I am 32, fast approaching 33 with a PPL. I will be starting next year on the commercial route. To be honest I don't want the left hand seat job on a Boeing, but would love some single crew air taxi and TB stuff, even it was just part time or as and when. Doing it for fun and not the salary. I guess it's only like having an expensive hobby like sports cars or yachting.

ok i normally dont get involved in these threads cause i get tired of the pointless negativity of the people like dartagn but any way couldnt reaaly resist today. I did my PPL as a present to myself 3 weeks before my 40th birthday went home had a chat with my brilliantly understanding wife and decided to set out on my 3rd carreer. It has been total heartache misery hardwork elatio and joy throughout the process. The first job is without a doubt a nightmare to get and you have to lok far and wide to get it.

However i sit here typing this in a very nice 4 star hotel in Kuwait before heading of to the airport to my right hand seat in a boeing 757 doing long haul flying at the age of 44.

Its a long hard road but it is doable with committmitment and a very very supportive family
good luck whatever you decide

ID

This post is a real inspiration and I’m really glad I’ve read it!

I’m 31 and I have a career. It’s going well but it’s not what I really want to do. I thought I was too old but based on the success stories I’ve read here, it still looks like I have a chance.

I’m doing my PPL and I plan to go right through to ATPL but I expect it to take a number of years and a lot of hard work.

In the meantime, to keep myself motivated, I work in ops at my local flying club - it’s the environment I want to be in and it is excellent for networking. It’s hard work, the hours are long, it’s killed my social life and it eats in to my much-valued weekend but being at an airfield around other PPL students, instructors and airline pilots, listening to their success stories and how they did it is the best inspiration and encouragement anyone could ask for.

Well done to those who have succeeded and the best of luck to those who are trying.

well dudes, I am 44 now, had my PPL when 37, just passed my ATPL exams and planning to pursue CPL training this year.

I can't call this a success story, since I still have to go for my (non-aviation) work to finance all that flying .. but I am making sure that I won't regret not having tried it ...

Cheers

Hi John

I'm 38 and started flying in Jan 09. Completed 8hrs PPL then changed to Mircolight NPPL cause it was cheaper then convert to NPPL(A) then PPL plus gets me up there too. And I must say what a way to relax! :D

Gosh if I thought some airline would take me at my age now i would diff do CPL.

Go for it mate, live for the day!!!!

jules

Follow your passion! But certainly don't expect to do any airline flying. After 25 years it ain't all that much fun anyway. Some of my best flying was single-engine charter, and there is plenty of that around if you look and are willing to relocate. Be guided by the heart, Best of luck!

But certainly don't expect to do any airline flying

Well in answer to the original question, it certainly is possible but if you don't get a job immediately and have to instruct for a while, the overdraft certainly increases just a tad.

I also started at 39, now 47 and flying right seat 737 for a large UK operator. Flew air taxi, instructed, Dash 8 for 2 1/2 years on which I turned down a command to take the jet job. Have also turned down 2 jet jobs previous to the current one for personnal reasons.

So it can be done but in hindsight would probably not do it again.

Flying Farmer, why do you say this, was it just the cost of training or are there other issues?

A few reasons but the main reason would be the overall cost when you factor in the loss of earnings etc on top of the training costs. I instructed for close on 3 years after training for 16 months. The instructing netted approx £5000 a year, so after fuel costs etc and a family and house to run you can see that you are peddaling backwards at a serious rate!

The first turboprop job was 18 K even then my outgoings were more than I earnt. That really is the harsh truth in this industry, the good money takes some years to achieve.

In hindsight I could have bought the buisness I was made redundant from :eek: