Continue to fly for fun and don't waste your money on something that may not pay off.

If you want to fly airliners, buy MS Flight Sim.

54 and considering doing CPL.
 

Hi Border,
Some very good replies here.please have a real close LOOK because of COVID 19..what a bloodbath of pilots in every airline that is taking place.Airlines scrambling to offload A/C.No one can give you the remotest idea when things will at least stabelize.
Dont even think of being hired by a carrier cause it aint gonna happen as there will be an abundance of pilots with high hours, all the qualifications etc never gonna see the inside of a cockipit.
However best of luck to you keep building up your hours but dont soebd your hard earned money chaaing an elusive fruitless dream
Sorry.
KARNAK66

So are we saying the industry has age discrimination

The Swiss REGA (air ambulance / SAR) do not take on pilots over the age of 40. Whether you find that discriminatory is your choice, but that's an official requirement they have.

Supply and demand. I retired from my UK company on an overseas operation. They needed pilots so I stayed on as contract for a year or so. A year later their domestic operation was short so I flew contract for another couple of years. Eighteen months later I went out to the overseas operation just as they wanted a pilot so I flew contract again with them until I was too old UK wise.

I went to Oz and got an Oz licence and flew on various Oz operations and then back to the original overseas operation and flew there on my Oz licence. The locals demanded that i get a national licence so I did at aged 67. Then my UK company pulled out so I flew with the national company until I was three months short of my 69th birthday.

I would have carried on with the Oz branch but I was diagnosed with prostate cancer so it came to a halt.

Please note that the prostate cancer has been overcome and I am clear.

If its a dream of yours then do it, it will improve your skills/airmanship. Once you have done that do an FI course. Your skills take a real boost then, or should do :/

You have just shown me Fareastdriver that age doesn't matter that much, my main concern is what will be my options if i complete my CPL, possible CFI work?, i want to be able to at least earn enough to cover the cost of my training or am i better going down fixed wing route?, to be honest, fixed wing doesn't have the same appeal to me as rotorwing does,

Age didn't matter that much for Fareastdriver because he had bucket loads of experience prior to the age you're contemplating starting out now. It's most unlikely you'll cover the cost of your training, if you can get a job at all. That is simply the absolute truth of the matter.

Great advice KARNAK66, thank you, ill def take on board all the advice given here and pray that the industry gets back to some sort of normality very soon.

I can't speak for ireland or helicopter flying, but here in the US, airlines regularly hire people your age and older. Just be sure to ask your instructors to be perfectly honest with you. It can take time to recoup the money you've invested. Covid complicates that, of course.

A CPL will make you a much better pilot, The training not just an extension of PPL in the basic sense, It brought me to a new level of understanding beyond simply managing the aircraft, much gained in managing the mission and the environment.

Yes 54 is too old to leverage a CPL but there are always odd jobs when hanging around like aircraft relocation and such, fun to do keep a sense or purpose

CPL(H) training aged 44
 

I have searched this forum for similar threads and can't find them except in airline related chat. I'm 44yrs old and part way into CPL(H) training in UK having completed all my exams via CAA in UK. My ambition is to get IR and try to get work in North Sea / Air Ambulance, but I'm seriously doubting if this is an unrealistic ambition based on my age and would really appreciate some opinions. A few years ago, one of my relatives who flew for Bond Helicopters in Aberdeen as a captain told me I was far too old and should forget it and focus on my career as an engineer in wind energy. He was a wise and experienced person, but also rather negative, hence I'd be really keen for a few other views; my gut feel is telling me I should have just listened to him. The other thing that concerns me is that the UK is heading into a recession of unknown length and that will surely mean there are less pilots jobs to go round unless other factors overcome it. Any opinions would be really appreciated, many thanks

Not a hope in hell I'm afraid. For co-pilot roles all employers want people under 35. By the time you get an IR you will be 46.

sorry but I disagree. The biggest problem he'll have is stopping the ball rolling and delaying his progression. Get the CPL, get the FI, start instructing and build some time. May take a few years but impossible it is not. Yes he'll need a bit of luck, but I'm confident he'll get a good dozen years flying in a post-instructional role if relentless determination is the driving factor. All it takes is time and money. It's not difficult.

If your single with no family or debts , you may make it ...otherwise I would just a PPL and enjoy flying.

Maybe in the USA, but not in the UK

And don't forget most employers want a valid IR, ie you need to get a job within a year of getting your IR (unless you want to spent thousands renewing each year)

Can't agree with that Sir (at least for the UK). I had a chat recently with some of the big names out there in UK Aberdeen on the hiring side. Some of them made it clear to me that age is a problem for them. At a co-pilot level they see it as a training risk to take on someone aged and they prefer to take on someone they refer to as "generation xBox" fresh from training that they can shape to their needs.

If you are older you would need luck, or know someone (with power) from inside or have the correct type rating. Without this your chances will be very very low.

Just want to throw my piece out here, that whilst I'm not aware of what those in charge of hiring are physically saying, I am aware of 2 co-pilots (having between 200 and 300 hours total) over 40 getting jobs at 2 different North Sea operators. Whilst the older of the 2 is "only" 44 and you would likely be 46 by the time you've completed your IR, I don't think it's too late.

Your best bet is to reach out to those in charge of hiring now and ask them the question yourself.

Or better still, take a ride on the train up to Bonnie Scotland and visit them in person. You get out what you put in.

Am i missing something here? Just don't tell them your age.