How many of you are......

[52Vincent]

over 40 and trying to get your first job flying after accumulating hours from flight instruction? I have a wife and child and not sure I want to work for peanuts in the foreseable future. I have had a few interviews with the regionals, all followed by "thanks, but no thanks letters"(granted, the sim. could have gone better). Could my age be a factor? I have heard from other airline pilots that the regionals would prefer people in their 20 or 30's. I have been thinking that perhaps I should just fly for fun and change careers. I have an opportunity to do that in the next week or two. I can either continue instructing starting again next week (sel only flying) of I may have an opportunity to do something else and make a lot more $$. I was mostly curious to see how many people are over 40 and trying to start out in this crazy industry.

 

[Checks]

depends on which you love more, your family or flying.

 

[b757driver]

I would DEFINITELY do the something else. It will not get any easier down the road if commercial flying is what you wnat to do. Get the good-paying job which will give you security and longevity and then you might even be able to afford to buy your own light aircraft and fly for fun.
You will neither get rich in commercial flying nor have longevity or security. On the other hand, if you like living on the edge and for the moment and your future is not that important, stick with what you have. It's really a no-brainer.
If I had my time all over again with what I know now, I would have done something completely different. This industry is nohing like it once was and probably never will be.
If you don't believe me, ask Kit Darby, he'll be happy to take your money and spin the stories!

 

[skyaddict]

I seriously doubt age is an issue. Are you low on multi-engine time? If so then that would explain things. In any case, right now the airline industry is about the least stable career path one can choose to start on. It cost me my marriage (separated right now) because I was home so rarely, spending exciting overnights in places like my crashpads or exotic ports of call like Evansville, IN and Albany, NY. (Ok Montreal was a great overnight but great overnights are few and far between!)

Right now, recently furloughed, I just started again at a really crappy company that doesn't even give me any pay or benefits during training (not even to travel on them) and will result in food stamp wages until I find a better job. Ah but we should all be grateful to fly a shiny jet. Riiiiiight. I am looking seriously into dumping airline flying as a career but like many, I have no solid backup plan so I'm not ready just yet to make the jump out of the 'asylum.' Flying is still fun for me but one spends around 3 x as much time on the job unpaid, wasting away one's time like a prisoner away from family and friends (yes most crew become friends but it is a friendship bormne of the forced asylum), on useless overnights including weekends and holidays and that gets old real fast.

Best of luck!

 

[orionav8or]

Flying is like crack cocaine; it feels great and once you try it you want to keep doing it.... but nothing good will ever come of it. Do yourself and your family a favor and kick the habit now.

 

[Snakum]

Count me in ... I'm a glutton for punishment.

I've had to stop training so many times I don't wanna even think about it. Family responsibilities ... layoffs ... 9/11 and a 50% paycut .... a hundred things holding me up since logging that first hour ten years ago this Summer. Now I'm 41 years old, finally doing well again in the IT industry, youngest son heading out on his own, no significant other to tie me down, and what is the first thing I wanna do with my new-found wealth? Straight to the airport.

Crack? I've never smoked it ... but I'd imagine that comparison's not far from the truth. Even pro pilots who are doing well right now tell me "Are you crazy?!? Keep the job and just buy a plane! Don't be stupid!" But here I go ... lining up another instructor ... still a starry-eyed kid at 41.

God ... help me. I have wanted to fly for a living since I was old enough to look up in the sky and say "Ahhh paaaane!" Now, do I want to play it safe and make the smart move? Stay in an IT job that I do actually love, working with people I respect and care for, giving 110% every single day and watching the company grow ... or give it all up for a pipe dream that one day I might actually be allowed to sit in the right-hand seat of a King Air and play 'pilot' ... retire penniless with nothing but memories of wonderful places I've visited and awesome people I've known? Life's a toss up anyway. Screw it.

So, if anyone ever wants to give an old fart career changer with a checkered past a chance, I'll eat ramen and like it, and I'll give you 110% every single day without complaint and I'll smile every time the nosewheel lifts off for the first one of the day.

I don't want to be 75 years old, on my deathbed, and kicking myself in the @ss for never at least trying to fulfill my life-long dream.

Yeah ... I'm stupid.

Minh

 

[Kawasumi_Kichou]

... I'll smile every time the nosewheel lifts off for the first one of the day.

The first rotation of the day is easy. It's the 14th rotation of the day that gets a little hard to smile for.

 

[greygoose]

Go fly frieght

 

[52Vincent]

Hey everone thanks for the replies.
I don't have as much multi time as I would like (180).The 200 and 300 hour levels seem to open a few more doors. However there are many other pilots being hired with less multi time than me. At any rate I have no huge desire to fly for the airlines anyway, I would much rather stay in the 91 environment. I know, more difficult yet unless you know someone.
So Snakum is that your final decision ( bad joke, I know) are you leaving the ITT world? Good luck, sounds like it is a good time for you to do it with the offspring leaving and no significant other.
Now a little off the topic, does anyone know anything about a job posted a month or so a go for someone to fly copilot ( I think) in a Conquest and be able to leave near Aspen or Scottsdale. I applied but the person is using a service agency of some kind out of Florida, so I can't get the persons name. The agency will not reveal it.
Anyone else out there over 40 and looking for a flying job?

 

[Kawasumi_Kichou]

I turn 50 tomorrow and am thinking about getting back into the game after a nearly 10-year hiatus. Just 91 or 135 stuff--I'm pretty sure there are no regionals or above in my future.