Hear me now...

[smiley41]

I am thinking about a second career in aviation and would like some comments on whether my thinking is realistic or just plain nuts.

I'm a low hours PPL who would like to try and push for a little more lifestyle than corporate slavery. I'm lucky enough to be in a financial position where I can give it a crack but not well enough that I can head in one direction and then a year or two later decide I've been heading the wrong way change to a different direction.

OK, I am not particuarly interested in the airlines, partly because of my age (44) and also the travelling between cities and the jet-lag do not interest me. I am thinking that I need to specialise in a particular area of flying and am interested in seaplanes/bush/glacier - probably in that order.

My plan is to push for the CPL get the additional ratings, try to add time through instructing or charter or whatever until I can muster up the necessary (1000TT) to land a job.

I am flexible in terms of location and would be able to work in Europe, Australia, NZ - possibly even Canada. So would you suggest doing all training and experience in one country or a variety of experience in different countries be beneficial.

Please feel free to pick apart my ideas. Comments like there is such a long queue for people with the same idea are especially welcome!

[Flying Mechanic]

if i was you, choose the country u want work/live in, then go there, do a full time CPL , and then work in that country afterwards. The sort of flying you want to do, you will need to spend time in that country/hanging out, getting to know the bush operators.I would stick in one country, as changing countrys mean more licences/flight tests etc etc. You can get job cattle mustering in oz, with less than 500 hours TT, its all about luck landing the first job.I got bush job in oz with about 450 TT, right place, right time, the key to bush flying is networking, getting to know people,prove to them you can do the job, and cope with all the aspects of bush flying, as basically you are on your own, and any problems you need to deal with them.Good luck, its the best flying you will ever do, i did for 2.5 years, lived in a remote area , and looking at my logbook did about 2700 landings in 2.5 years!Chase your dream!