Age of the oldest new hire at a regional feeder.

[Sy-bill]

Hello everyone,

I have an acquaintance at our local airport who is in his mid-forties and has always wanted to fly for the airlines. He has the time to be competitive and has remained current by part time flight instructing in both singles and twins.

He pretty much ruled out the possibility until he heard someone else at a nearby airport just got hired by I believe Eagle, and they are in their early forties. I explained to him about the current state of the industry and the lumps everyone has taken for a while now and that after the shine wears off the new job, that airlines politics take over your quality of life. Some worse than others and some better than others. I can understand his desire to give it a shot. The real question, are some of the regional airlines hiring guys in their mid-forties? I could understand why some airlines may generally not. Commuting to sit reserve in JFK is not for the faint of heart.

I am hoping for information that would be more recent than not. To help him out (he doesn't get this forum stuff) I am hoping to get a feel of all airlines that some on this board can share that type of information.

Thanks.

 

[ILS8L]

An employer may not disciminate because of race, color, religion, sex or age. The age discrimination employment act of 1967 (ADEA) specifically protects job applicants over the age of 40.

 

[CX880]

Is this a hobby for him? If he's seriously trying to make a living, tell him to avoid the regionals.

 

[Flyby1206]

Eagle has had lots of newhires in their 40s and some in their 50s as well

 

[ualdriver]

Hello everyone,

I have an acquaintance at our local airport who is in his mid-forties and has always wanted to fly for the airlines. He has the time to be competitive and has remained current by part time flight instructing in both singles and twins.

He pretty much ruled out the possibility until he heard someone else at a nearby airport just got hired by I believe Eagle, and they are in their early forties. I explained to him about the current state of the industry and the lumps everyone has taken for a while now and that after the shine wears off the new job, that airlines politics take over your quality of life. Some worse than others and some better than others. I can understand his desire to give it a shot. The real question, are some of the regional airlines hiring guys in their mid-forties? I could understand why some airlines may generally not. Commuting to sit reserve in JFK is not for the faint of heart.

I am hoping for information that would be more recent than not. To help him out (he doesn't get this forum stuff) I am hoping to get a feel of all airlines that some on this board can share that type of information.

Thanks.

Tell your friend to google "The Truth about the Profession" before he does anything drastic....

 

[skyguy40]

I do not know anymore than what you told us about him, so I could ask a few questions like what does he do now? However, I don't really think that is going to change his mind. I was about thirty-five when I started with my first airline. I am on my third airline now (Dc-8 first, them an EMB and now a CRJ) and as a result the aviation industry has left me financially broke through the years. I am now in my late forties and only on my third year pay as a first officer.
So it will be a long hard road for him but you only live once.
This is just my story and my two cents.

 

[Amish RakeFight]

Eagle F/O pay

Make sure he knows how little he'll be making with little chance of upgrade.

1st year: $25
2nd year: $34
3rd year: $37
4th year: $39
5th year: $40

BTW, whats the DOH of the most junior captain at Eagle?

 

[Sy-bill]

Great replies! Thanks!

What is uneasy to witness, and yet all too common, in my opinion this is more of an ego issue more than anything else. All of us know how that can lead you down the road of being terribly unhappy and lonely on overnights. This guy has nothing to lose for he has had little to begin with. But when I carefully attempt to inform him of "The truth about the Profession", it just doesn't matter. Because his ego (my opinion) is controlling his decisions professionally and recently personally.

Now I would like to think that I have always been a advocate to promote ones dreams of being an airline pilot. I know from personal experience that it is easy for an airline to not hire someone because of age without it appearing so. Largely done in the seventies and eighties and somewhat in the nineties. This business has changed so much during that time that even in the eighties, being older and entering the regional market was emotionally and sometimes physically much more difficult than someone in their twenties and early thirties. Although maybe a bit different today with the type of equipment now used, the pay and schedules can be more challenging than it was twenty years ago. And now more importantly than ever, the quality of the airline can be paramount.

What I am seeing now with many being hired in their forties and fifties, is that many younger people do not see the airline business as a good career any more. Very sad to see and now, after hearing about the upcoming "pilot shortage" for almost 25 years now, a shortage may finally be a reality. And now I question to myself, are we now getting pilots of lesser quality than we use to when there was not a shortage of eager young people excited about just becoming an airline pilot? Time will tell. I hope I am wrong.

 

[LewisU_Pilot]

Make sure he knows how little he'll be making with little chance of upgrade.

1st year: $25
2nd year: $34
3rd year: $37
4th year: $39
5th year: $40

BTW, whats the DOH of the most junior captain at Eagle?

10/30/2006 is the most jr awarded captain. Another 250 should start flowing to AA by winter so this will bring the upgrades into mid 07.

 

[blott]

Republic, in a typical epic fail moment, managed to hire a guy that was 64. They had to buy him out, to keep from a lawsuit, when they told him to go home from training...

 

[The Drizzle]

Republic, in a typical epic fail moment, managed to hire a guy that was 64. They had to buy him out, to keep from a lawsuit, when they told him to go home from training...

64 and 7 months.

 

[ualdriver]

Great replies! Thanks!But when I carefully attempt to inform him of "The truth about the Profession", it just doesn't matter. Because his ego (my opinion) is controlling his decisions professionally and recently personally.

No, I meant for him to literally go to the website, "The Truth About the Profession." If he Googles that phrase it's the first hit. It outlines all the stuff you're probably trying to tell him, but sometimes a person needs to hear it from another source!

 

[Amish RakeFight]

10/30/2006 is the most jr awarded captain. Another 250 should start flowing to AA by winter so this will bring the upgrades into mid 07.

Well okay, thats not so bad then. Werent upgrades much much longer jus a few years ago?

 

[Sy-bill]

No, I meant for him to literally go to the website, "The Truth About the Profession." If he Googles that phrase it's the first hit. It outlines all the stuff you're probably trying to tell him, but sometimes a person needs to hear it from another source!

I did understand you the first time but I did not go to the site. I have and thank you for pushing a bit harder. It is not mostly anything I did not know and have carefully tried to share with my acquaintance but the site articulates "The Truth" very well and much better than I.

In my experience when the ego takes over it is difficult to have someone understand the hard truth. I would like to share that web site but it would be too much of a risk of him taking it wrong. I do recommend anyone reading the information though who is thinking about a career in the airline or corporate piloting business. It accurately shares the good, bad and ugly.

Thanks again.

I can say that this site brings to light of how much different this business is today than 20 years ago. Most aspiring pilots are good, competent pilots but there are some that are not as much so. It appears to me that those in the minority really couldn't get an airline job because their experience and skills were carefully considered. Now it is more of getting seats filled and anyone willing to accept the low salaries are not lacking of numbers. This will lower the average quality of the industry for certain. The question will always be, does it make a difference? An issue very difficult to quantify unless largely exposed in the most tragic of ways.

 

[Hobiehawker]

Most aspiring pilots are good, competent pilots but there are some that are not as much so. It appears to me that those in the minority really couldn't get an airline job because their experience and skills were carefully considered. Now it is more of getting seats filled and anyone willing to accept the low salaries are not lacking of numbers. This will lower the average quality of the industry for certain.

Well, I now know one guy that may be the poster child for this statement.

Great read on "The Truth about the Profession".

The only way anymore to enjoy this profession is a true love of flying airplanes. Not the ego boosting thought of being an airline pilot. And I feel sorry for all Captains and First Officers that have to fly with the egotist. Two of them in the cockpit has to be miserable for both at levels I can't imagine.

 

[bailout]

Two different issues. 1. If he wants to fly, his age is not an issue. My new hire class had 8 out of 20 that were over 40. It's very common today to see career changers or late starters. 2. Can he 'afford' to pick up this career path?

 

[I Hate Freight]

Is this a hobby for him? If he's seriously trying to make a living, tell him to avoid the regionals.

Right, and go straight to the majors because they're all hiring in droves.

 

[I Hate Freight]

10/30/2006 is the most jr awarded captain. Another 250 should start flowing to AA by winter so this will bring the upgrades into mid 07.

I'm always confused about the flow-through process. What in your opinion has to happen to trigger another group to go over to AA? I keep hearing they have to get through the entire furlough list and I've heard that they have to start hiring off the street.

 

[LewisU_Pilot]

I'm always confused about the flow-through process. What in your opinion has to happen to trigger another group to go over to AA? I keep hearing they have to get through the entire furlough list and I've heard that they have to start hiring off the street.

No that is for the 850 or so guys with numbers. It is really confusing and I don't 100% know how it works since I am not apart of it, but AA is currently sending another round of letters and I am hearing only about 3 out of 10 are accepting this round. Once they go through the entire list they then tap back into another 250 eagle guys. Originally they were being told plan spring of 2012, but now they are being told be ready as soon as the fall. After those guys go which will probably be about 30-40 a month AA sends another round of recall letters. When AA starts hiring off the streets which could be as soon as 2013 they will then take another 850 or so guys from eagle, but it will be 1 for 1 or 2 for 1 type of a deal. I don't think they have come to an agreement yet on that. Now take everything I just said with a grain of salt since I am not 100%, but more like 80% this is how it is going down.

 

[I Hate Freight]

Hoping you are correct or at least in the ball park. New captains will be off of reserve in a few months and new FOs will barely touch it.

I have no idea though how Eagle can replace that many pilots. I have a feeling it would make staffing so critical, they may try to put a stop to the flow, or at least a temporary hold.