I want become pilot

[K4L]

I want to become a commercial pilot, I'm 32 years old I have only 10k saving living with parents. I have a flexible job as a consultant earning £1200 per month. I always wanted to be a pilot since young age but just never gone for it. How would someone in position tackle the situation. I am from the uk and im thinking of doing training in a another country as it may be cheaper but not sure. Please any advice would be very helpful.

[bex88]

To be honest your only real option is to apply to cadet programs. Officially your age will not go against you but in reality it may limit your employment chances. Training will cost between 50-90k. Cadetship are good because they allow people from all backgrounds who possess the correct qualities to become a commercial pilot by overcoming financial barriers. Look at BA's future pilot program.

[CAP509castaway]

Your savings and earnings don't really cover the potential training costs. I would suggest circa £50k if you do modular CPL. Have you got a PPL or had any lessons? From my experience you will be up against extreme competition from younger chaps. Good luck :-)

[Exascot]

I want to become a commercial pilot,

Good luck, but just for a matter of interest why? Answers on a postcard please. Then perhaps you may get some constructive answers or unfortunately criticism.

[RTN11]

There are only really two routes open, do cheap modular training and then work your way up the ranks, or pay for everything from the onset.

Either way, you will need financial stability. Working your way up would start with a very low paid instructing job, or other GA work, probably getting paid around £1000 a month or less, until you build enough experience for an airline to look at you without having to pay for a type rating.

The other option is to pay for a type rating and possibly even line training, which would be £30-40k on top of your CPL-ME-IR (which is already about £50-60k) giving a total figure which could already be over £100k.

You need a solid financial plan to make this work, blind optimism that you will get a job simply isn't enough, as many people find out the hard way.

Just note, I am very happy in an airline job having worked my way up as an instructor and not paying for a type rating, but it wasn't an easy road, and there were certainly times where I wondered if it would be worth it. It certainly was though.

[rankace]

I started my training when i was 32 after getting all the money together. Was a good plan at the time as there was plenty jobs. Then in 2008 half way through my training it all went wrong in the aviation industry and there was no jobs. When there was recruiting on again it looked like they were all taking on early 20 guys and after all the hard work, money and time i never landed any job and still tried to keep my licence current.

So use the money and get a PPL and enjoy some leisurely flying. You are earning more money then most of the guys who have gained employment in the last 2 year.

[D-Gold]

Listen to rankace and bex88. Do NOT start paying for a integrated program to CPL/ATPL!!!!!! You end up waste all your money, and flush a lot of years down the crapper. Don't mean to be harsh, but thats the reality. All the worlds flight schools edeucate a lot more pilots than needed, and to be hounest; they will probably choose a person younger than you when they have 700 others applying for the same position. So keep your job, or take another edeucation and start saving money for a PPL and take friends and family to fly on your spare time!

[no_problem]

Think positive. If you want it, go get it! But make sure you build a full picture of the financial risks you take upon yourself and the realities of landing a job at the end of training.

And FYI there are a few guys over 40 on the BA Future Pilot Program so don't listen to people who tell you you're too old. Their speaking crap! Live the dream

[bex88]

No problem, I wanted to be a fighter jet pilot, it was kindly pointed out to me by the RAF that even though I was already a qualified pilot I was on the very upper age limit and I was advised that whilst I could apply they did not struggle to find applicants who could give a better return for their training input. I think it's poor advice to say go get it. This is going to be his own personal money. Yes there are some older pilots on the FPP. 40 I would be surprised but most airlines look for experience in line with age. It's not impossible for sure but he faces a much much harder road than many many others