Is it too late for me....??

[Parker73]

Hi,

Can anyone give me some advice please?
Im a 34 yo guy in London who has a lapsed CAA/FAA ppl with multi engine rating and 200 hours,most of which are cross country in the US.
I stopped flying due to getting married and lack of funds.
I am now unmarried and have around £40k lying around and was wondering if i were to spend that money getting my atp am i too late to have a career in flying?
I have no desire to be an airline pilot,but the thought of flying props in a remote part of the world appeals to me alot.

Would appreciate any thoughts...

Parker....

[AlphaMale]

Best place for you to start would be here (http://www.pprune.org/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=51690) I'd imagine?

People start in to their 40's and late 40's with the ambition of sitting in the RHS of a jet. At 34 I think you'd be the average age in a CPL class.

Good luck ... spend the £40k wisely ;)

[Mikehotel152]

The world is your oyster mate! Go for it!

[Parker73]

Thanks very much,those comments make me feel thats it worth a shot.

Parker....

[XXPLOD]

I know a retired police officer who got his first commercial job aged 50, having held a PPL for decades and then did this groundschool and CPL/IR as he retired.

[pablo2973]

I agree with other coleagues, as long as you pass your medical , and funds to invest ,everything is OK , the problem in aviation is lack of funds .
Good luck .

[Grasscarp]

When I clicked on this thread I thought it is somebody turned 50 or 40, but not 34. Some of us have made it much older than this. I didnt get a ppl until I was 36 and a CPL about 10 years after that. No ambitions to do anything more than get paid to do what I enjoy and I have achieved that. Go for it!

[Parker73]

Thanks for the positive replies....appreciate them...

Parker...

[Shunter]

I believe the CAA PPLs are relatively easy to get current again, since they were a "for life" license, unlike the JAA licenses. If that's the case you've done most of the work already.

Get yourself a Class 1 medical, do the groundschool, do the flying. Should be able to knock that lot out for under £20k.

[mackey]

Hi there,

I was 32 when I started the ATPL's and managed to get commercial job when I was 36. I wasn't married when I started the flying but I am now, so I definitely don't have any money now!!

M.

[Steve aka Buk]

My brief story....

At 35 and unmarried, left the fire service in march 2006 with a PPL (70 hours on a PA38) and some money from a house remortgage. Did all the courses requiried. Module student. Earned money when I could doing part-time work.

Now, 2 years later I`ve got the job I want flying a 737-800 and earning some good money.

As Yoda would say "do, or do not, there is no try"

Hope this helps :ok:

Steve.

[rojread]

Came late to this thread but seeing Parker 73's comment about 'flying at remote airfields' hit the spot with me.

At the tender age of 34 and no 'wannabe airline pilot' ambitions he sounds eminent 'survey pilot' material. There are several companies who supply aircraft and crews to mapping companies who are happy to take pilots on to work their way in to survey flying. (That usually means a fair amount of hangar time as they build up hours but once the magic 500 hrs is logged you can work pretty well anywhere.

Between 200 and 500 hrs there are still opportunities to get hours in around UK and Europe and you certainly don't need an ATPL, just CPL/IR is ample. (Common sense and the ability to look after a small team helps).

If you are happy to fly medium piston and turbo twins (usually very second hand) there's work out there, and no '5-day-week-and'wife-and-kids' ties certainly helps.

I just reluctantly retired after 50 years of survey flying and would go back tomorrow if the old legs would hold up!

Give it a shot old son!

[G SXTY]

Nov 2000 - Trial lesson, age 29
Jan 2003 - PPL, age 31
Jul 2007 - Jacked in my day job, age 35
Nov 2007 - Passed CPL/IR & MCC, age 36
Feb 2006 - Offered job on very modern glass cockpit turboprop, with 220hrs TT, age 36
Today - line training, happy as a pig in you know what. :ok:

[Megaton]

1985 - UAS Bulldog Flying age 18
1998 - PPL
2001 - ATPLs/CPL
2002 - IR
2004 - First job on a turbo-prop age 37
2005 - First jet (Airbus)
2008/9 - 744 or 777 :)

[daria-ox]

I don't think you're too old!
You're at the right age to start your training, why would you be too old?
A lot of pilots started their training when they were over 30.
I'm 16 and starting my PPL this summer.. still think I'm a little bit too young.
But you're not too old. The training will take you about 2/3 years so you will be at the right age to apply to an airline.

Good Luck! :ok: