Unfortunately, you may have missed your chance. At 65, the windows of opportuniity are slamming shut. If your plan was post 121 employment, you would have had better prospects of flying past 65 by looking around prior to turning 60. I know it would have been tough to leave your 121 job approaching the top of the pyramid, but life is a series of choices.

I own two planes of my own and enjoy life, but flying 91K post early-retirement has been a blast. The 7-on, 7-off schedule is like part time retirement. Knowing I can leave this job at any time puts the BS into perspective. I'm only here as long as it's fun.

Good luck in your quest.

 

With the cost of the Gulfstream and Bombardier types, the likelihood of a company spending that kind of dough on you is minimal.

I know a few chaps, same situation, >65 were hired with GAMA/Wheels up. They operate King Airs. ANother got on with executive shares, which is a light jet operator.

There are still opportunities out there for those who choose not to hang up the googles just yet.

Good luck.

 

I have an acquaintance of mine who is age 65 retired from USAir/American. He had no trouble getting hired to fly Caravans for a FedEx feeder. Went thru training but when it came time to fly the airplane he quickly got tired of doing the pretzel routine getting in/out of the Caravan. I also think the reality of single engine single pilot night freight hit him. He apologized to the employer and quit. But if you think you can handle it then check it out.

I see a lot of job postings on the NJA Union Message Board and pretty much all of them prefer type ratings in the same or similar jets to what that company is flying. Now with the diminishing pilot pool maybe that'll change.

Fractional flying is still a possibility, Flexjet/Flight Options are rumored to be having a tough time filling classes. But 8 on 6 off isn't my idea of a retirement job.

 

Go instruct at your local airport. Should be easier to schedule in nap breaks. That's my retirement flying gig plan, anyway.

 

Have you thought about management or training department at one of the regionals? I know we had guys over 65 that would fly repos.

 

We’re in the same boat. At the risk of sounding arrogant, I will not spend the price of a new Jaguar on a type rating for an SIC seat with no time in type. Make no sense.

At the same time, if we want to keep flying, we must broaden our horizons. One thing for sure: after 3X years, No. More. Commuting.

 

One other possibility is Flight Safety. Teaching Ground School and Simulator. FSI is having a tough time keeping instructors. I think their pay is somewhere north of $70K. I'm out on long term medical and considered FSI, but the closest facility is 1:40 driving time one way so it'd probably require a hotel/crash pad. Also, I went straight from the military to the airlines and never instructed so they'd have to be pretty desperate for me to get hired

 

Along this line, CAE is hiring in Dallas

 

Exclusive Jets in Kinston NC has Citation XL's and CJ2's.
Pay is not bad.
Home based.
flyExclusive | Your Partner in Private Travel

No offense but there are a lot of a-holes around that learned how to fly in the 60-ies and 70-ies.
Different mentality and such.
With all respect but that may work against you.

 

FlightSafety will hire you. They like people with prior 121 time. You have to get out of the airline mode and remember that standardization at Pt.91 organizations is typically way different. There is no subscribed flows and calls outs are usually lacking. There are exceptions but it will be an adjustment. You can do contract flying on your days off depending on your center managers policy is on contract fying.