One question: what would be the best zone of the globe for a thirties-year-old guy finishing the ATPL to find a job.
I know in advance it won't be easy but I believe there are some more complicated places than others.

Try Burger King.

If you have a real passion for flying you do not have to pursue the dream of flying an airliner for a living to scratch the itch. I and many others will tell you doing it for a job is far less fun than beating up a grass strip in a SEP for the pure pleasure of flying. Like most of us who have not done it in years, flying for fun seems so much more attractive than the daily grind of being an airline pilot, I still have the passion but is it being fulfilled?

The negative ones are always those who already made it. Maybe they forgot about when they were kids.

yeah, but everyone has got the right to buy a ticket. Then let natural selection do the talking.

Hi all, new here. Ive been reading alot of threads on here and am really interested in becoming a pilot. Im looking at doing a modular course but my question is , ive currently just turned 30 and have a full time job. How long does it take roughly? Also im currently in a well paid and secure job ( train driver). I assume if I became a fo for an airline id have to take some sort of pay cut but what do they start on roughly. Also am I mad for thinking about giving it up to pursue a dream job?
Sorry for the newbie questions.

Appreciate your replies

Roughly two years if studying full time, but doing it modular way you can finish either faster or slower. Firstly, in your position: I wouldn't become a pilot but alas, no one listens here in wannabes forums so secondly, I'd train (ha-ha) so that I could pay my training without a loan. Pay as you go and work while you study.

Pilot's pay is shte on the lowest ladders and yet it's extremely tough to land a job in the current climate. It's a race to the bottom.


Absolutely.

I’m at the stage in life where I can make a career change and would like to do something I have always wanted to do.


I started my PPL back in the late 90’s and pretty much got it before money ran out (about 25 dual and 5 solo) so unfortunately the dream of ATPL disappeared.


Now at the age of 35 am I to old to start off again?


Also at the age of 35 am I able to get a good return on the investment of training?

There was a gent who started with my company at 40...buuuut I must also say that he had been doing a LOT of flying before that as a parachute 'plane pilot.

Good luck if you choose this path though. You will be looking at a couple of years before you are employable (fATPL etc), and you would be fighting a lot of furloughed people and other low-houred pilots.

I am sorry for being so negative in my answer but it really is a tough market now.

I'm in a similar situation as yourself. I'm 33, about 8 hours into PPL and hoping to change careers. I'm under no illusion however that if and when I got to fATPL chances of a job are slim but nothing ventured nothing gained. I'm planning to stick with the day job, go modular, try and avoid mountains of debt and see where it takes me.

Oscar95, just out of interest where are you doing your PPL and what you think of them?

That's a good shout Oscar and the only way to go if you're a bit older (I.e not your typical 21 yr old integrated student).

Take your time, enjoy your flying and finish with the least amount of debt. The smaller your debt, the more chance you have of accepting your first job offer that quite frankly is likely to pay peanuts. And getting a gig in the RHS of anything, no matter what it pays, is incredibly tough.

Make plenty of friends and contacts along the way and the likelihood is one of those will get you your first job and not by sending CVs out or applying along with the other thousands should the occasional airline recruit which doesn't require experience on type.

Good luck!!

I too have started training late in life (I'm 33 now) as I wanted to do it debt free but now by no means I'm not in a rush to finish as early as possible. I believe that IF the economy is going strong and IF the airlines are hiring age wont be a significant factor. But now those two just don't happen and airlines prefer younger pilots. Generally speaking younger and inexperienced employees have fewer demands from the employer. Also people at my age are not willing to fork out that massive debt without a good return in investment, unless you are very wealthy of course.Besides many reputable airlines have an age limit for FOs.
Also there are many experienced pilots who are unemployed and in their mid 30s-40s, so we have a situation now where we have many young guys willing to spend a fortune, many older guys with experience and all of them are competing for the few places available. Does this sound promising for a mid30s career changer?
Personally I regretted that I didn't commence my training younger,
10 years ago there were better possibilities for a job and even if I was in debt I would have more time and fewer responsibilities in order to repay it.
Now in order to be a pilot you have to be young with plenty of money to spent. I don't know if im bitter or realistic but that's what I think.

PS Would be much appreciated, since BA and Ezy are (were) recruiting, if a typical 30 something career changer was accepted to proceed to their selection process. If such an individual exists would be nice to share his experience. It would be nice if someone prove me that im wrong with a recent tangible example

Good evening all

I sit here before you as a 35 year old with the excitement of a 10 year old boy on Christmas eve. Actually the analogy is deeper than you might think.

For the last 12 years I have worked hard (bloody hard) and progressed well up the ranks as a Secondary School Science teacher. As any young lad will confirm, to get what you want at Christmas requires hard work before hand.
So now I have made the decision to retrain. To do something I have always wanted to do. I have 15 weeks of a PPL behind me and I am making plans to complete this and continue on to a CPL and beyond.

I've read all the health warnings that say there are no jobs in commercial flying, but I am now at a stage in my life when I can afford to train, but I can't afford waste more time before starting.

So as I embark on this terrifying journey I am writing this post just to say "Hello" to everyone here and to ask if you have any advice for someone in my position to advance quickly (but rushed) and to have the best possible chance of a job at the end of this. Please don't tell me not to do it, I need constructive advice please......oh and I know what hard work means.

Thank you very much

Hi there,

well, I'm pretty much in the same boat as you are, at least age-wise! And one important thing of advice I can give you, as time is the most critical factor to us, try to get through the theory (assuming you are going for the CPL with ATP theory credit) as fast as possible!!! If you can, go full-time and avoid these "distance-learning-courses" since they're quite frustrating and it's very difficult to stay motivated as a lone-worrier (which you are as a distances-learning student) I speak from my own experience. Distance-learning is quite tempting, because it says "learn anytime, anywhere" but looking back, one thing I'd most certainly do different is choosing a full-time classroom course instead a distance-learning-course, it might not save you money but most likely a lot of time, and finally time matters most!!!

And besides wishing you luck and success, one more thing, here is a must read for you - I can highly recommend it!

http://www.pprune.org/professional-p...ml#post4408362

Apply to all the cadet schemes first.... Most airlines are doing this for - fo recruitment / experienced fo's- monarch/ BA/ Easyjet/ cityjet/ Aer lingus/ flybe / Qatar/ cathay pacific and many more all run cadet schemes. I don't understand how people can self sponsor with so few jobs available. These schemes offer a much better chance of getting you a job.
Phone the companies and ask them....before you start training!
Instructor jobs/ ryanair etc are an option of course

Regarding ATPL groundschool distance learning vs classroom, it really depends on your personal preferences. *Distance education require focus and motivation, but minimises time away from work and loss of income. *You will know for yourself whether you can stay focussed while studying independently or whether a classroom environment would be better. *I did my ATPLs by distance education while working in a full-time job, and it definitely required motivation and focus (and my social life was very quiet that year) but I finished all my exams within 12 months with first time passes and good results. *By working full-time, I also had more money at the end of that year to pay for my hour-building and CPL-MEP-IR than if I had taken months off work to study.

Thank you for all the positivity and the very helpful responses. I have got in touch with a number of airlines and schools regarding cadetships. Seems that I've missed the boat on a load of them that recruited in the last couple of months. So I'll keep my eyes peeled for new opportunities when they arise.

My plan is to do things in this order.
1. Continue PPL at local flying school for the next few months.
2. Get Class 1 medical in the Summer (just to be sure)
3. Continue to look for JAA ATPL integrated courses and cadetships.
4. While doing all of those I'll crack on with the the PPL and CPL exams - this will probably have to be distance learning, although I have taken on board suggestions to the contrary.
5. Failing any cadetships materialising, complete my CPL.
6. Apply again for sponsored ATPL.
7. Do IR, MEP while looking for work as instructor
8. 6 again
9. Because beggars can't be choosers, I'm happy to pay my due as an instructor or even fly for Ryanair.

Am I missing anything? (Marbles not included )

The only thing I would add is to be aware that some cadet schemes (I'm thinking BA FPP specifically) rule you out from applying if you have taken any of the ATPL exams so just make sure you take that into consideration before taking them...!

That's hilarious!! Do you know how tough it is to get into Ryanair or any airline for that matter!??

One failed flight test and you won't get an interview and besides, as someone has already pointed out, you're too old for Ryanair.

Your location is Exeter, why have you discounted the modular route already? I doubt you will get on a tagged integrated course and an untagged integrated course, graduating when you are 37 is a waste of money over modular. It won't give you any advantage over modular and the FTO is extremely unlikely to be of any help. And even if they do have airline connections, although they probably won't admit to it, they will think that you are too old as well.

If I was in your position, I would go modular and use the money you will save for the almost mandatory type rating, if you secure employment? I think you've missed the boat on going integrated, but have a throw of the dice if you go into things with your eyes wide open. Unfortunately, your Ryan comment doesn't seem to indicate that.

Good luck - it's tough out there!