Changing careers and age

[aerosmith]

Hello All

Im 34 (nearly 35) have just over 400 hours, going for commercial and thinking of getting 100+ hours multi. I am a licensed dispatcher as well but currently work in IT. Im seriously considering getting into this and have been reading this and other forums for years. I think I am not too old for all of this but was wondering how others who have gone before me feel their age benefitted/was a disadvantge in the whole process (interview, how the company sees them wrt their age etc).

Flying has always been a passion and I understand that flying professionally is not a bed of roses however I feel that now may be good time to push with this for myself considering my age and the current demand for pilots. Also, does anyone have any gut-feeling about the current hiring trends, setting things up for a fall in the near term or a genuine requirement that should be around for 6/9/12 months.

Hard to belive that I could have the minimum hours for some of the regionals in 2 or 3 months.

Any info is appreciated

[GalaxyIFE]

Murphy's Law has a firm grip on this industry. Hiring is great right now, but there aren't ANY guarantees. 9/11 could happen again, and well, there you go. Some of things to consider is poor pay, not great working conditions (for the first few years, anyway), uncertainty, and yes...you have a wife and kids perhaps? Lots of questions, and of course, not too many answers. Thankfully, there is a lot of information on this board, so spend some time to peruse the site and take it all in. Sorry I don't have any answers, but just keep in mind that the only guarantee in this industry is that there aren't ANY guarantees!!!

[aerosmith]

Hello GalaxyIFE

thanks, I underatand that no-one knows if another biggie hits the industry (I think we all hope it doesn't). No, don't have any wife/kids, have a mortgage here in Brooklyn and am willing to walk away from basically everything (current work in IT, mortgage, NYC where I have been since Jan '99), have always been into flying and am seriously considering all my options.

Hopefully I will be able to review what the Regionals want from a hiring perspective - should be towards the end of year. Hopefully they are still looking for people towards the end of year however after reading some posts, it sounds like demand drops off in the next few weeks.


thanks
aerosmith

[ready2fly]

aerosmith (GREAT screen-name BTW ) : I was one year older than you when I started flying. That was in 2002. I am now 42 and in my second year at American Eagle Airlines on the CRJ-700.

In my prior life, I was a Paralegal for 13 years. Good $$, but not at all gratifying.

I can honestly say that I love my job (although the politics and negativity that go with it can sometimes be frustrating - but that's in every profession/industry) and I am very glad I made the switch.

I worked full time, went the Part 61 route, flying 3-4 times a week. I started on April 20th, 2002 and started instructing full time in September of 2004. Landed the gig at American Eagle Airlines in March 2006.

I call it my own version of the "fast track" .

Best of luck and keep us posted!

Stan

[Cruise]

If it's your passion.....go for it. Life is much too short to be miserable at work. We spend a good portion of our life working...might as well enjoy what you do.

My background:

Finished grad school in Prosthetics when I was 30. Worked in the field for a couple years....decided I wanted to follow my heart instead of my wallet and quit when I was 32 and started flying full time. Interviewed and got hired on my 34th birthday at Colgan. Just turned 36 and am now in the left seat. I am continuing to push my career forward. I'm dedicated and driven....it's worked so far.

I've never looked back at my 'previous' life thinking I made a mistake. This IS what I've always wanted to do....finally mustered up the cajones to go for it. Never been happier!

You're not too old. If the 65 thing goes through....almost certain to in the next few years. You still have 30 years of 'career' time remaining.

Good luck and keep us posted.

[Flying Ninja]

Don't worry about the age thing so much right now. If you're really serious about getting into aviation as a career, with your flight experience, I'd move my butt as quickly as possible to get those multi-engine hours. No respectable regional is going to touch you without some multi-engine time. Your total time is a bit low compared to what these airlines are looking for. See for yourself at:

http://airlinepilotcentral.com/resou...070412222.html

So the reason why I say you need to hussle is two-fold. The airline hiring comes in waves. They're hiring big time right now if you have the hours. And who knows when this will end. Second, if that age 65 goes through, you can pretty much bet that those minimum hour requirements are going to go up (1000/100 at the minimum is my best guess). This means you'll be doing the CFI thing until the next wave, possibly.

I don't know of any place out of Long Island that you can get 100 hours multi-engine without shelling out a down payment on a house. Your best bet is to find that option outside of NY, unless money isn't a factor to you. But you can easily get those 100 hours (and make sure you're not buying into 50 hours of you flying and 50 hours of you watching someone fly program) and get them done in a month.

Good luck!

[yoda]

Chewie Von Nubbins and I are in the same situation you are. We are both 30 or older and in the middle of a career change. Dude, you are only to old if they meet you at the nursing home to give you your crew brief! Even if you only have 26 years left to fly with the airlines or whomever...that is 26 years of living.

[yoda]

I was in the Air Force for 12 years. I was so tired of going to Iraq and got out. This is big step for me to, but if you really want it...you can do it and don't let anyone tell you differently.

[eastbayk]

There are lots of people over age 30 just getting into the career. A-dub was 34 when we chucked it all, moved to FL and started training. 1.5 years later, he's an FO with a regional. His SIM partner in training at that regional was 50 and didn't have any trouble getting hired. So far as I know, no one has said a thing to them about their ages.

Good luck,

k

[Velocipede]

Originally Posted by aerosmith

Hard to belive that I could have the minimum hours for some of the regionals in 2 or 3 months.

Any info is appreciated

Why? The regionals are hurting for pilots. I didn't start AOCS in the Navy until I was 25. I got my first airline job at 34. You can do it, especially since you've got Dispatcher time. You know how to flight plan.

Go for it, if you feel the urge.

[Chewie von Nubbins]

Yep, I just turned 35 last month. I somehow got a brilliant idea to pursue this road myself back in March of '07. Took a buyout from my job and started training. Should be finished with my CMEL/CSEL by the end of the month, and then on to CFI then to the regionals. Don't worry about your age and being able to get in, but worry about the aspect of starting over again as a newbie and already being set in your ways in how you learn, work past a learning block on a particular area/subject, and take critisism from a punk kid here or there....but really knows how to fly the plane better than you. That has been the hardest thing for me thus far.

You only live once, and if you are 100% sold on wanting to do it for a living....you are only wasting time in your life if you are not pursuing it 100%.

[Doug Taylor]

Originally Posted by Velocipede

Why? The regionals are hurting for pilots. I didn't start AOCS in the Navy until I was 25. I got my first airline job at 34. You can do it, especially since you've got Dispatcher time. You know how to flight plan.

Go for it, if you feel the urge.

What'd you fly in the Navy?

Most of my croanies are either F/A-18, P-3 or an inordinate amount of S-3 drivers.

[Chewie von Nubbins]

Originally Posted by Doug Taylor

What'd you fly in the Navy?

Most of my croanies are either F/A-18, P-3 or an inordinate amount of S-3 drivers.

Look up at his post count as of ***this minute***...then, look at that crazy looking avatar he has above the post count. 666

[Doug Taylor]

It's the quickening... To the Art Bell show, stat!

[skidz]

Thanx for ya'll making me feel like a youngster here, will be 34 in about a month I'm glad to hear us old(er) folks can still do it, yeah I'm kind of affraid of young punks telling me crap, I've already have had couple young instructors that really touched my nerve and almost made me want to quit the whole thing. But, I decided to fight back

Anyway, I guess even older guys can achieve a lot of things if they make a plan and stick with it. I have been flying for 4 years now as a private pilot and I've basically put the flying in a holding pattern so I can finish up the college. I got couple more months so I'll make an announcement soon and start 'skidz flight training' thread right after that
To the original poster, I want to say only one thing:"Just go for it" I can say I had my own share of doubts in the past, but since I've read some posts at this messageboard I realized that many of my fears were unfounded. Thank you jc

[aerosmith]

hi

as everyone can see, I dont post here often but damn do I read this thing. Doug and everyone who deep down respects this thing called flying, I say thank you. Its soo difficult for people outside this environment to understand how, I think, many of us feel about flying that places like this are a god-send.

Even though I am a lowly private pilot with a LOT to learn, I am trying to gleam as much information as I can from all sources - where else could I get input from soo many people with such insight into this industry and occupation. All I can say is this, THANK YOU.

As for the flying, I plan to use my vacation and possibly venture down to Skymates and get comm SE/ME and get to know a Seminole better !

thanks again

ps. Doug I owe you many beers !

[ED3]

I was an Auto mechanic for the past 12yrs. and looked into flying for a career change.

I had thought age would be an issue. Even when I was in flight school a couple years ago, all the students would wonder what I was doing there... I would say "I'm only 34"! I satarted to work as a flight instructor, but the lack of students where I lived in NC made money too tight for me to support a wife and child.

Fast forward two years, and I have another kid due any day now, 36 years old (37 in DEC.) and just got hired on with Skywest Airlines! All the gouges I read are from mid 20's guys that got the jobs, and seeing the # of 30's guys that were NOT hired as a result of the interview made me nervous. I think that the 20's guys are just more computer orriented, thats why there are more write up's from them.

In fact, out of the 6 guys at the interview on the day I went (Sept. 11 07) 4 were in there mid to late 30's, there for thier 1st interview with ANY airline, and all hired.

Moral of the story, don't worry about age... if you want the job, give it a shot.

[ready2fly]

Congrats ED3!!!

FWIW - my buddy in training was 42 when he hired on at American Eagle. Also a former mechanic/heavy machine operator with very little computer skills.

That was a year and a half ago. He's now a captain on a Premier Jet.

If you want it; you can do it.