Hi everyone,

Im about to take the leap into trying to carve out an aviation career. During the last week or so I have read pretty much every post on here back to late 2012, there is a wealth of information on here!!

Im a 28year old Engineer in the Oil Industry. My whole life I wanted to fly for a living, however as a youngster I met a girl and got married etc etc, so ended up not having the funds to pay for training. Over the last few years I have been really regretting not following my dreams and now I have the funds to pay for the training I have decided to take the plunge.

As a teenager I was a member of the Air Training Corps (British version of AF ROTC), so I have some flying and gliding experience, although several years ago and I no longer have the log books (approx 15hrs). I have told my instructor to teach me as if I had never flown before.

I do have some questions that I did not find an answer to.

-Do the airlines care if you are not a US citizen? I am British (US Green card Holder).

-Also, would companies look favourably on my previous Oil and Gas Career? Such as working in dangerous, highly regulated environments, 6weeks plus on an offshore platform etc. I have done this work for 8 years throughout the world. Im not sure if this would make the slightest bit of difference to an airline recruiter.

-Do airlines have weight restrictions on pilots? Or are they fine as long as they pass the medical? Im a big fella at 6ft4, 280lbs, I dont have a huge gut hanging over my pants, but Im no athlete either. Im working on it so hopefully by the time I get to 1500hrs I will be way below this (famous last words)

-Hows the job market in Houston? Does living in a big city like Houston make it easier to get on with a regional? Or is it more of a problem as so many majors fly there?

I am working with The Flight School Inc in Houston, Tx, so far they seem very good, has anyone had any experience with them? I did originally contact DutchWings also but they did not reply to either of my 2 emails, where The Flight School replied within hours, even though it was a Sunday evening.

Sorry for the large amount of Text, I figured one large post was better than drip feeding over several!

 

Deftone, I'm a former engineer turned pro pilot. I made the jump at 27, so close to the same age. Make a few more posts to get the pm (private message) feature enabled and drop me a line.

 

I finally bailed-out of engineering at 31 with ~ 850 hours......you're still young.... might as well get the mid-life crisis over with already.

 

As long as they can run the appropriate background check, I have known GC holders to be hired.

recruiter, no.. maybe for an interesting quip during the interview(for some it's their first job), but probably not something that will give you an edge with so many other more relevant things to consider

flight training will be interesting... but as long as you can keep a medical, there are some big guys flying out there. you'll starve the first few years anyway.

even if an airline has a pilot domicile in your city, and you get hired there, it could be years before you have the seniority to actually be based there. Plan to either commute or move (less likely in your case with family), as it is highly likely your first posting will not be Houston.

good luck

 

Thanks for all the replies,

Why would my size make training "interesting"?

 

Have you ever seen the cockpit of a C-150/152?
Also - depending on where you are doing your training (or maybe NOT depending), there are days when you won't be able to get yourself and another 'normal' sized guy airborne!
Those light trainers aren't the most powerful airplanes in the sky!

 

Good point

I'm training in a 172 in Houston,Tx

 

You still have some time to enlist and fly Helos for the U.S. Army!

Have until 29. Up to 31 or 32 if you can get an age waiver.

 

Would this be an option for someone who is not eligible for US citizenship until July 2014?

 

No issues there, we seem to have plenty of green card holders in US airlines.

Won't really help you get an interview, but as someone mentioned you could spin that favorably during an interview. Emphasize the time on the road and international travel.

Legally, US airlines no longer have formal limitations. Regionals probably won't care, but some majors will...they'll assume that as you get older you'll experience health issues and not be reliable. Also human nature dictates that people tend to have a more positive perception of fit, well-groomed people so even subconsciously it could affect your chances. I know nobody cares in Houston or the Oil Bidness, but aviation is a different culture...lot of military and outdoor-lifestyle types.

Not a deal-breaker, but you really should try to tone up if you're going down this road. Aviation is hard enough on your body as it is and for this to pay off in the long run you need to keep your medical to age 60+.

I personally know new hires who got assigned Houston at one major and at one regional this year. Long term, it's going be better seniority than most west-coast bases and cost of living isn't bad.

But best to be prepared to move early in your aviation career...being stuck in one town can be very limiting.