What age is too old?

[ATPLstylee]

Hello All Ppruner's,

Just wondering who is the oldest 'self improver', currently in the system?

I am 33 and mid way through my exams, so I will be 35 when I finally get my ticket.

The question is, is it worth it at my age and is there anyone older?

I'm sure the 16 year old instructor looks at me and thinks 'hello gramps'..

Any thoughts welcome.


Cheers ;) ;)

[Baldie Man]

I think you should've put a 50+ bracket in there too ATPLstylee.
I have known guys in their 40's and 50's who were training to get their ATPL ticket. Can you change the poll or delete it and start afresh?

You are not too old at all. Far from it, you are probably the average age.

Another thing - the self-improver route no longer exists...... :D

BM.

[David Balchin]

I started flying when I was 13 yrs. It wasn't until I was 29 that I
could afford to spend the type of money I needed and fast enough to do a PPL. I'm now 32 and I'll be 33 by the time I get signed off with a full Frozen ATPL and 34 by the time I have enough hours to get noticed by an airline (if I'm Lucky)
I don't concider 30's or 40's as to old.:)

[The Boy Lard]

I'm at OATs, Modular, I'm 36 and I'm not the oldest on my course!

I agree that the poll seems to be too restrictive in terms of age brackets.

I think this question needs to be asked of the airlines though, of course WE dont think we're too old but what do our future employers think?

Cheers

TBL:D

[tigershark1]

You are not too old at all, if you want it go and get it!

Something I picked up at the BA AGM was an interesting fact about retirement age. Currently it stands with them at 55, this will change in 2006 when the EU bring in a law extending this to 60....so in my book thats great as it gives us all 5 more years having fun in the sky!

TS1

[pkos]

When I was doing my Faa CPL license in USA I had instructors with +35 years old and 500 hours, after they got 1500 hours or so, all of them began to work in regional and mayor airlines. But USA in aviation terms is almost another galaxy.

I lived in Spain, here people gets hired in the mayors whith as little as 22 years old (but you need something we call "godfathers" to get the job, that is someone that clears your path to get a flight deck position above the rest of the candidates, you know what i mean), in other hand, when you get older than 30, you began to be less attractive to the airlines (of course i´m talking about someone without godfather).

Iberia for example, rejects candidates after the interview with +35 (aprox) and little flight experience, they´ll never tell you that reason, but is a fact.

Too little jobs, too many candidates with too many "godfathers", if you are handicaped with your age makes everything far more difficult. :rolleyes:

[Capt Pit Bull]

Too old for what?

To get a licence and then a flying job of some sort?
To get an ATPL and an airline job?
To get an ATPL and an airline job for long enough to avoid it being a net financial loss?

Because those are 3 different circumstances.

CPB

[TALUFTEN]

Those in their 20s will say those in their 30s are too old and those in their 30s will say those in their 40s are too old and those who are retired will pine over their flight training years and those who are training are all vying for the right hand seat. The never ending cycle that goes around and around and around ad infinitum. The bottom lines are how badly you want it and how hard you go after it. Age will work to your benefit in terms of maturity and against you regarding seniority. As long as you can accept retiring as a Senior F/O or Junior Capt on a 777 instead of a Senior Capt then go for it. Yes it's a major salary difference but what a job. But then again some airlines like Singapore and Cathay are promoting pilots based on ability instead of seniority (not a wind-up for the 49ers and their supporters at Cathay) so who knows what really lies ahead.
GO FOR IT!!!

[no sponsor]

I thought the current retirement age has always been 60.

It's only some airlines that choose to elect to retire their pilots at 55, like BA. I would imagine, that until all the very senior BA bods, who are on old salary scales, will be continued to be off-loaded. Only when the current scale reaches acceptable pay levels for over 55's will it be in the airlines interest to keep them on to 60. Was this rule instigated at BA because of the accident at Staines?

In the US I believe the rule stands that over 60 year olds cannot be in command, but can carry on as F/Os until 65?

[RVR800]

It's age commensurate with experience for many
employers as far as I'm aware.

Its not too old - it's just supply and demand.

If you have 200 c.v.s and 20 jobs and work in an
HR office - how does one filter out the unsuccessful
candidates?

It's done on numbers; age, and hours of experience.

[nimrod]

Too old? I'm 42 next month and have only 450 hrs total time and here I am sat in the RHS of a DC10 (I'm the one smiling!) having a ball.

OK, I accept I am an exception to the rule but I am proof that age is no barrier. Just go for it!

[spittingimage]

35 ? 40 ?

Blimey ! Consider yourselves lucky - I am 57 !

That said, I did get the ATPL issued this year, at last, after 10 years of on and off struggle. Hardest bit of paper I have ever earned and by far the most expensive. Ab initios take note.

But translation into a job ? That is quite a different matter.
I live in hope but with dwindling optimism. But I have had fun trying thus far and maybe that is what makes it all worthwhile for it is better than working.

If I get a job, any job, gissajob, I will let you all know.

[Catch The Pigeon]

I will be 37 years old when I finish my training this year. Had I been 20, then a Frozen ATPL and MCC would have been all that I was able to offer.
But as a 37 year old I can also offer experience in careers which have developed both Poeple Skills and Managerial Skills.
Instead of focusing on may age, I'm focussing on the fact that I have 23 years ahead of me.
Good luck to all.

[penguin]

It's never too late. Many be commuter pilots in the US are in their 40's or 50's starting a second career.

[FWA NATCA]

ATPL,

As long as you are in good health, then you are young enough to learn to fly. I've know people in their 60's who started taking flying lessons and got their private and instrument ratings.

This reminds me of a funny story, a lady was over flying our airport and the controller asked what type of plane she was flying, she said she was flying a Porterfield. The controller asked what is a Porterfield was and she in her very grandmotherly voice said, "if you don't know then you are much too young sonny."

She returned a few days latter and landed to chat with us, she turned out to be in her mid 70's, she was a WASP pilot during WWII, and not only owned the Porterfield but also a C182 that she flew on a regular basis.

So if she was not too old to fly, then neither are you.

Mike

[Crosswind Limits]

The last poster is perhaps confusing being too old to learn to fly with being too old to get a half decent airline job. There's a big difference!

[ATPLstylee]

It seems like you all have your heads screwed on and i'm being a bit pathetic!

It's probably like everything else in life. If you want it go for it and if you want it bad enough you will get it.

So here goes, back to OATS and lets study those piston engines...

Thank you all for your replies, it's nice to see that i'm not alone!

Cheers :)

[DrSyn]

As so many have said on this thread already, you are never too old to start flying, although, in my case I started straight out of school.

The type of job you might obtain will indeed depend on the supply & demand situation pertaining at the time . . . . and a huge element of Lady Luck. When I was 34 and working abroad, I decided it was time to come home and "settle down" and updated my CV with several companies. One of them replied that their maximum recruitment age was 28, but that they would keep me on file. Several months later, aged 35, I got the call and have been with them for over 15 years now!

One of the guys on my company induction course was 44. I hope you find this encouraging, ATPLstylee, and others of similar mind. Just go out and do it.

[Ballinthemiddle]

Well as a oldish starter myself now 40 flying a turboprop for the last 2 years I would say...... it's just down to market forces really, the good ol supply and demand, it's amazing how the airlines "criteria" of age experience etc... dwindles rapidly along with the supply of pilots.
If you want to do it then why not..... but be aware of the number of f/atpl's floating around you in the sea of no jobs.
I'm sure this will change but when?... can you really put yourself through the heartache, frustration and financial suicide, to be just another f/atpl??

I'm not wishing to pour scorn on your chances but give a realistic angle on the current situation.
Good luck.:cool:

[Whirlybird]

Way back in the dim and distant past when one could still get jump seat rides (about 2 years ago I think), I was asked by the Captain if I was planning on going commercial. Then in my forties (now you wouldn't ask a lady her exact age would you ;) ) I replied that I was too old. He told me about someone who got his first airline job at age 54, and was now approaching 60 and still flying for a living. So it can be done. But as others have said, whether you'll ever recoup your investment in financial terms is a different question.

Still, it made me reconsider, and decide to follow that dream...