Am I too old??
02-25-2007 | 12:06 PM
#12
Thread Starter
New Hire
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 8
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You guys have been great and I appreciate the feedback. I am really grappling with my next career move. I do have some 401K savings and own an apartment (investment property) in NYC. I was thinking of selling it and paying off my graduate school loans, with some left over to pay for my flying training.
LAFF - you are ahead of the curve, with your government savings, etc and hav ing a spouse helps as well. Will you start your training at 40? How far along are you?
LAFF - you are ahead of the curve, with your government savings, etc and hav ing a spouse helps as well. Will you start your training at 40? How far along are you?
02-25-2007 | 01:10 PM
#13
Gets Weekends Off
Joined: Jul 2005
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You guys have been great and I appreciate the feedback. I am really grappling with my next career move. I do have some 401K savings and own an apartment (investment property) in NYC. I was thinking of selling it and paying off my graduate school loans, with some left over to pay for my flying training.
LAFF - you are ahead of the curve, with your government savings, etc and hav ing a spouse helps as well. Will you start your training at 40? How far along are you?
LAFF - you are ahead of the curve, with your government savings, etc and hav ing a spouse helps as well. Will you start your training at 40? How far along are you?
Don't tap retirement to pay for flight training.
I have a PPL and I'll be starting , if all goes well, in spring of 2009.
This september I'm visiting www.prairieairservice.com to see the place and meet the owner/operator. They offer a similar deal to ATP (minus the CFI, CFII, MEI ratings) for less than 25K. The CFI, CFII, MEI ratings you can get after at ATP for under 10K. Thats 35K for all your ratings. I'm adding another 5K to that figure just for good measure...I'll be visiting ATP in ATL this summer as well.
You biggest challenge will be getting the ME time and a good CFI (lots of students / pay that helps you meet ends) job to get the hours to get to a regional.
There are plenty of people that have made the transition to flying late. It can be done but do your research and protect your money - especially when it comes to FBOs and flight training.
_LAFF
02-25-2007 | 02:22 PM
#14
Indian Takeout Driver
Joined: Mar 2006
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From: FAR part 347 (91+121+135)
I am 44 years old and considering training at ATP. What are your thoughts? This has been a dream of mine and for a long time. I have done everything else, but being a pilot has alluded me. I have a PPL with 150 hours and an undergraduate degree in engineering and an MBA. Any thoughts on entering the field at my age and any info on ATP? Thanks!
02-25-2007 | 02:25 PM
#15
Gets Weekends Off
Joined: Jul 2005
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02-25-2007 | 09:02 PM
#16
Thread Starter
New Hire
Joined: Feb 2007
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LAFF and all, thanks! I checked out Priarie Air Services' website. Seems good so far and at almost half the price of ATP. It looks like it would cost me $27K to get all I would need. Then I could go to an FBO an instruct - single engine to build time. For another 3K I could get the CFII. Housing is about $560 per month and includes meals. There are no distractions of a major city. It would be all about training.
LAFF - let's continue to keep in touch if that's okay. My regular e-mail is [email protected]. If I have not visited Prairie Air Service would like to know how it goes for you. Seems with your start date of 2009 - you really want to do this as well.
LAFF - let's continue to keep in touch if that's okay. My regular e-mail is [email protected]. If I have not visited Prairie Air Service would like to know how it goes for you. Seems with your start date of 2009 - you really want to do this as well.
02-26-2007 | 01:50 AM
#17
Moderator
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 6,056
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From: ATP, CFI etc.
rushing training
I understand the wish to get your certs and get the ball rolling by patronizing a zero-to-hero outfit like ATP or Prairie, but for late middleagers going wholehog into flight training is a big gamble and it smacks of midlife-crisis desperation. What if you find flying isn't all you thought it would be? How can you be so sure it is if you only presently have a ppl? It would be tragic for you to your nest egg or most of it just to find that hey, this isn't all that fabulous it's another form of work and not a very lucrative one.
On the other hand, if you took one rating or cert at a time and spread them out savoring each one, you would definitely have an idea where you stood and might even decide to keep your old job and instruct on the side. I savor each rating, signoff, and certificate and chart my next course using the last. Also, what about all those intermediate activities like banner towing, airplane ownership, flying 135, sky jumpers, etc. when will you do those? To me it seems foolish to use the fast track programs to skip ahead if you are over 35. I got bit by the aviation bug at a later age (35) but I am not lured by fast track programs because airline aviation is volatile and relatively low paying. I can see some disappointment in my friends who went for it at a later age- the low salary and hard working conditions are pretty tough.
On the other hand, if you took one rating or cert at a time and spread them out savoring each one, you would definitely have an idea where you stood and might even decide to keep your old job and instruct on the side. I savor each rating, signoff, and certificate and chart my next course using the last. Also, what about all those intermediate activities like banner towing, airplane ownership, flying 135, sky jumpers, etc. when will you do those? To me it seems foolish to use the fast track programs to skip ahead if you are over 35. I got bit by the aviation bug at a later age (35) but I am not lured by fast track programs because airline aviation is volatile and relatively low paying. I can see some disappointment in my friends who went for it at a later age- the low salary and hard working conditions are pretty tough.
Last edited by Cubdriver; 02-26-2007 at 02:09 AM.
02-26-2007 | 03:57 AM
#18
Gets Weekends Off
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 2,242
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I understand the wish to get your certs and get the ball rolling by patronizing a zero-to-hero outfit like ATP or Prairie, but for late middleagers going wholehog into flight training is a big gamble and it smacks of midlife-crisis desperation. What if you find flying isn't all you thought it would be? How can you be so sure it is if you only presently have a ppl? It would be tragic for you to your nest egg or most of it just to find that hey, this isn't all that fabulous it's another form of work and not a very lucrative one.
On the other hand, if you took one rating or cert at a time and spread them out savoring each one, you would definitely have an idea where you stood and might even decide to keep your old job and instruct on the side. I savor each rating, signoff, and certificate and chart my next course using the last. Also, what about all those intermediate activities like banner towing, airplane ownership, flying 135, sky jumpers, etc. when will you do those? To me it seems foolish to use the fast track programs to skip ahead if you are over 35. I got bit by the aviation bug at a later age (35) but I am not lured by fast track programs because airline aviation is volatile and relatively low paying. I can see some disappointment in my friends who went for it at a later age- the low salary and hard working conditions are pretty tough.
On the other hand, if you took one rating or cert at a time and spread them out savoring each one, you would definitely have an idea where you stood and might even decide to keep your old job and instruct on the side. I savor each rating, signoff, and certificate and chart my next course using the last. Also, what about all those intermediate activities like banner towing, airplane ownership, flying 135, sky jumpers, etc. when will you do those? To me it seems foolish to use the fast track programs to skip ahead if you are over 35. I got bit by the aviation bug at a later age (35) but I am not lured by fast track programs because airline aviation is volatile and relatively low paying. I can see some disappointment in my friends who went for it at a later age- the low salary and hard working conditions are pretty tough.
Nest egg? I'm not spending my nest-egg or even a portion of it on aviation training.
You're right...I wouldn't recommend anyone spending their nestegg on aviation. I however have quite a bit put away in retirement funds and a 20 year government pension that starts the day I retire by living in NC its all tax free...
BTW - there is no point to dragging out flight training or anyother type of training. Its a waste of time and money.
-LAFF
02-26-2007 | 10:56 AM
#19
Flying Farmer
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 3,160
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From: Turbo-props' and John Deere's
Well if you do it, welcome to the club. Don't rule out Freight Charter ops that'd take you also. There's a myriad of things you can do out there also. Banner Tow, Parachute-drops, glider tows, aerial survey/pipeline, scenic tour. All of these jobs usually require 500hr pilots.
Even with a lower experience level, the older folks tend to not take the risks of say.......guys like me. I'm know and accept my decisions, but I do tend to be more aggressive in my style of flying than someone 20 yrs older. So you have that advantage for you in my mind. GOOD LUCK!
Even with a lower experience level, the older folks tend to not take the risks of say.......guys like me. I'm know and accept my decisions, but I do tend to be more aggressive in my style of flying than someone 20 yrs older. So you have that advantage for you in my mind. GOOD LUCK!
