QF/ JQ/ VB etc...any older guys getting in??
Another reason for airlines recruiting older pilots is to ensure an even spread of chaps (and chapesses) reaching retiring age, so pilots leaving due to age-related retirement is spread more evenly over a period of time instead of having a huge spike when their young types become "olde and hoary" all at once.
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so familiar..
This is such a familiar story mate, you are not alone by a long stretch. I too am in the same boat (36, cpl, me/ir, 500hrs, never worked in GA, just been "at it" a few years doing fly away's etc) and only recently resigned myself to the fact that I had missed my shot and stick to the "day" job. There also seems to be a fair few threads which relate to poor pay, conds etc, not so easy if you have a house etc and live in Sydney!! So I breathe a sigh of relief and thank my lucky stars I'm out of it......
Then I read this post and think, who am I kidding. I've been flying for almost 10 years and don't reckon I'll ever give it up!! I used to think my age would work against me, but now I'm not so sure. If Krusty is correct (which he may well be) MGT have a wakeup call coming. If they choose to answer (choice might not come into it) then mabey I should think about another go?
Good to know I'm not the only one in any case!!!
Then I read this post and think, who am I kidding. I've been flying for almost 10 years and don't reckon I'll ever give it up!! I used to think my age would work against me, but now I'm not so sure. If Krusty is correct (which he may well be) MGT have a wakeup call coming. If they choose to answer (choice might not come into it) then mabey I should think about another go?
Good to know I'm not the only one in any case!!!
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Long time listener, first time poster...
Another "mature" (sic) person here as well. Currently have my PPL. 33 years old and have one more exam to do for my CPL. I have 450 hours accumulated over the last ten years of private flying and a ME rating. As with others here I had assumed (perhaps correctly for the past few years) that I would never get a look in at airline flying, however this seems to have changed with more and more stories of older guys getting starts.
So I just need to complete my Air Law exam and do a practice CPL nav or two and then my flight test. I will then knock over my IREX exam and do my MECIR. However this may take me another 12-18 months as I am a Defence member and I regularly get deployed and I will likely be deployed again for up to 6 months, but it does give a much needed injection of cash.
I also have two young girls and a mortgage so the decision to pursue an aviation career was not being taken lightly. However I have decided that I don't want to be 50 and look back and say I wish I had have tried. So I guess within the next two years I will depart defence and give this aviation gig a go! Will continue to read posts such as these to try and keep a finger on where the industry is up to and hopefully I won't have missed to boat.
Good luck to all the mature age blokes and I would love to hear of more stories of blokes 35+ years old getting airline gigs and what your experience was in order to get these jobs.
Cheers
Nards
Another "mature" (sic) person here as well. Currently have my PPL. 33 years old and have one more exam to do for my CPL. I have 450 hours accumulated over the last ten years of private flying and a ME rating. As with others here I had assumed (perhaps correctly for the past few years) that I would never get a look in at airline flying, however this seems to have changed with more and more stories of older guys getting starts.
So I just need to complete my Air Law exam and do a practice CPL nav or two and then my flight test. I will then knock over my IREX exam and do my MECIR. However this may take me another 12-18 months as I am a Defence member and I regularly get deployed and I will likely be deployed again for up to 6 months, but it does give a much needed injection of cash.
I also have two young girls and a mortgage so the decision to pursue an aviation career was not being taken lightly. However I have decided that I don't want to be 50 and look back and say I wish I had have tried. So I guess within the next two years I will depart defence and give this aviation gig a go! Will continue to read posts such as these to try and keep a finger on where the industry is up to and hopefully I won't have missed to boat.Good luck to all the mature age blokes and I would love to hear of more stories of blokes 35+ years old getting airline gigs and what your experience was in order to get these jobs.
Cheers
Nards
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Everytime I read about someone in the "older age bracket" giving it a go, it gives me even more incentive to give it a big go. I have been in aviation before, and for many years and felt it was a poorly paid back stabbing industry......But i still love it and hopefully with more opportunities the backstabbing will decrease and pay increase!!!!
Here's not holding my breath!
Good luck to all.
Here's not holding my breath!
Good luck to all.
Sprucegoose
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The pay may be slowly increasing, but I think the backstabbing will always be there! Part and parcel of being in an industry where people tend to be highly motivated and/or have an ego...
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Hmm... I'm another one in the 30 something with CPL, never worked in the industry, currently doing ok but want to get out of the office, looking to make the switch so I don't regret it later, but have a mortgage and child on the way, category.
My gut feeling is that pay and conditions HAVE to improve or the whole industry breaks... or is that just wishful thinking? That being the case I'm looking to try the part time instructing approach as my starting point.
Would love to hear stories from people in similar situation who have made move, how you did it and the end result.
Good luck to all you "older" wannabees.
My gut feeling is that pay and conditions HAVE to improve or the whole industry breaks... or is that just wishful thinking? That being the case I'm looking to try the part time instructing approach as my starting point.
Would love to hear stories from people in similar situation who have made move, how you did it and the end result.
Good luck to all you "older" wannabees.
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Jet Jobbies
34, 3500 TT, 1100 Multi IFR CHTR... no multi crew turbine RPT.
Was offered a posn with Rex
What are the chances of an interview with JQ/DJ/QF?
Have had the apps in online for years and never a nibble
34, 3500 TT, 1100 Multi IFR CHTR... no multi crew turbine RPT.
Was offered a posn with Rex
What are the chances of an interview with JQ/DJ/QF?
Have had the apps in online for years and never a nibble
It's an interesting one Bendo.
Talking to a QLD Air Ambo pilot a few weeks ago. He asked me about the pay and conditions at REX and was surprised at how little our pilots are paid.
I told him that with his experience (10,000 + Hours) he should be a shoe in for the major airlines. He told me that if you are over 40 and have no Multi-Crew, then JQ and DJ won't look at you.
Now I honestly don't know if that's true or not, but some in the know may like to comment?
Talking to a QLD Air Ambo pilot a few weeks ago. He asked me about the pay and conditions at REX and was surprised at how little our pilots are paid.
I told him that with his experience (10,000 + Hours) he should be a shoe in for the major airlines. He told me that if you are over 40 and have no Multi-Crew, then JQ and DJ won't look at you.
Now I honestly don't know if that's true or not, but some in the know may like to comment?
Sprucegoose
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Was offered a posn with Rex
What are the chances of an interview with JQ/DJ/QF?
What are the chances of an interview with JQ/DJ/QF?
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A well-known pprune personality in his 'mid' forties has a 'bluer' outlook for his future.
Kudos to him coz he's helped stacks of people out over the years.
Well done shaggs!
Kudos to him coz he's helped stacks of people out over the years.
Well done shaggs!
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As I mentioned on another thread I tried all the majors even the poorly paid regionals last year (partially out of curiosity) & never heard from a single one of them. I have several thousand hrs on mutli, mostly turbine, several hundred hrs multi crew jet time, albiet small jet but at my age (now the wrong side of 50) experience doesn't seem to count anymore with the airlines, i guess they want young ones to 'mould'.
Never mind I've flown fast, high & with style in cmd so I can at least say i've gone as 'high' as i'm gunna go !
CW
Never mind I've flown fast, high & with style in cmd so I can at least say i've gone as 'high' as i'm gunna go !
CW
Metrosexual
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WALLY - Don't be so defeatist!
You're not the only guy who was in that position.
Pick up the phone and get yer knee onto the chest of a few of these companies' HR people!
You'd be surprised how surprised some of the HR folk are at having missed your cv.
It happens.
You're not the only guy who was in that position.
Pick up the phone and get yer knee onto the chest of a few of these companies' HR people!
You'd be surprised how surprised some of the HR folk are at having missed your cv.
It happens.
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hey "jet" i don't believe I am a 'defeatist' but thanks for yr words of encouragement. My urge to go further and to start all over again by way of another A/c endo & the new SOPS of another Co. is fading
I figure that it's their loss, not putting tickets on myself but some self praise never goes astray
It just annoys me a little to read amongst these many pages that all we seem to talk about here is one of two things, poor T&C's & that there is a pilot shortage, sure lousy T&C's are almost epidemic & is the ultimate demise of our once great aviation industry but a shortage of experienced pilots? Am not so sure, but that's just my opinion.
I'm as happy as I will ever be in my current work it's just that it would have been nice in some ways to join my fellow aviators whom I've seen come & go before me & see out the dying days of my career flying at the other end of the scale, I suppose it's come to this,such is life.............now let 'em swing !
CW
I figure that it's their loss, not putting tickets on myself but some self praise never goes astray
It just annoys me a little to read amongst these many pages that all we seem to talk about here is one of two things, poor T&C's & that there is a pilot shortage, sure lousy T&C's are almost epidemic & is the ultimate demise of our once great aviation industry but a shortage of experienced pilots? Am not so sure, but that's just my opinion.
I'm as happy as I will ever be in my current work it's just that it would have been nice in some ways to join my fellow aviators whom I've seen come & go before me & see out the dying days of my career flying at the other end of the scale, I suppose it's come to this,such is life.............now let 'em swing !
CW
Last edited by Capt Wally; 14th May 2008 at 02:45.
Sprucegoose
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I like to look at it this way Wally, there are a lot more 'airline pilots' in this country than 'aeromdical' pilots, so we are part of a select group!
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Too true HH too true
Anyway Multi crew in a fully auto plane is mostly boring I'd say & flown by the lazy, that's why I thought I'd fit right on in !!
Fancy having to work for a living, gawd
CW
Anyway Multi crew in a fully auto plane is mostly boring I'd say & flown by the lazy, that's why I thought I'd fit right on in !!
Fancy having to work for a living, gawd
CW