Is there going to be any jobs left for me? :(
 

Hi guys I am new to the forum as you can see, this is only my first post so hello to you all.

I’m 17 years old and living it up in "sunny" Scotland. I am due to start Initial Officer Training in the Royal Air Force on November 16th 2008 and upon successful completion, progression on to my 2cnd phase of training to become a Fighter Control Officer (no mole jokes please) lol.I have signed a PC (permanent commission) so I’ll be discharging when I am 40 if all goes well.

It has always been a life long ambition of mine to become an airline pilot and I still intend to capture this dream, but I have my concerns.

Will an airline take me on at 40?i currently hold a PPL and IMC with around 220 hours under my belt. I intent to continue flying, in my spare time, while I am in the RAF and progress through the training syllabus i.e. next step ME rating, then on to CPL and ATPL, so that I can hopefully walk in to a cockpit job when I discharge from the RAF. Is this a good idea or will I be wasting my money? What are the alternatives?

Any help you boys and girls can give me would be gratefully appreciated

Thanks in advance,

Even 6 months is a very long time in aviation terms, so worrying about what the next 23 year will bring is totally pointless.

Enjoy your new career and the flying in your spare time. There are lot's of pilot's who started at 40 so don't let that bother you ether. There are many many many threads on that subject if you are just looking for some reassurance, just do a search.

:ok:

If your dream is to be an Ailine pilot then why are you joining the RAF as a fighter controller?
Why not ditch the RAF and get on the seniority list 22 years early...

Because i can't afford to train myself atm in one go so i tried to get in to the RAF as a multi engine pilot but i failed my medical,my 6ft 4" frame was a bit too big for their aircraft,3mm too tall in the sitting height,but i still want the forces lifestyle and right now that appeals to me more than flying.

If you want the forces lifestyle, then how can you say it's your life long ambition to be an airline pilot? The lifestyles are not even close. Two very different ball games!

As for not being able to afford an ATPL(f) at the age of 17. Errr, not many others do either! Work and save for 5 years. I know the ripe old age of 22 seems old to you, but it aint. Probably still a bit young if you ask me.

What's the market doing in 23 years? As has been said before, we don't know whats going to happen next month. However, if you want me to stick my neck out, I'd say that a low hour 40 y/o has got an up hill struggle to get a first job.

Sorry if I seem a little unfair, but I just don't understand why someone who dreams of being an airline pilot signs up to the RAF for over 20 years in a non-flying role.

I tried the RAF route. They told me my eyesight wasn't good enough. Then tried to flog me some ground position. I didn't hear what it was because I was already out of the door. I suspect you stayed behind to listen to the hard sell that they usually give to those not even old enough to drink or vote. Little short of press ganging if you ask me.

If you want to be an airline pilot, save and train accordingly. If you wan't to be in the RAF, go ahead and join (sounds like you already have).

If you want to know anymore on training for an ATPL, feel free to ask me. Feel free to PM me. I'll gladly help you.

I think you need to actually decide what you want to do first.

Good luck

EK

...and with potential mergers been the name of the game, we are running out of career choice employers - by leaving it I would say you run the risk of never making it...

If to be a pilot is your dream...then why aren't you working towards it now? Modular route/start a slow ATPL groundschool...

On the one hand you say you've always wanted to be an airline pilot, on the other you say that the miltary lifestyle appeals more to you at the moment than flying.

....erm....sorry to say it, but if you interviewed like this it's unlikely you'd get a flying job.

Also I'm always dubious about ambitions to be an 'airline' pilot - most pro pilots I know just wanted to be pilots.

How you could stand not to fly until you're forty if that's your real ambition, I don't know.

You need to do some serious soul searching, and understand that the people you will be up against for flying jobs at any age will be totally committed to that one thing.

Sorry if that all seems a bit hard or judgemental, but you need to confront these issues now or you're going to be in for a very frustrating twenty years.

I'm surprised the RAF let you in at all with grammar like "Is there going to be any jobs left for me"......

...... It would never have happened in my day..........:}

I have to say that had also crossed my mind I'm afraid!!

I've also just noticed you are 17, but hold a PPL/IMC with, in your own words, 'around 220 hours under your belt.'

But.............you can't afford commercial training???????????

ooook.........how did you afford 220 hours of probably pretty useless PPL flying AT THE AGE OF 17?????? Have you any idea how few 17 year olds have 220 hours of flying, a PPL and IMC rating????

The above said with a laugh in my voice. You've got to be joking mate, or you've seriously wasted a lot of time and money.

A word of friendly advice - the people in this business who'll be giving you the job can see right through any bulls$*1t, so whatever you do, cut it out right from the start.

If you're a wind up, then I've bitten, big deal, hahah, gosh you're a real wag.

If not, are you big enough to explain yourself and benefit from the advice of those who've been there, done that???

Ball's in your court peeps.



Edited for incredulity.

And another thing...................

Let's assume you've got 220 hours, a PPL and an IMC rating. Don't you realise that potentially if you'd spent your money wisely you could have nearly completed a modular CPL and be well on your way to being one of the youngest instructors in the country?

You do want to be a pilot don't you??

AARRRGGGHHH...........the scary mix of the early hours, too much red wine, a career in aviation with less time to go than's already past, and the weird and wonderful world of the wanabees.................:ugh:

Like a lamb to the slaughter.

I suggest you do some research into how you go about getting a fATPL as from what I've read you don't seem to understand the process.

Will an airline take you on at 40? In my opinion no.

And finally:

Q: Why is it bad to tell mole jokes?
A: It's mole-itically incorrect
Q: What is a mole's favorite movie?
A: The Green Mole
Q: What do you get when you have a bunch of moles acting like idiots?
A: A bunch of Moleasses
Q: What line from Shakespeare do high school moles have to memorize?
A: "To mole or not to mole, this is the question."
Q: What happens when a mole bites a dog?
A: He becomes Moleicious!

S88:ok:

Any thoughts on our advice AWACS_bhoy?

Not here to slate you, just interested in helping if you're genuine.

It does exactly what it says on the tin - it's just an opinion. I never said it was right or wrong. They are just my thoughts on the subject. This is a forum after all, isn't it pilotmike?

If you submitted your CV with no previous flying job, at the age of 40 at my employing airline, I can near as dammit say that you won't get offered a job.

Come on, let's be realistic!

S88:ok:

Also, AWACS asked specifically if he'd get an airline job at 40. While nobody can predict the future, based on the contradictory aspects of his flying to date and his career plan, then 'no' would appear to be more likely than yes, would it not.

I was in a very similar situation. Offered a Fighter Controller comission in the RAF after schoarships/bursaries etc but one night alarm bells started ringing as I'd always wanted to be an airline pilot. The next day I went into the office and told them I wanted to go home. Years on and here I am.

It was horribly difficult to do but you'll know what you want. Think of yourself....don't worry about letting the RAF down......you are but a number :)

You can't have everything in life. Sometimes you have to make sacrifices to benefit the future. There are lots of things that I want to do in life however I know that in the long run I won't be happier doing anything else.

Is this a classic example of having one's cake and eating it?

S88:ok:

(edit due typo)

His question was "Will an airline take me on at 40" (assuming he's got an fATPL). Your answer, "yes". Now I may be wrong but I'm interpreting all of the above to say "You will be offered a job at 40".

I don't think it's fair to build this young mans hopes up. I'd rather enter the job market at 40 with the realistic vision that I may not get a job than to enter it after being told by someone on a forum that I will get a job. The person who's prepared for rejection will take the bad news much better than the person who has spent the last 23 years 'knowing' that he'll be successful.

So you're saying that whats recently happened in the industry will be a true reflection of whats going to happen in 23 years time?

I think it's best I let most of your previous statements speak for themselves.

S88:ok:

This is a really pointless arguement.

Will I get a job at 40?

More like: How long's a piece of string?

The more important factor in this question is not age, but the person in question. Of course people have got jobs at 40 and well above. It's just a case of impressing at the interview and firstly having an impressive CV to get you the interview.

You can't make a sweeping comment like you will or you won't.

The OP however needs to do some real soul searching, because it seems to me he isn't that bothered about flying if he's going to take an RAF commission due to wanting the lifestyle more than wanting to fly.

I think you'll find that is called age discrimination and is illegal. :hmm:

I understand that but it doesn't mean to say it doesn't happen. If an airline doesn't want to employ they'll find a way of getting out of it. Just because you've applied for a job it doesn't mean the company is obliged to give it to you, whoever it is - airline or supermarket!

S88