Am I getting too old

[Marc]

All,
I'm currently a 31 year old CFI with 1200TT (200 Multi). Am I getting too old to apply for a 135 or 121 gig? Does anyone know at what age do Regionals and Majors decide a candidate is too old (unless they have lots of ratings and 10,000 turbine time)?
Many thanks,
Marc

 

[JI Gone OH]

Not to old by any means..... Its a tough business out there, jobs are scarce so be patient. If you think your too old now, wait until you work in the business for a few years. It takes its toll.. Best of luck!!

 

[FSB99]

too old? probably 59.
too young? probably 18.

don't think age is much of an issue.. if it was, there'd be lots of lawsuits they'd have to defend against.

the real point to ponder is, as you age, make a thorough decision, simply because you have that much less time before retirement... so you won't necessarily want to take a job with a company that you end up hating before training is over; conversely, might not necessarily want to go to one in which you'll be stuck as an fo for many many years. choose wisely.

and by the way, 31 isn't old.

 

[JI Gone OH]

Not too old by any means..... It's a tough business out there, jobs are scarce so be patient. If you think your too old now, wait until you work in the business for a few years. It takes its toll on you, but sure beats working for a living.. Best of luck!!

 

[DCMartin]

I know people who have been hired by regionals at 52 and 53. Also there are many hopeful instructors at my flight school who are over thirty. One just got called for an interview with coex and he has a little over 1200 & 200M. I just got a letter from skyway with just under those times. Just keep at it and you'll get there soon.

Good Luck

Martin

 

[CRJ puppy]

Got my first regional job at age 43 with 2100 total and 800 multi and no military background or 121 experience. It's never too late and you are never too old as long as you have ambition and commitment.

Good Luck.

 

[FN FAL]

Mesaba hired me at 39...my co-worker is turning down a ground school at Eagle and he is 50 ish. He says he has an interview at SWA coming up.

Never say never. I am working on my Bachelors now while working full time in a good 135 job I got at age 40. My plans are not diminished by graduating at 45!

I'll either get something going on the upscale in aviation, start my own coporate flight department, use my degree to get inside a company on the white collar side or run for presidente.

It's all up to you to make the rest of your aviation career pay off or fizzle...and you can do that fizzle thing at age 26 as well...just ask my buddy that got chit canned from skyways for jumpseating to see some chickie ramp girl after calling in sick and getting caught by the chief pilot. Hahahahaha. Then he went out and gear up'd a 310 into an airports approach light system because he left the tow bar on the nose wheel. This guy will be flying 135 for life.

It's all up to you...and you are not too old. Try pulling a rabbit out of your hat and maybe you will find something even better than the airlines.

 

[rgd]

Quit while you are ahead. If you have a degree, go be a pharma rep or go back and get your masters. Read all the posts about the bitching and complaining about RJDC, mainline vs wholly owned vs blah blah blah, how ASA and Comair are going to be spun off. Spend about an hour or so a week on here and you will come to your senses. Unless, of course, you want to be making a big, fat, $36,000.00 a year (before taxes) when you are 37,( by then you will be a airline economic expert that knows how to run a billion dollar industry and can fix everything with a few simple minded ideas that your Harvard educated CEO has somehow missed) if you aren't forced to take a pay cut because you make to much flying that 50 seat RJ and you need to "share the pain." I hope to God you don't have a wife and children, because its alot of fun trying to explain how your 80 hours of flying with 300 hours time away from base is justified. Thats right, a big $10 dollars an hour to see your family 3 days out of the week, IF you don't have to commute. You don't even want to know about being on reserve. As you drive home from work, just delivering 50 people safely, but probably not on time, to their loved ones, you see the sign out in front of the Jack in the Box that says "Assistant night shift manager wanted $36,000 - 42,000 yr, no experience needed." Just think though, you can tell everyone your an airline pilot, thats why you drive a 1989 civic with the headliner falling out. And when your ship comes in (you make captain when your 39 or 40) you will be making a whopping 60 grand!!! Then if another couple of years you MIGHT have enough turbine PIC time to get on with some LCC, because the majors haven't even recalled general lee from being furloughed. And you pretty much start over again. My advice? Go find a good sales job or get your MBA, start a business, anything, just find a career that is worth your time. Buy your own Baron or 414 in about 3 to 4 years and enjoy flying, but don't make a career out of it. IT AIN"T WORTH IT. Have a nice day.

 

[bugchaser]

And there it is.........

 

[labbats]

And there it is.........

T-t-t-that's all folks!

 

[sleddriver77]

Yep, there might just be something to that...

 

[WhiteCloud]

Jack in the Box that says "Assistant night shift manager wanted $36,000 - 42,000 yr, no experience needed."

Give me a break.....is there one person on this board that is really going to quit their flying job for that. If you're still living paycheck to paycheck or are the sole income provider for your family, a starting salary at a regional is going to be tough to work with. The money gets better and the scehedule gets better after a few years.

 

[rgd]

Hey, white cloud, read the post again. Show me the part that says quit and go to jack in the box. I said to go get a job in SALES (Pharma, software,etc.) or go back and get your MBA. I didn't say go to work at Jack in the Box. Even though I would bet Jack in the Box has better retirement, stock options, insurance, and scheduling for managment personel. I don't think you can apply there though, you have to pass a reading comprehension test. All I know is that on my way to the hotel from the airport, it sure pissed me off seeing some high school drop out with his GED closing up the Jack in the crack making more money and getting to go home every night.

 

[Anais Nin]

One just got called for an interview with coex and he has a little over 1200 & 200M.

Oh man, poor dude! Hope he has nothing but time on his hands. Nothin' like being an F/O for 5+ years! That place doesn't move along very fast! I used to be there but hi-tailed it out of there fast when the CAL furloughs started. Much better QOL now.

 

[Timebuilder]

Anais Nin

I haven't even seen that author's name in 30 years. I had a friend who LOVED her stuff. She married a dentist.

Interesting choice of screen name.

 

[WhiteCloud]

As you drive home from work, just delivering 50 people safely, but probably not on time, to their loved ones, you see the sign out in front of the Jack in the Box that says "Assistant night shift manager wanted $36,000 - 42,000 yr, no experience needed."

OK RGD.......there are lots of people with less education than we have that make a lot more money than we do. Maybe they have more street smarts. Anyway.....working at Jack in the Box is honorable work and anyone that does it deserves good pay and benefits. As a matter of fact, the guys that came over to chop down a few trees on my property recently make over twice what I make and I do OK. They work their tails off and deserve it. He invited me to work with him on days off. He can always use more help. I'm going to call after I finish this post. He doesn't require a reading comprehension test either. I'm not quitting my day job though.