Am I too old?
 

I am 46 years old and want nothing more than to fly for the airlines, I always have. I am at a great point for a career change, I know the money will suck for a while, but I think I can live with that. If the retirement age stays at 60 I'll still have 13 years or so, but if they change it to 65 I'll have 18 years.

I have enough time to qualify for most of the Regionals, I would just need to add a commercial, which I can do know problem. The question is am I too old. How do the airlines look at guys like me making a midlife career change?

Any advice?

There was one guy who was 55 in my class. Another 55 year old in the RJ class. Go for it.

The mandatory retirement age changed to 65 on 12/13/07.

You should go for it. I heard through the grapevine that the age 65 rule has been signed. I believe it went into effect on December 15th.

PoK
:cool:

if it's a dream of yours, then go ahead and do it! A guy in my class a year ago was in his mid 40s with a military background. He finished half way through ground school! You will definately feel the financial pinch! Where are you planning to apply?

Go for it! Don't hesitate if it is something you want to do, and if the conditions are right.

[quote=Over40;288971]I am 46 years old and want nothing more than to fly for the airlines, I always have. I am at a great point for a career change, I know the money will suck for a while, but I think I can live with that. If the retirement age stays at 60 I'll still have 13 years or so, but if they change it to 65 I'll have 18 years.


Go for it!!! You only get one trip around the merry go-around and there is one thing I never want to say when I'm older and that is "What if.........."





Lastly.....Good Luck on whatever you decide.

Thanks everyone. I live in Houston so I will apply to ExpressJet for sure, any other suggestions?

You did not mention where you are in your aviation career path. If you are at zero time, it will be a hard couple of years (unless you are independently wealthy). To get private, commercial, instrument, multi and enough hours to get on with a commuter will take a year and $50K.

If you already have 2,500 hours+, significant multi engine and turbine time, you can potentially get on with a fractional right now. They have been hiring airline retirees, so 40+ is no issue at all.

I'm 47 and at the very bottom of the seniority list. No reason not to try - but know what you are getting into.

go for it.....theres several guys in my class in their 40's and 50's. (52). age 65 is now official.

Shouldn't someone be on here by now complaining about people who just do this for fun? Accepting the substandard pay and dragging the "professionals" down just because they want to follow a dream?

I have 562 hours - 431 PIC - 332 multi - but only 17.5 of actual IFR. I need to get a commercial and do an IPC....

I hear ya, like the guys that say the low pay at Colgan is ok because their wives have a good job blah blah blah............

I can't believe the Giants blew this game.......................

We had a 58 year old guy start on 11-27-07 S5 class, before the age 65 rule passed. His birthday is in January too. If the age 65 rule didn't pass, he would owe the company money.

Sorry, but what makes you think that I, or others like me, wouldn't be professionals. Trust me after being in the corporate world for 25 years doing a job that you like and consider "fun" would be a breath of fresh air.

The giants did not blow the game, brady and the pats won it.

giants "ray finkled" this game! nice throw manning:rolleyes:

I read a lot of the back and forth on the site to learn about the vocation that is being an airline pilot. I too will be retiring from my "first" career at 46 years old and will be looking into avaition as a "second" career. Best of luck and keep the rest of us up to date on how it goes with your new career.

Don't talk about my Raiders. I know, I know. I still love 'em.
Anyways, Over40 go for it. I'd rather make little money with a job I enjoy, than have a career I hate with a lot of money. I right now happen to have a job I hate, that doesn't pay squat. It's enough for my bills, tuition, and flight training.

to contribute to this thread my initial class had one guy who was 46 years old (quit 2 days before the checkride) and one guy who was 40

Did you ever get the magazines I sent you a couple of years ago?

As you said, you still have 18 years. You can still make a decent living at the airlines with 18 years in. Don't make it so you look back at your life 20 years from now and think to yourself "I wish I would have done that".

I definately did! I wrote back everyone who sent magazines (there were a few of you that sent them)

The interesting part is that my friend is back out there again and the magazines are still there in my old shop. I left them for others to enjoy and they are still going strong. That place is like a time capsule.

I take it you never got the letter which does not surprise me, I had been home for 3 months and was getting mail forwarded to my unit that was over 4 months old

I very much appreciated the effort of those who sent out reading material and the one gentleman who also included beef jerky

Glad you got them and I hope they helped you. Thanks for all you do and continue to do to help me lead the life I do. :):):)

Over40...

Drop me a pm if you can. I live in The Woodlands and spent 7 years at XJT if you have any questions I'd be happy to answer them.

Go in with your eyes open........

Im 44.... and BACK in..... former MIL pilot and 121 pilot, but had been out of the game for 13 years..... its doable, just take it for what it is. the Shuttle America/Republic class on 11/27 had about 5 people over 40...two over 50......
MOST in their early to mid 20's.....

good luck.....

Do you know how many total people were in the 11/27 class. 7 were over 40 (like me) I am just wondering what % of the class that is,

if i can ask .... what happened with the guy that quit? and are you with colgan?

I am with Colgan and the reason he quitting was his own personal decision that came about after a discussion with the director of training and not for training problems or problems with Colgan. I dont want to air out his dirty laundry on the internet.

The toughest part about starting older is sitting right seat to a 25 year old captain, even if he/she is a great captain. It requires some discipline and humility. But so does every aspect of this job.

If you love flying and are financially secure (cuz the pay is weak) give it a go.

We have a few at my company. And I once flew with a former Air Force pilot who didn't fly for 20 some odd years and was a school teacher. Then he decided that flying was what he wanted to do and at the age of about 47 decided to get back into it. He was a 55 year old captain when I flew with him.

I see. Thank you. I heard he was actually the best pilot up there. That the Dir of Training ousted one of the best guys they could have had working for them??

Rumor was your class was overly rude and obnoxious …… they had to send a “babysitter” CP up there to help….especially with the guy that was sexually harassing the woman instructor??

TOTAL was 5.. 2 of those over 50. About 12% of the two classes. Spread across both the S5 and RW certificate.

...who turned 41 during training (that would be me). Over40, as someone in your shoes, I encourage you to do it. Like others have said, you don't want to look back on your life and wonder what if. I've wanted to fly for the airlines since I was 5 years old, and while I am well aware of what I'm in for, I am very much looking forward to my second career.

(I'd make a comment about how the Giants were robbed last night, but the fact of the matter is the Patriots earned the win, and it was a great game.)

4 pages of posts and no Sky High yet spreading the doom and gloom he is famous for?

And a side note, I was pulling for the New York Football Giants but it is obvious why one team last night is great and the other is average.

Dude..

I'll be in the same boat as you too, I'll do 20 years here in the AF as an enlisted aircraft mechanic, gonna have to do my time in the trenches for my ratings to get where you are but I'll get there. I figure it will be a done deal - well, at least I hope I'll at least be close anyways - by the time I'm 43, I retire from active duy in 5 years and I'll be 38 then but in the meantime I'll get everything I can by then. I'm goin' for it, hell or high water..and you should too!

Mods: sorry about the brief pofound statement above.

*profound* is what I meant..these 12hr, 6 and 1's are killing me over here...

XpressJet
 

I want to thank everyone for the great advice! I think I'm going to go for it. I live in Houston so ExpressJet is the most obvious choice of places to start.

I plan on flying as much as I can in January to get my self current. I will also probably do an IPC and my commercial in Feb. I guess by March or April I'll be ready to start applying.

Any advice.

Sounds like a good plan. Don't just get current with the instruments, but proficient. Most of your time in the sim will be spent on the dials, so you want to be up to speed on them. Sounds like a good time line since ExpressJet isn't hiring right now and won't be running classes until around April. Good luck, let us know how it goes.

Become very, very proficient...*fairly proficient won't get you past sim 2!! Have some young whipper-snapper show you around Microsoft FlightSim :)

MicroSoft Flight Simulator
 

I'm only 46, and I have wanted to be an airline pilot my entire life. I have been playing MS FLightSim since the first version came out. Played it on an XT with a green monochrome screen.

Useing the program spunds like a great idea. Should I do anything special or just shoot approached and do holds?

I'll also spend a bunch of time in the aire as well. I sold a 172 and need to deliver it out to California. I also have access to a Piper Arrow IV and a Seneca.

Again anything special I should work on?