1) Good for you.
2) Brace yourself :-)
3) Take a couple of experience flights to get a taste for a light aircraft & the world you'll train in.
Then get a first class medical. It would be horrible to embark on your new career and come up against a health issue down the road
Depending on where you live, find a decent school that can take you to a Commercial License efficiently. Note i didn't say cheaply. I think you're looking for the best use of time. Where do you live?
Next look towards the Regionals. You'll need almost 1500 hours for the ATP they require. To get there you can Flight Instruct or scrape some Part 91 job together; banner flying or such. Or, if money really isn't a problem, buy blocks of time in increasingly faster & more capable Single & Multi Engine Aircraft. Buddy up with a smart instructor for mentorship.
There are lots of new hires in Regionals aged 45. The 20+ years ahead of you will be exciting..
Good luck...
Originally Posted by
yelkhettar
Hi guys,
Here is my story, I'm sure you already heard the same or at least part of it.
I'm 43 years US resident and the time has come for me to change my life around and do what I always wanted to do, being an airline pilot. The main reason was largely because I was given the US green card only this year and of course this changed everything for me. Where I'm from you can't be a pilot unless you start right after high school.
I'm in the process of choosing the right training school. I basically can go wherever I want. Money is not an issue. I have enough cash to go all the way without borrowing money. I was fortunate to make a good living for the past 20 years. I also have a bachelor's degree from a major US university.
Any advice on the path I should take to avoid making mistakes on the way? What schools are best suited for me? What to do after training? Instructing or building time through other means? Once again, money is not a problem.
The ultimate goal if of course to work for a major US or foreign airline the sooner the better. I will still have a 20 years career maybe more if the retirement age is pushed to 67 or 70 which is quite possible considering what's going on in the industry.
Thank you in advance for all your ideas.