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Too Young?

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Old 20th May 2009, 22:00
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Too Young?

I am seemingly very young to be applying for Captain positions on a 747 but have over 8,000 hours TT and over 3,200 as PIC, with all of those on a classic (cargo). I was just lucky to get high-hour jobs starting at 16 and then on at a cargo carrier at 19 as an SO.

My question to any vets out there is will someone hire a 25 year old as a captain? I appear to have the hours for places like KAL, SQ, Nippon, etc. and want to work in Asia, but don't know if I shoot myself in the foot not applying for FO slots.

Advice welcome!
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Old 21st May 2009, 00:38
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My sim partner during initial training was in a similar position than you, he had the times to apply as a captain but was offered an F/O position. In Japan (in Asia for the most part) they equate age with experience and although you have the times don't be surprised if the offer comes as an F/O, but your age has another advantage because if you get the job and upgrade within your first contract then I fail to see how that is a bad thing.

Good luck and I congratulate you on a blessed career because achieving those times at 25 is pretty impressive
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Old 21st May 2009, 01:24
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The World's Youngest 747 Captain???????

25 years old with over 3200hours PIC on B747.

So B747 Captain at 21 years of age!

(assuming max 1000hours per year, 3200 PIC on B747 = over 3 years, then 25 - 3+ years = 21 years of age)

Congratulations on being what I would believe to be the world's youngest 747 Captain. Very impressive.

A lot of potential employers would find this difficult to believe, hence the probable reluctance.

Best of luck on the job search.

PS. Over 8000hours at 25 years old, you have been very busy assuming 1000 hours per year and a B747 rating as well as all your flight training etc since 16. Well done.
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Old 21st May 2009, 03:49
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Don't you need to be 23 to hold an ATP?
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Old 21st May 2009, 04:10
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ATP

You can have an ATPL by 21.e.g.INDIA.
Indian airlines like Jet have had 21 yr old commanders on their B737
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Old 21st May 2009, 08:06
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Its obvious that this guy wrote this in his sleep because it is evident he is dreaming.

PIC on a 747 at 21/22? Absolute BS.

I would usually write a cynical comment like your Dad must be the Chief Pilot but even that would not get you PIC at 21.

Hell, even if Daddy were the CEO/Chairman I'd still doubt it.

Over 8000 hours? So looking at 1000hrs absolute max that means you were flying 1000 hours a year since you were 17.

I was a 742-F pilot from 21 then a 744 pilot at 25. In my 9 years of flying, I have never met any 74X pilot who had flown the max hours per year.

Time to wake up I think..........

Yes...far too young. I guess the children are on school holiday where you are?
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Old 21st May 2009, 08:11
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high-hour jobs starting at 16
Don't you need to be 18 y.o. to get a CPL ?
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Old 21st May 2009, 09:35
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8000 hours TT at 25 years of age means you would have clocked on average 1000 hours a year, every year, since 16 years of age. That's close to max hours (or over max hours in countries where you can only do a max of 900 hours in 365 days) for 8 years!! That's incredibly hard to believe.
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Old 21st May 2009, 10:08
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Last year I met a Captain from China Southern and he was only 23 but already captain on both A320 and B737NG with a few thousand hours on each type. He actually loathed his job and was looking to get out of the bureaucracy there.

So these folks do exist. It might be more helpful if UpEarly gave more detail about the countries/carriers he/she worked for as clearly his/her credibility is under attack in these forums (I note it is his/her first post).
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Old 21st May 2009, 10:23
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I don't think anyone is questioning a Captain in their early twenties. It can and does happen.

If I had stayed on the 737 (my first airline job at 19) I like to think that I would have got my command in my early twenties.

It is obvious this guy is a joke. Firstly, it is impossible to have 8000 hours at his age because you would have had to break the limit each year since 16, had a CPL at 17 which is against the rules - oh and have had to find time to do the 747 Type Rating whilst flying to the max.

I don't think so.
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Old 21st May 2009, 11:17
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HeY Upearly.

Put your money where your mouth is and apply for the Capt positions. If you are legit you may get a look in, I think the chances with the Japanese are slim. They may ask you to adjust your application to an FO slot. Still a good situation at your age.

If you're not legit, well, let's see
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Old 21st May 2009, 14:29
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Sorry but,.............

dream on my friend.
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Old 21st May 2009, 15:58
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I'm 23 but I guess I still look 18 flying the B1900D PIC so I get some comments. Can't imagine flying a 747 at 25. But then again, boxes don't care about your age so it wouldn't hurt to try cargo.
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Old 21st May 2009, 17:04
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over 8,000 hours TT and over 3,200 as PIC, with all of those on a classic (cargo).
I think that guy meant 3,200 PIC on his 'supposedly' cargo career.
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Old 21st May 2009, 20:55
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Well here we go...

First of all, Dominican & who.ru (and the two who sent PM's)....thank you for your replies. I'll come back to that.

To the rest, this ought to be fun....

1. I am male, so at least we've cleared up the he/she question.

2. I started flying at 15 and got the certificate about a day after I turned 16 to solo, had a neighbor who owned his own Cessna doing little contract mini-cargo runs and went with him every chance I got. We did 50+ hours a month together for over two years and I had 1,343 hours by the time I graduated high school.

3. Went to work for a small cargo outfit for 19 months flying a B58 and flew over 1,700 hours. Before anyone writes back with (imagine 4 year old voice here) "you can only fly 1,000 hours a year!!!" let us remember a couple of simple facts...
a) THAT YOU ARE PAID FOR...I still flew with my neighbor any chance I got to keep building hours. If he wanted a day off and I was free, I flew it for him. Anything to get hours.
b) In the US with Part 135 carriers, you can fly up to 1,200 hours a year.
I did 1,761 on the B58 and another 162 on the Cessna during this time.

For those with math challenges, which we'll cover more later as well, that's 19 years 10 months old and 3,266 hours according to my logbooks. Keeping up, are we?

Hired as SO on a 747-200 through a connection at work. Didn't need CPL yet because I was only qualified to fly as a relief SO. Nothing else. They only hired me because I would come work for about $20 an hour and it was another body on board if people needed to sleep for an hour. "Everyone else dies in flight, I am still not supposed to touch the controls." Seriously, that's what my trainer told me.

During that 15 months, I still accumulated another 15-20 hours a month subbing on the little Cessna and joyriding on weekends. All told, about 215 hours there. We're at 3,627 if you're still worried about it.

Okay, now I get to 21 and get my CPL. I have enough seniority to get FO seat since people leave these 3 plane cargo ops like merry-go-rounds. 22 months as an FO (plus training) and I was qualified to be PIC by the time I turned 23 (actually about two months shy of that). Again, we keep having trouble with math here in pprune heaven so let's also specify that I am 25 years, 10 months and 16 days old as of today. Clear? After training, I was PIC at 22 years, 10 months and 8 days. Ooooh, this math is going to be hard. Um, uh, wait...I've got it! That is 3 years and 7 days as of my post yesterday!!! I flew 982, 963 and 978 hours the first three years PIC, plus 8 in my 4th so far. We also fly anywhere from 2 - 15 hours a month of ferrying, which doesn't count toward your max. Sorry to disappoint. All told...8,422 TT and 3,283 PIC.

Now, you might remember there was an original question on here that most everyone forgot after about the third post. If there is anyone out there that flies for SQ, KAL or Nippon with input they feel might be helpful, I really would appreciate the advice. As we've seen on here, my age/hours/PIC time can basically be an afront to some people. I have spent a lot of time in Asia the last few years and really do like it, as well as the culture. Given the awful US hiring prospects and the fact I a) would like to finally make decent money and b) would prefer a little more professional environment to what I currently have, I would like to apply for these positions. I see the application in two ways:
1. A Chief Pilot looks at my Captain application and says, "There's no way I'm putting some 26 year old (which I will be by the time any of this happens) in the left seat of my plane!" or.....
2. A Chief Pilot looks at my FO application and says, "Why would he want to go back to the right seat? How desperate is he?"

Hopefully, that makes sense. I'm just trying to see it from their side of the table. Dominican, I have no problem walking in the door as an FO for a 3-5 year contract but don't know which to make application for. I have been told by a couple of people, including our CP, to just apply for Captain but show a willingness in the interview to go the FO route if asked.

NOTE: I'm not arguing over hours and age anymore, but anyone with nothing of relevance to add can feel free to assail however much you wish. I am who I am and the facts are all true. If you don't like, that's really your own problem Thanks to all!
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Old 21st May 2009, 21:39
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Keep dreaming boy!!!!!!!

With that flight experience you should have the maturity enough to get the answer to that question yourself.


Mr.White
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Old 21st May 2009, 22:11
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Haha thats so true Mr White.

Nice day to go fishing isn't it?
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Old 22nd May 2009, 08:29
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Its a "Set Up"...i think we all got sucked in...
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Old 22nd May 2009, 11:22
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Originally Posted by UpEarly
Hired as SO on a 747-200 through a connection at work. Didn't need CPL yet because I was only qualified to fly as a relief SO. Nothing else. They only hired me because I would come work for about $20 an hour and it was another body on board if people needed to sleep for an hour. "Everyone else dies in flight, I am still not supposed to touch the controls." Seriously, that's what my trainer told me.
LOL! that's the funniest thing I've ever read on pprune. Good one mate, but don't give up your day job.
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Old 22nd May 2009, 12:13
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Didn't need CPL yet because I was only qualified to fly as a relief SO - on a 747.

Oh my god. I have never laughed so much in my life. I love PPrune. Free comedy.

As these are anonymous forums the origins of the contributions may be opposite to what may be apparent. In fact the press may use it, or the unscrupulous, or sciolists*, to elicit certain reactions.
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