming to the UK.
Am I finding it difficult to pass checks?
No. I know the standard that is expected so experience plus motivation to do well ensures a good performance. I don't fear checks.
We no longer accept cadets, we haven't hired any one since 2008. The cadets we took from Oxford were of an excellent standard. They were very strong on book stuff, but I could show them how to apply it and where the gotchas are.
I don't fly airliners. I fly business jets, mental agility and operational flexibility is paramount as well as outstanding customer service. BTW - I love my job. I reckon I have one of the best civvy jobs out there. It has its moments, but the good far outweighs the bad. For me this job has the best qualities of my fun GA jobs but with the security of one of the biggest companies out there as well as excellent maintenance and support from the office.