How old is too old?
#1
New Hire
Thread Starter
Joined APC: Feb 2020
Posts: 2
How old is too old?
Looking for opinions on my options. I'm coming to the end of a non flying law enforcement career and I would like to fly for a regional airline. I have a CPL Inst and ME, with over 2k hours. I know I meet the minimums, but I'm wondering if 57 is too old to get hired by a regional. I'm not interested in flow through to a major, just want to fly, if it's not too late.
#3
Looking for opinions on my options. I'm coming to the end of a non flying law enforcement career and I would like to fly for a regional airline. I have a CPL Inst and ME, with over 2k hours. I know I meet the minimums, but I'm wondering if 57 is too old to get hired by a regional. I'm not interested in flow through to a major, just want to fly, if it's not too late.
65 would be too old. If you are younger than that then no, you are not too old. Regionals would take you in a heartbeat because they know you won't go to a major, they'll have you for 8 years.
This is why there will never be a pilot shortage. Plenty of people waiting on the sidelines to start another career...even if it's to just work for a regional.
#4
People have been hired well after age 60 (at majors too). Training is likely to be more challenging for someone older than 40-ish who is new to turbine/airline aviation, but plenty of folks manage it.
#6
64.5 is too old.
You’ll retire after finishing OE.
57?
Go for it, just expect to fly with a PIC who is 30 years your junior that wears ear buds and sunglasses in the terminal.
Not everybody can deal with that.
You’ll retire after finishing OE.
57?
Go for it, just expect to fly with a PIC who is 30 years your junior that wears ear buds and sunglasses in the terminal.
Not everybody can deal with that.
#7
#8
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Dec 2017
Position: Retired NJA & AA
Posts: 1,912
You might want to consider flying for a fractional since there's no age limit. You can fly as long as you can pass your FAA Class 1. NetJets, XOJet, FlexJet, Wheels Up, etc. Most have schedules that are 8 on 7 off, (NetJets is 7/7) and also have home basing unless you're out in the boondocks. Wide variety of flying, some very challenging airports vs. the "Groundhog Day" experience at a Regional.
I flew at NetJets for over 12 years and it was very rare that I flew a 5-7 day tour and didn't see a new airport. With fractional it's usually just 2 pilots and a jet. Often we kept the same jet for the entire tour. Dispatch handles flight planning but the pilots do everything else, including cleaning, loading bags, stocking, etc. Also there can be a lot of sitting around, that didn't bother me since I could keep myself entertained with my laptop. At NetJets money is pretty good, you can easily do $100K the year after training, if you fly the max schedule it's possible to do $150K. Fantastic free health insurance and a very good 401k. You could contribute $26K and NetJets would put in around $15K.
I flew at NetJets for over 12 years and it was very rare that I flew a 5-7 day tour and didn't see a new airport. With fractional it's usually just 2 pilots and a jet. Often we kept the same jet for the entire tour. Dispatch handles flight planning but the pilots do everything else, including cleaning, loading bags, stocking, etc. Also there can be a lot of sitting around, that didn't bother me since I could keep myself entertained with my laptop. At NetJets money is pretty good, you can easily do $100K the year after training, if you fly the max schedule it's possible to do $150K. Fantastic free health insurance and a very good 401k. You could contribute $26K and NetJets would put in around $15K.