Old and Cash-strapped Wannabee

[sunday driver]

Should I really consider paid FI?
Currently age 57 yrs, PPL 100hrs P1, 100hrs P2, IMC (lapsed)
Demonstrable training experience in IT sales and services
10 years coaching experience with young and old in Modern Pentathlon air pistol (national champions to my credit)
Possible employer (they don't know about this) 15 minutes drive away.
Potential route
Gliding - bronze - silver
Unpaid tug pilot to build hours
Take CPL exams, FI course
Unpaid FI, build hours and experience
Take CPL course
Get paid
Expected time to completion, 5 years.
Is it viable? What snags?
Advice please.
Yours :8
SD

[Whirlybird]

Sounds well thought-out and perfectly viable. Go for it!

The only snag is that some of the paid FIs will hate you for doing the same job unpaid; they'll see it as taking their work...as I suspect you'll find out on here soon enough, though I hope I'm wrong.

[foxmoth]

Viable, yes, sensible - well only you can say. Looking at what you say, you will be 62 by the time you get to being paid - how long will you then instruct for? I would suggest, go for it it the desire is enough, then instruct part time until you retire from any job that pays a proper salary - then do as much as you want until you have had enough/fail the medical.Good luck:ok:

[the dean]

hi SD,

never say never....but.....

if you want to then do...but since you're asking for comments to help you in your decision and please do'nt take this as throwing cold water on your idea...

i have been flying 43 years, instructing 20 and examining 6..it has given me great pleasure and enjoyment and i highly recommend it to anyone who has the ambition to teach flying...but...i am 60 this year and doing it a bit less that i did. in addition you have to pass and pay for a class 1 medical every year ( to be changed now to 2 years under 60 ) but like myself you wo'nt benefit from that.

is it really worth the expense at your age...?.. i doubt it.
is it worth the grief of having to study again..?..i doubt it.
is it worth the fun of all the flying..yes...but thats two no's and one yes

on balance if it were me i doubt i would do it.

why not continue with what you are obviously good at...gliding...and tug flying...for as long as you can / wish...and get the fun and enjoyment you must from that.

whatever your choice i wish you many hours of enjoyment.

good luck:ok:

the dean.

[Whirlybird]

you have to pass and pay for a class 1 medical every year ( to be changed now to 2 years under 60 ) but like myself you wo'nt benefit from that

Eh? It was every six months, and has now been changed to every year if you're under 60...unless something has happened very recently that I don't know about.

I did my CPL(H) and FI rating in my early 50s. Studying...I quite enjoyed the challenge in a masochistic sort of way. Expense...I had the money, so what the hell. I started instructing when I was 54. I'm now...coming up to 59. I don't admit to that very often on PPRuNe, but it's relevant here. And I don't understand all this fuss about age. I probably get tired more often than I did 30 years ago, but all that means is that after a hard days flying, I rest rather than go out and paint the town red. I worried initially that I wouldn't have the stamina, reaction time etc, but it just doesn't seem to be a big deal. I eventually realised that those worries were in everyone else's head, not mine. Everyone ages at different rates, and has different capabilities. Yes, I could fail a medical...but that's true of anyone at any age. OK, the odds are slightly higher now, but only slightly. I could also go on passing medicals into my 70s and 80s. Will I want to instruct then? I've no idea, and neither have any of you.

It may be illegal and unfashionable to be ageist these days, but many people still are, incredibly so. It's the only reason I rarely tell people my age. They start treating me like grandma. :( If I keep quiet, they assume I'm at least ten years younger, not because I look it (I wish!), but because I don't act like their preconceived idea of how someone my age is supposed to act. I still want to live! I'm not counting the days till I can retire and sit by the TV all day. Retirement? That's what old people do! I'll be ready for it...some day in the dim and distant future...maybe. Meanwhile, if I can get paid to fly, then I will. If I'd been doing it since my 20s, I'd probably be tired of it. But I haven't, so I'm not.

sunday driver,
You're probably going to end up taking a horrendous cut in pay if you do instruct fulltime. If it's part time, why worry. You'll be knackered at first when you start instructing...but friends who've done it in their 30s tell me they were knackered too. Other than that, if you want to, and you obviously do or you wouldn't have posted, where's the problem? What has your age got to do with anything?

[the dean]

whirls...you're dead right ...my mistake...( confused about the change ). it is six monthly for class 1 to be changed if under 60 to annually....

sd whirls is right....about staying young and i agree,but if you're asking for a balanced decision based on what i have said ( and i do'nt necessarily disagree with a lot of what has been said by others )...i would'nt do it..

stay young other ways..:oh:..!!!!!!...and go on nice vacations...and fly when you want to..:ok:.but as for doing a flight instructors course ...all that expense for something dependant on exams,courses and most of all medicals...is it wise..??:confused:

dean.

[flybymike]

Whirlybird. What a girl....:D

[sunday driver]

Hi, folks.
Many thanks for your constructive and very helpful views.
Here’s my reasons for starting on this track.
I am hoping to

Spend some quality time working in aviation
Get more flying, without the ability to pay for it
Share my love of aviation with others
Supplement what will be a reasonable pension

So, the issues
UNPAID? – thanks for the advice, I won’t go there
HOW LONG WILL I INSTRUCT? – Well as long as poss. I had the honour of being instructed at one time by an 82 year old (sports jacket / raincoat and a flat cap). 10 years would be brill, more would be a bonus
EXPENSE? – This could be an issue. I’ll take it step by step. I could look at this as an up-front payment for future free hourrs.
STUDY? Not a problem for me. Learning new stuff has been my bread & butter for ever.
AGE? Again, not a problem for me. Regular 10k jogs in the local hills. No 1 daughter is a rock musician and I’m their (unpaid) European road manager – we’ve done more rock music in more venues than many, etc, etc, - aging bloody hippy. Medicals are always an issue, but to counter-balance a failure, they do give most people a good early warning of impending doom.
PAY? Either full or part time, our living expenses will be covered from decades of selling my soul to the multinationals
LOGICAL and COST-EFFECTIVE? You’ve probably noticed that, emotionally, I’ve already decided, but thanks to your advice, I will now make the expensive decisions on a step by step basis. And, thanks to your advice, I should be able to avoid some of the pitfalls.
What a fine bunch you all are!!
Ta
SD :ok:

[S-Works]

Whirls, I had no idea you were that old. Kudos!!

Sundaydriver. Why don't you take a look at the CRI rating. You can do it without a CPL or the CPL exams (but must have CPL level knowledge). It can be added to a PPL and will allow you to do everything but ab initio. Licence renewals, tail wheel, complex etc. Add an IRI to it and you can teach IMC.

On a PPL unpaid, but at your time of life I would imagine the flying would be the reward. However there are ways of LEGALLY getting payment as well if you had to go that route.

Flying schools are crying out for Instructors that are not going to up and leave for the airlines in a couple of months and the CRI can do a huge amount of the normal flying school work.

[vic1]

Hi Bose-x,
Tell me about the CRI rating too? I plan to do a ppl and a FI. Aim is to be in the air without having to pay for it, and maybe, also instruct new aviation enthusiasts, if i can get to. I am relocating from Asia....recently retired from the miltary..after 7 years of jet flying followed by 13 years of military instructional time.
And by the way, what does it take to get a ppl here in UK if you have flying experience?
Vic

[Heli-Ice]

Vic1

I recommend that you contact any of the FTO's in the UK about your options. Since you have military flying experience you should be able to have that evaluated to reduce your training requirements in some way.

Some of the FTO's have a kind of a "veteran" program for you mil guys/gals.

Check it with them and see if they come up with something good for you.

Here is a list of UK approved FTO's:

http://www.caa.co.uk/docs/33/SRG_FCL_APPROVEDFTOS.PDF

Cheers,

Heli-Ice

[vic1]

Heli-Ice,
Thanks a lot for the info. Cheers
Vic1:)