46 and ready to go! Or way too late?

[panmoria]

Hello everyone, this is my first post here and I hope to become a regular here.

Or maybe it's just plain silly to even think about it.

I'm 46 years old and think now's the time to get CPL.

Health is OK, I'm fit and am not dreaming about the left seat of a wide-bodied aircraft.

Smaller aircraft seem to be more fun, why not cargo or a small regional airline.

But what are the chances? Better give up the idea now - or is it like poker? Give it a try and you might be at the right time at the right place?

Here in Thailand where I live job prospectives are probably not too rosy, but they got a decent school to get the basics.

OK, it's not cheap, you don't want to spend that money just for fun.

Valuable input would be highly appreciated.

Many thanks in advance!

[Bealzebub]

not dreaming about the left seat of a wide-bodied aircraft.

Smaller aircraft seem to be more fun

OK, it's not cheap, you don't want to spend that money just for fun.

It is your money, do with it as you see fit. There are flying schools that need your business, and instructors who need to make a living. I think you are seeing this through some seriously rose tinted glasses.

My advice would be to buy a boat or a nice car and enjoy yourself.

You state that smaller aircraft seem to be more fun, but then go on to say that you don't want to spend that money just for fun! I think you need to ask yourself (and research) just what is it that you do want? Why? How much do you think this is all going to cost? What are the realistic chances of success even if age were not a factor? What would you do if you completed a CPL/IR and then found no work but still had to pay significant sums to keep the licence valid? If the high risk venture came to nought, do you have a fall back plan?

As I say, your money and your choice, but I think you need to understand the reality of the marketplace before you go much further down the path.

[captainsuperstorm]

never too late to give your money to a TRTO.
never too late to be bankrupt with no money and no job.


who's next? and what school is that? BAC or IAC?

[panmoria]

Thanks Bealzebub.

You see that I clearly have no clue about the market situation - so before I ask any more naive questions some more serious research is overdue.

I'd plan to spend some 50-60k on the academy - yes, to make a living from it.

Going back to my initial question, having no illusions about it, age could be a major stumbling block?

My eyesight's 20/20 and all seems fine, so it's not the physical age I'm referring to...

If a new career is the main aim, which program would you recommend?

CPL only?
ATPL?
AFI?

[Bealzebub]

I know this is going to sound terribly ageist.

If you were 20 years younger, I would say: Your budget isn't enough. Find another £40,000 and get on board one of the integrated school "cadet" programmes. You will be living hand to mouth for a few years, but this is your best chance of ab-inito low hour airline flying. It is most definetaly not a guarantee, but it is your best chance. These programmes have significant cost/quality benefits for the airline partners, and they are a growing part of a very stagnant industry. As the stagnation ends, they are geared up to expand rapidly.

If you were 20 years younger and couldn't raise this sort of money, then I would say find yourself the best quality modular programmes that you can afford. Prepare for the fact that on completion of your licences, airlines are not going to be in the least bit interested in you until you have a couple of thousand hours experience, with a portion of that on turbine powered equipment. Even then, the competition is so intense that jobs will be very hard to come by.

If you were 20 years younger, I would tell you that it is a brutal game that takes no prisoners. It involves an enormous degree of dedication, effort, determination, resource, money and luck, and luck, and luck! If you succeed then in twenty years time you might reasonably expect to be an airline captain with 13,000 hours or so. By then you will be around age 46.


All I can tell you in all honesty, is that people have gone into commercial flying in mid-life and have made a success of it. I would suggest that is quite a rare achievement given the realities. The founder of this website didn't start until he was 40 or so I believe, and now flies Boeing 747's for a well established operator. However I think the chances of success, as remote as they are normally for anybody starting out, are only amplified in this regard when you are 20 years behind the curve that represents "experience commensurate with age".

As to your last question, Unless you already have one, I would say PPL and see how much you like it. Then, Class 1 medical This can throw up all sorts of obstacles, even in fit people with 20/20 eyesight. Read the Colour vision thread in the medical forum, for just one of many examples.

[Superpilot]

And that's about the best advice you'll find from anyone, anywhere! One topic missed though is 'connections'. Do you have any in the industry? I ask because good charm and flying ability just doesn't cut it. Even for us in our late 20s/early 30s, most of whom have been waiting 2-3 years so far without even an interview opportunity.

[1Wingnut]

Another thing that might be relevant is your citizenship. What passport do you hold? That can affect your employment prospects, as well as where you could train most economically. For instance, I could train you myself with Private, Instrument, Multiengine and Commercial for about $60,000 in the USA. I spent a lot less than that myself, but the price of fuel has gone up!
Chok Dee Krup!

[panmoria]

Thanks 1Wingnut - I hold a Swiss passport and am a resident of Thailand, so the U.S. market is not what I am after.

Trying to get a feel for the market over here.

To get the flight hours it looks like the best way would be to buy an aircraft (you get a small plane for $50,000 over here), get your hours and sell the plane again when no longer needed.

[Halfwayback]

Welcome

Panmoria

Welcome to the Pprune Wannabee forum!

You are not too old to start flying but you are trying to do so at the worst possible time. For age questions go to the 'The Perpetual - Am I too old thread' in the Read before posting above.

For your other questions you will find a host of experienced pilots - and some others like yourself just starting out - but we do expect you to do your own research before posting. Please use the Search Function and you will find that all your questions will have been asked - and answered - before.

I am now closing this thread to let you do some research. PM me if you feel you need it re-opened and we will look at it again then.

Halfwayback