What the heck is this age thing

[Genghis the Engineer]

Is it just me, almost daily I see posts from people who are in their thirties (or even occasionally late twenties) and are frightened about being too old to learn, change profession and become an FI/ATP/etc.

Please folks, you aren't on the scrapheap - at 40 you will still have 20+ years working life in the cockpit so long as you look after yourself. Yes you are starting with people a lot younger than you, yes they have a bit of a head start and more years at the end of their flying career than you will - so what !!!!

RJ Mitchell was Chief Designer at Supermarine at 26, a good friend of mine (I shall spare their modesty by not naming them here since they are Ppruners) became an FI at 50ish, and by all accounts is doing a good and professional job of it - and being paid. I know somebody still doing annual air tests on other people's aeroplanes who flew Hurricanes in the battle of Britain.


If you are 35 and worried that you are too old to do anything (except maybe join the RAF who have a very low limit, and arguably an artificial one, of 23) you have a problem, but frankly it's not your age - knuckle down to doing something difficult, but no more difficult than it would be at 20. If you have children, mortgage, significant_other, etc - yes that's a problem, but one that many other people have coped with, and you could have been in that position at 22 anyhow.


Sorry, I just really had to get that off my chest, it's been bugging me.

G

[VMF-214 "Pappy"]

Thanks Genghis !

I’m 45… “check the call sign” and registered on PPRuNE just a couple of minutes ago…

Did a CPL IR MEL last year (trained in South California and Florida) and planning…”need to find the time…” to achieve a CFI and progress toward a CFII…

Why?.... as a personal challenge…and to keep feeding the passion… :O

Will this lead to a career change…don’t think so…I definitely earn more than a BA 747 Captain in my current job…which is part of the reason why I do not see a change at this stage…maybe I’m wrong..!!!

But you are right…even at 40-45 still 20 years to go…not as an Airline Pilot (understand the very limit is 60…) but with the right motivation and acquiring… “$$$”… the right type-ratings….at least, a corporate pilot “career” could be a dream come true…

If you are 30-35...no doubt...go for it now… and follow your passion...Genghis is right!!!

Cheers

“Pappy” :ok:

[smith]

Ghengis

Totally agree with you, there are posts on this every week on "Too Old?", "What age?". If people would just do a search they'd be on pprune for days. Thing is its the people who continue to answer the posts that are the ones to blame. So come on guys if the question comes up again. Either ignore it or answer "do a search". Sorry for being so harsh but sometimes you get tired of the same old questions.

Good luck and safe flying to all

Smith

[Tallbloke]

I thought the age thing was mostly to do with being able to get a job after mortgaging the children to pay for training. Sadly most airlines do not appear to share Genghis's enlightened point of view, and think that all over 30 are somehow a liability.
It is not stopping me however, I plod on regardless of my advancings years. Why? partly to see if I am good enough or not, but mostly because I want to and I can.

[duir]

Every single contact I have in the flying world that has recently secured an Airline interview or F/O position are 30+ and one is even early forties. The other theme running through this trend is that they are all either FIs or doing a flying job of some description and the Airlines involved are all small regional operators. Although some would have us believe that being over 30 is an Airline social hand grenade and that only young 20 something whizkids obtain jobs, I see the reality as completely different.

[High Wing Drifter]

If people would just do a search they'd be on pprune for days. Thing is its the people who continue to answer the posts that are the ones to blame.
Nah! We don't want last week's opinions, we want the lastest thinking on the subject. This is a live and kicking forum because we all heartily and regularly enter the fray :D

[redsnail]

Ghengis,
I am afraid it isn't whether or not someone has the mental ability or suitability for the job it's the various airlines and operators that expect a suitable age commensurate with experience thing and the huge financial risk that this industry is.

Many flight schools will push the "yep, do our course and you're in the running with BA or other such jet operator" without really explaining what the industry is actually like. You know the variables and the risk but does someone who's 38 with a mortgage, kids in school, good pension etc? If they read this forum then they are made aware that not every one will get the FO slot on an expanding airline flying A319 or B737s with command in only 3-4 years time.

Something else I find frustrating is just how narrow people's expectations are. If it's not a shiny jet then they're not interested. Couldn't care less about charter, piston ops, going to Africa or other such place, corporate etc. There is a lot of aviation out there just waiting for someone to do it, the usual catch is that it often involves moving away from home and the pay isn't as good as a shiny jet job. I guess there's the rub.

[Irish Steve]

Couldn't care less about charter, piston ops, going to Africa or other such place, corporate etc. There is a lot of aviation out there just waiting for someone to do it, the usual catch is that it often involves moving away from home and the pay isn't as good as a shiny jet job

Strangely enough, I've not seen too many adverts for that type of work, and at this stage, for all sorts of reasons related to things out of my control (like Gulf wars at inconvenient times, a closer than comfortable encounter with Big C, a couple of major floods that did big damage to home and took time to sort out and screwed the cash flow, odd things like that) , I'd be happy to consider some of these options, in that I've spent bucket loads of cash getting to where I am, and not seen too much return on it.

I've proved to my own satisfaction that I can indeed fly a heavy, there's more than a few hours of sim time been logged because of other work I was doing, but if something else along the lines you've suggested and more "interesting" was available, I'd give it a go, as long as it's legal:D

Where are all these "different" jobs advertised?

[High Wing Drifter]

The believable message in Phil Croucher's excellent book "The Professional Pilot's Manual" suggests that adverts only really start to appear when the operators are desperate (or trying to get one over on the opposition).

[Solid Rust Twotter]

Steve

Most of those folks are pretty small operators in a market flooded with pilots so advertising for crew is not high on the list of priorities. It's not going to fall into your lap so the next best thing is to do some research on the other fora(?) and begin asking around the small and regional operators.

Good luck...:ok: