am I to old...

[shack]

IS 28 to old to start a flying career? I graduate with my B.S. in Aeronatical Science this December and was looking into a flying career. I started flying my freshman year but found it difficult to fly and go to school at the same time as did my wallet. I really love to fly and almost dropped out of school to pursue a flying career but really wanted to graduate. My only question is am I to old? I'm going to finish what I started and complete my ppl starting in December. If I was to decide on pursuing a flying career, would my local FBO be better or a HIGH priced flight school (like there's a cheap one) be a better route. Like I said, I'm getting old and would probably be 30-31 or so before I completed the training that I needed for an "interview". Any advice from you veterans out there would be helpful.

p.s. I spent 6 years in the Air Force as a C-130 mechanic...the reason why it took me so long to graduate.

 

[huncowboy]

Come on 28 is not old more like average. I am 31 in a month and not even ready with my commercial because I am paying for the whole thing out of my pocket. In 1 year or even less you can finish all of your licenses (if you take out a loan) and then for 2 years instruct. After that you should have anywhere between 1000-1500 hours including your training. By then it will be 2006 and that should be enough total time to wash airplanes at an FBO in Kentucky. Just kidding... but you never know. What I am trying to say is even if it will take you 10-15 years to get to the majors you would still have plenty time to fly for them until retirement.

What wonders me is why do you care about your age if flying is what you want to do? I think for guys at the bottom like me or you what is important early on is the desire to fly, and not so much weather it makes sense or not, or weather we will make it to the majors or not. I am sitting here every day and wondering about how it feels to wake up knowing you will have to go to work and not sit in an office but fly an airplane. Regardless of the type of flying.

About the FBO vs. flight academy route just make a search for big school names like FSI, DCA, Embry etc... you should find plenty info. It is a never ending debate. Right now I would definitely say academies have some advantage because most will provide a CFI job, but just 2 years ago you could walk up to a school like Comair Aviation Academy with you fresh CFI rating from an FBO and get a CFI job that one would normally only get after cashing out about 2x the $$. You want to do that right now they wont even talk to you.

 

[LR25]

Go to the FBO, find an instructor and get the ratings.

You, an instructor, and a rental plane/ flying club, I stress the flying club.

Get 400- 500 hrs and find that first job towing banners, fly right seat in some kind of ancient freighter, do whatever it takes.

There are many ways to build the time. You just have to surround yourself with the right environment.

These afformentioned jobs dont pay much, and I would hate to have a 35K loan to payoff on top of it.

Whats the hurry, you and 10K other pilots need jobs to.

I dont think 28 is too late to start.

 

[mattfish42]

I sure hope it's not too late. If it is, then you, me, and a bunch of other guys our age and older are going to have to be really inventive about creating work!

 

[Flightist]

Your'e 20 years ahead of my schedule

Sorry, but I have to laugh (don't take it personally) at people age 28 that think they may be too old for a flying career. Three years ago (at the age of 48), I started training at the local flying club. 18 months ago I got a job instructing at the local FBO and I picked up some seasonal work. I have over 1800 hours now, all the ratings except the ATP which I should have within a couple of weeks.

I'm suppose to be starting ground school in December for a reasonable paying Part 135 job. I'm not writing this to gloat over my apparent success at starting a new career late in life. I just hope that my experience will help some of the younger people here put their situation in a new perspective. I wish things would have been different for me, in that I would have started this at 28 or even in my thirties. I'm still enjoying the ride so far!

Good Luck with your plans. And I do agree with the plan of joining a Flying Club if there's one near by or if not one of the local FBO's.

 

[English]

Nope, 28 is not too late. I had my first lessson when I was 27. Now I'm 33. See my profile? I'm been through two regional airlines, have part 121 pic turbine time, and 800 pic jet. Why would you be 30-31 before you'd be ready for an interview? I did my training while employed full-time, and had my first regional airline interview two years later, at 29. If you are going to train full-time, you might be able to top that!

If you are a self-starter and motivated, save your money and go the local FBO route for your flight instruction. If you aren't, then go the big flight school route.

 

[huncowboy]

Go to the FBO, find an instructor and get the ratings.

You, an instructor, and a rental plane/ flying club, I stress the flying club.

Get 400- 500 hrs and find that first job towing banners, fly right seat in some kind of ancient freighter, do whatever it takes.

There are many ways to build the time. You just have to surround yourself with the right environment.

These afformentioned jobs dont pay much, and I would hate to have a 35K loan to payoff on top of it.

Whats the hurry, you and 10K other pilots need jobs to.

I dont think 28 is too late to start.

Not that I want to argue or play the smart guy since I am not experienced but getting 400-500 hours is going to cost you even in a junk C152 at least 25k calculating $50/h most places. But that does not include an IFR plane for your IFR ticket, a complex plane for the Commercial, a multi plane for your multi, it does not include an instructor. At least here in FL $50/h wet would only work if you own the plane and your buddy is a CFI who does it for free (plz correct me if you know a place where you can do it for that much here in South FL... I would love to rent there if it is a safe plane and I don’t mean any sarcasm). I would say if you get away with 400TT and all the ratings incl. MEI even with 35k than you are very lucky. How you are going to make 35k above your living expenses w/o a loan is a though question for most of us. With my BBA the most I have ever made was 42k, of course now after laid off making only some 20k at a crap security job.

My experience is that it is way more expensive (I would say 20%+) to train with interruptions due to financial breaks, than doing it all at once. Right now I am on my last lesson for my Commercial license re-learning lazy eights and the rest for $180/h. All this I was able to do to standards without any problems 3 months ago. Just because I ran out of money and I can't take a student loan even with perfect credit until I don't have my Green Card now I am paying again. Had I been able to take a loan when I started training (28), by now I would be done with my dual given requirement at DCA and I would have saved some 5k at least just by not riding out the tuition increases. But as it is I still have another 6 months or more just to get my MEL, CFI, and CFII but only if I get like 10k sent from Europe, of which I am waiting for a while. Otherwise it will be 10 months.

I believe it makes sense to hurry even if there is no hiring simply because the sooner you are done the sooner you can start flying for a living and get out of your current job which you don't like anyways. For me that is the #1 thing. To stop doing what I am doing right now and start working as a pilot be it a banner tower or a CFI or whatever as long I can fly.

I am sure this will change after I have done it for a few years. I bet the initial hype wears off but still none of you career changers would want to come back and do what you have done before flying or do you?

 

[daddysquared]

I also was worried about being too old to start. I am 33 now, will be 34 in a couple weeks, and I just finished my Commercial. It has taken a little over a year and a half so far. I have a family (with 2 kids and one on the way) and have also been working 40-50 hours a week fixing computers over the phone. It has not been the easiest thing in the world to juggle everything. I have done my training at a Part 141 school (not one of the bigger ones) and paid a lot more than I should have. You know how it goes, hindsight is always 20/20.

Now I plan on attending one of those big schools to finish up for a couple reasons. Yes, I know that it is very expensive, but I have spoken with a number of gents that have gone that route and it worked for them just fine. They finished their training, taught at the school for about a year and a half, and are now flying right seat in a CRJ. If I can duplicate that, I'm looking at being in a right seat myself in a little over 2 years from now. That'll put me at 36 with another 24 years or so to go in may career. Hopefully all 24 years won't be at a regional, but even if they were, I'd be very satisfied.

I have also spoken to some that have gone the FBO route, spent less money on training, worked at an FBO, worked freight, 135, banner towing, whatever, and they made it to where I want to make it (121) as well. It just took them longer. I simply don't want to take as long as these fine gentlemen took.

Are you too old? Nope. Just figure out how you want to get there, stay dedicated, and you'll be just fine. If I could do it all over again, I probably would have gotten my private, instrument, and commercial at an FBO instead of at the 141 school. I'd still get the rest at an academy because of all the connections you can make there, and the job placement is nice.

Good luck

 

[bobbysamd]

Career changing

Twenty-eight is not too old at all to start the career. I had a friend who started at about that age and five years later he was a regional captain. That was during the '80s hiring boom, though. Although there's talk about the economy improving next year, it'll still be a while before airline hiring picks up. They still have all the furloughees to recall, so it may be a few years before new street applicants are considered.

That doesn't mean that you won't be too old by the time you get your turn. Let's say it takes five years before the furloughees are absorbed. That would make you thirty-three. That's not too old at all to be considered for a regional airline job. It would help greatly if you can get some corporate or 135 time as soon as possible.

I generally caution over-40 types who want to change careers to set realistic goals. I do not believe that regional airlines give fair consideration to career changers who are over forty, unless they have some unique quals that would set them apart from the hoardes of much younger flight instructors. My experience is they consider much younger flight instructors over much older flight instructors, even though the older instructors possess identical or better credentials than young people.

Originally posted by Flightist
Three years ago (at the age of 48), I started training at the local flying club. 18 months ago I got a job instructing at the local FBO and I picked up some seasonal work.

I have over 1800 hours now, all the ratings except the ATP which I should have within a couple of weeks.I'm suppose to be starting ground school in December for a reasonable paying Part 135 job. I'm not writing this to gloat over my apparent success at starting a new career late in life. I just hope that my experience will help some of the younger people here put their situation in a new perspective. I wish things would have been different for me, in that I would have started this at 28 or even in my thirties. I'm still enjoying the ride so far!

I congratulate this gentleman for being the exception to the rule. Over-40 career changers receive short shrift, especially from the regionals. Someone like him has a fighting chance at defeating the age discrimination monster after he builds some 135 time.

As far as training goes, and, again, based on my $0.02 experiences as a CFI for three well-known Part 141 schools, my recommendation would be to go that route. I have also instructed under Part 61. A Part 141 school is, well, school. Just like any other school, you have to prepare for your training activities, study, take tests, and meet schedules. 141 schools are highly standardized. The whole process imposes a discipline that helps you learn more, faster and better. You need the discipline and good study habits that you obtain in a structured system to succeed later in more advanced training situations where the training comes fast, hot and heavy.

Finally, I think that your degree and military background will be pluses.

Hope this helps. Good luck with your plans.

 

[Timebuilder]

I had to pick myself up off the floor when I read how "old' you are.

I went back to flying after many years in 1997. I was 45.

You have time on your side. Be glad, enjoy it. You'll be old before you know it, and you'll say "when did this happen???"