Career Change Question
 

Hi All,

So I'm 34 and looking to change careers.

I went to a good university and did really well. After school, I took what I thought was a temp job as an insurance adjuster to avoid having to move back in with my parents, but unfortunately I'm still here. I am an independent so I do well, but this was never a career for me.

I have my private license, and really love it. I'd really like to get into being a pilot.

Don't mind the time in school, grunt work, couple years after at 20-30k, etc. Have the money to sink even into the accelerated retail programs, but am not sure this is money well spent. No debt or family in tow.

A few questions:

Certainly my age/unrelated experience is going to raise eyebrows with some people, but is it likely to close a lot of doors?

How challenging is it to get the CFI positions that get you the balance of flight hours?

If you were 34, extremely motivated and a little impatient, and had the resources to complete the transition, how would you do it?

Thanks

Military OCS or ANG for a pilot slot is an excellent way to go. Just my perspective (been in and around aviation for over 30 years and seen lots of ups &downs in the industry). I honestly cannot recommend you spending 75K plus of mom&dad's money (or going into debt) for a chance at a 20k/yr job. You would be better off going to medical school if you want to drop that much more into your career.

Fly for fun, not for a living...

Did you even bother to read any of his post??
He's 34; military programs are out.
And he has his own money, not mom and dad's.

To the OP, I'll respond later, but yes, it's feasible and you can do it.

Potato,

Easy man, geez! "Lighten up, Francis!"

Has the max age for OCS changed? Last I knew, it was under 40.

Ok, freely admit I am no expert. According to some of the recruiting web sites, max age for military officer varies by branch, but generallly must be commissioned by age 35. Army Natl Guard max age is 42! There are possible age waivers. Army Warrant Officer or Reservist opportunities also exist. I'd honestly recommend to the OP to at least check into it. Those veterans points may be valuable later in life when/if you are seeking Govt. flying jobs.

The OP wants to fly.

Air Force AD/reserves/ANG cutoff is 30.
USN/USMC cutoff is 26.
Army cutoff is 33.

There are possible waiver opportunities to be able to fly, but even these are age limited.

Those are for commissions, not for flying. Do your research. You're embarrassing yourself.

Military is out, can confirm. Air Force recruiter blew me off citing age for any OCS - said they do consider OCS apps at 34 but only in STEM.

No other branch is accepting OCS

Hey Bam Bam,

I'm finally at a real keyboard, so I'll take a stab your questions.

First off, plenty of guys/gals have made a mid-thirties career change into aviation. It's not uncommon. Flying is one of those rare jobs that people always want to do and eventually they decide to go for it. Unlike, say, plumbing. The biggest hurdle most people face is timing. There are good times to get into aviation, and times when it's near impossible. Right now, fortunately for you, we are in one of the better times.

That's great you already have your PPL. Flying for a job, however, is nothing like that. It can be, but it is usually not. Really, this will largely depend on your personality and how resistant to constant negativity you are (from both your peers and your management).

Your age will not close any doors at this point. Some people may like your varied back round. Right now, if you completely all the rest of your training in say, 12-18 months, and instructed as best as possible, you could meet the required regional mins in 2-3 years. You'd still be under 40 with 25+ years to fly.

It is not challenging to get a CFI position. Especially if you go through a school like AllATPs or a few others that essentially give you a CFI job upon completion of their curriculum. Besides CFI, there are other positions that you can look for as well. Some will require more hours than others.

If I were you (and I am currently mid-30's btw), I would MAKE SURE I had plenty of money saved up and that I really did truly hate my current career. It's a huge gamble. I'm a bit of a flip flopper myself, so I need to be positive, for at least six months. I'd also take inventory of my "Where do I want to be in five - 10 years."
You will not be making much money, almost none to your retirement, and starting a relationship under these circumstances can be difficult. Further, when you do get that regional job, you are likely to work weekends, holidays and be on call. You will not have a normal schedule, and it's hard to meet people like this. You can, of course, it's just not as easy as a normal job in my opinion. Your work friends at the airline will likely live all over the country... can't exactly stop by after work for a beer.

If you're committed I would look at all of the accelerated courses available to you. Consider their completion rates, whether they will give you a CFI job, if they have connections to regional airline partners, the total cost, payment plans, where they are located, how you will live in said place etc. Come away from this with as little debt as possible. The industry can change in an instant and you don't want to be saddled with $80k in debt and no job.

Start volunteering. Start trying to achieve anything you can at work. Any accolade you can get, get it. Write everything down in a notebook so you don't forget it. You'll need to remember it later.

Good luck.

Noted.

Honestly the reason I've not married is because I've hated my current path and knew a major transition was going to be in store at some point. Some day I'll settle down, but its really not a priority.

I've been on this for about 6 months. Only other thought is med school...I have the grades for it, but I've no interest in working in a hospital.

Without borrowing, I have plenty to pay cash for even ATP's fee and then about a year's living expenses...2 if I sold my car...

I'm thinking about ATP merely because of the structure, network and the efficiency. That said, why is Prairie Air Service, Inc consistently about 40% of ATP's pricing? He doesn't offer CFI, but anything wrong with doing flight with Herb and then getting CFI elsewhere?

Is the structure and networking at ATP worth difference between Prarie at 35k and ATP's $70k?

I'd be fine doing deliveries in Alaska or missionary stuff in Africa for a few years to get the 1500...sounds like fun actually. Or instructing at an India/China mill...whatever works.

Long term goal is captain at major airline. That would be stable, respected, interesting, and enough to comfortably have a family.

Military aviation is out, he's way past the age cutoff + waivers (not many waivers these days anyhow).

For the OP, yes it's entirely feasible, age is not an issue especially given the clear demand for pilots due to retirements over the next 10-15 years. Where age can be an issue is older folks tend to be less flexible as far as moving and lifestyle (family, financial obligations) so they tend to not be as aggressive at making the career moves needed to progress (or jumping through major airline application hoops).

1. No family makes it easier. Ideally you wouldn't have any obligations like real estate which would keep you tied down somewhere.

2. It's good that you already fly. Anytime someone talks about blowing a bunch of money on career training, I tell them to go get a PPL first and if they enjoy it then come talk to me. If you don't have one, I would get an IR on your own before you commit to a career. If you struggle with that, 121 aviation might not be a good fit for you.

3. Given the rapid pace of hiring and career progression, at your age I would probably do an accelerated program (pay out of pocket if at all possible). Get your seniority asap. When I was in your almost exact shoes years ago I took a more measured approach, and that paid off when everything came to a screeching halt for about ten years and I had to stretch the finances for longer than planned. But in your case, that situation is very unlikely. The retirement numbers do not and cannot lie...unless the US airline industry shrinks by about 70% hiring must occur. They might dull the edge just a tiny bit by extending retirement age to 67 but that's about as far as it will go IMO. Even if they extended it to say 70 there would be few pilots who desire to work that long, and even fewer who could pass a medical.

Easy to get CFI jobs. Very easy. Just don't sign any sort of training contract unless...

1) You're CERTAIN it's a good place to work AND
2) The contract will expire before you reach airline hiring mins.

Answers in red.

Do it
 

Similar situation as you, however I am 43 and doing this... Follow your dreams and dont have any regrets. If you truly love flying you will find a way to adjust to the lifestyle, money scale, and what it takes to get all of this done.
I started flying when i was 19 and quickly ran out of money and the job market back then was really bad. Hence the dream faded and i found myself in technology. Had a very successful career for the last 18 years but the dream was always nagging at me. I worked very hard to get debt free some years back and have been piling up cash since then. I also have a wife that is very successful in her career so that is a huge help, however i can tell you that i would have done it even if she wasnt here.

I initially considered a school like ATP, but after really sitting down and crunching the numbers, I decided against it. I decided to buy my own plane ( a 1966 182J ) so i could crank out some hours and fly all i want when i want. I quit my job about a month ago and have been decompressing and digesting that crazy decision during the last few weeks.. while flying on average 15 - 20 hours a week. I have a handful of instructors here that will push me through all my ratings and I will be done within about 4 months from where I am now.. perhaps sooner if i hunker down and schedules allow.

I got the 182 only because i wanted to be able to really cover some distance with my wife and 2 boys and still have full fuel :-), but obviously there are much more affordable operating cost airplanes. I also have a handful of other pilots that are trying to build time that i do the cost sharing safety pilot with. That brings my direct costs to about $25/hour. Covered T hangar ( open on two sides but out of the sun and rain) is $130/month and my insurance is about $800/year. We will see about that annual coming up in 6 months :-)

Dont have any regrets. I have spoken with a lot of folks who have done the same thing and the overwhelming response is they are happy they did. A bad day flying is still better than a good day in the corporate rat race driving a desk and a laptop in my opinion. You will get a lot of opinions here.. from the horribly jaded to the uber happy.. just keep in mind they havent lived your life and dont have your experiences.
Manage your risk, money, and direction and you will be fine. Do the countless hours hours of research on where you want to be and the path that will get you to your goals the quickest. i am not totally decided on the final path ( airline, 135, fractional, etc).. i think conditions, market, economy changes could definitely shape that over the next year or two.. we shall see but i do know i will just keep my head down and push forward.

oh.. regarding parairie air service.. i talked to him the other day and the recent 2014 changes in ATP and a lot of folks 2 year window expiring here in August. he is booked solid for the next 8 months.. wow.. was going to head over there for some multi time building.. but that is off the table now. Not sure how that affects the regular students as opposed to the multi time building though..

Have fun and go for it.. let me know if you are in the Kansas City area.. we shall go burn some fuel....

kcartwright27-
Hey just curious where you are at in your flying career? Did you make to the Regionals or are you instructing? It has been over two years...