Is 50 too old to start a pilot career?

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#1986819 1-Apr-2018 15:32

Work's just trading in some of your lifetime for money. On one hand might as well trade it doing something you enjoy, but on the other hand if you are paid more then you can trade less of it for the same money.

Switching to another career and not making much money doesn't seem sensible. You could stop 5 years earlier and have the same money, but much more lifetime left.

Also watch that when you chase something you enjoy as a job, it can stop being fun quickly.

Tinkerisk

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#1986820 1-Apr-2018 15:36

TeaLeaf: > Is 50 to old to start a Pilots career?

As a professional career in aviation industry: yes.

For pure hobby: no.

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#1986822 1-Apr-2018 15:38

This might be useful -

https://www.southernwings.co.nz/how-to-become-a-pilot-in-new-zealand/

unless you've seen it already.

Need a CPL to get paid, 200 hours of experience before you start a CPL course.

Nothing to stop you doing that, though guess you'd really have to love it and not just be a give it a go thing. I should imagine you would be able to make enough to pay bills, but (again) think it would have to be something you really want for that to be enough. You could stop at the PPL if you decide you just fancied the pottering about on a summers evening variety.

“The modern conservative is engaged in one of man's oldest exercises in moral philosophy; that is, the search for a superior moral justification for selfishness.” -John Kenneth Galbraith

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#1986826 1-Apr-2018 15:45

A family friend flies 747s for British Airways.

He started at 22, with British Midland paying the training costs in return for him working for them for a minimum period (5 years, I think).

A couple of years ago he almost lost his licence on medical grounds at 44 but the issue he had turned out not to be the serious issue they initially thought it was, so he was off only for a couple of months. If he'd lost it, then no more work, which is something to think about. British pilots have some scheme they pay into which is like an insurance which gives them guaranteed income of they can no longer work but don't know if such arrangements would be available here.

I asked him about learning a while back and his advice was to do it in the US because it's cheaper.

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#1986831 1-Apr-2018 16:00

rb99:

Need a CPL to get paid, 200 hours of experience before you start a CPL course.

CPL/IFR, otherwise you have to cancel flight arrangements in case of IMC.

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#1986837 1-Apr-2018 16:06

Tinkerisk:

rb99:

Need a CPL to get paid, 200 hours of experience before you start a CPL course.

CPL/IFR, otherwise you have to cancel flight arrangements in case of IMC.

Well yeah, this is true.

Unless you're doing scenic flights and wouldn't be flying anyway if the scenery is invisible. Or maybe you'd need IFR anyway as a requirement as the weather can be somewhat changeable (Can'r say I'm up to date on such matters).

“The modern conservative is engaged in one of man's oldest exercises in moral philosophy; that is, the search for a superior moral justification for selfishness.” -John Kenneth Galbraith

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#1986839 1-Apr-2018 16:06

Guess you've seen this...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7mxmFCw-Dig

“The modern conservative is engaged in one of man's oldest exercises in moral philosophy; that is, the search for a superior moral justification for selfishness.” -John Kenneth Galbraith

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empacher48

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#1986848 1-Apr-2018 16:53

I used to fly with a first officer who was in his late 50’s and this was his first airline job.

Got his CPL at 55, spent a few years in GA around the country and then joined my old airline. He was a successful businessman but always wanted to be pilot, so gave it go.

Don’t believe those who say you can’t. If you want to do it, go for it. There are too many people in this world who will knock you down. My old outfit had pilots flying regionally in NZ up until their 70’s. If you’re fit to hold the Class 1 medical you do this for as long as you want to.

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#1986853 1-Apr-2018 17:05

empacher48:

Don’t believe those who say you can’t. If you want to do it, go for it. There are too many people in this world who will knock you down. My old outfit had pilots flying regionally in NZ up until their 70’s. If you’re fit to hold the Class 1 medical you do this for as long as you want to.

Thank you I needed somebody with can do rather than killing my idea.

Do you work in the industry?

I just thought working for a Charter or Tourism company would be it for me. I had no ambition of 747s etc.

Im thinking of it as a trade, rather than being a part time Draughtsman I could be a Pilot.

Wow the guy at 55 knew what he wanted from life and went for it?

Id defnitely keep my fitness up. Very few people above 200lb stay healthy for a long life. At over 6ft1 I need to keep my weight in check so I eat a very regimented healthy diet. I base my fitness on body weight HIT training plus some low intensity stuff twice a week like a walk or swimming.

I find for the brain, really good fish oil and quality match green tea to be much better than any stimulant like coffee.

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#1986856 1-Apr-2018 17:13

empacher48: There are too many people in this world who will knock you down.

There are too many people in his world who live in the past when things were completey different. Would you redo from scratch, compete with lots of guys when an airline is asking for a 27years+264 days age limit and authorities who will ground you by law at the age of 65 latest? Those are JAA and major airline rules here - not sure if NZ is less strict. But there will be (non-flying) others deciding about his (professional) career, not himself. And: he has to bring money.

I'd never say that it will be impossible, but needs to be re-thinked twice.

empacher48

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#1986857 1-Apr-2018 17:22

Tinkerisk:
empacher48: There are too many people in this world who will knock you down.

There are too many people in his world who live in the past when things were completey different. Would you redo from scratch, compete with lots guys when an airline is asking for a 27years+264 days age limit and authorities who will ground you by law at the age of 65 latest? Those are JAA and major airline rules here - not sure if NZ is less strict. But there will be (non-flying) others deciding about his (professional) career, not himself. And: he has to bring money.

First off, NZ is not Europe. Airlines can’t discriminate by age. They are not allowed to stop you flying at 65. I fact NZ and Australia have differences lodged with ICAO that allow pilots of any age to fly commercially within and between each country. An AirNZ jet pilot reaching 65 will be converted on to the A320 and will then continue flying domestically or trans-Tasman for as long as they want to.

The world is facing an almighty shortage of qualified pilots (last estimate has Asia Pacific 230,000 pilots short by 2025), so the age limit will increase in time. 10 years ago the limit was 55. It’s now 65, it will increase. Pilots still have to pass a rigorous medical each 6 months to year and is tailored to risk factors as you age.

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#1986859 1-Apr-2018 17:24

Why not go to your local aero club & do the trial flight & see how you like it? (Sorry if you have already done that!)

Location when learning to fly is important. I had a PPL years and years ago & flew from Omaka near Blenheim. Pretty much an ideal training field. Flying in Wellington while challenging was not much fun. Lots of circling at Wellington heads waiting for the big planes to come in & then you'd get your turn. And flying over water 90% of the time was not ideal.

I'd say try to do it as a hobby rather than a career. Try watching the Youtube 'first solo flight' videos for inspiration!

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#1986864 1-Apr-2018 17:35

@empacher48 You might be right for the moment, but looking at my daily job at that mentioned "A-manufacturer", I ask myself if I'll find more than one pilot on the FD in the near future.

A colleague of mine is working on this (reality): https://lilium.com another step in the direction of automated flight.

(And yes, I'm rated and allowed to drive from LH/MID seat as well.)

Tinkerisk

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#1986878 1-Apr-2018 18:23

TeaLeaf:

Thank you I needed somebody with can do rather than killing my idea.

I don't like to dis-encourage you.

But you shouldn't quit your IT job before you have at least the CPL/IFR rating in hands you maybe can estabilish beside the actual job. Then it's not too late to finally decide later on, when you are more familiar with the aviation world and it's chances or pitfalls.

Dingbatt

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#1986930 1-Apr-2018 18:37

empacher48: I used to fly with a first officer who was in his late 50’s and this was his first airline job.

Got his CPL at 55, spent a few years in GA around the country and then joined my old airline. He was a successful businessman but always wanted to be pilot, so gave it go.

Don’t believe those who say you can’t. If you want to do it, go for it. There are too many people in this world who will knock you down. My old outfit had pilots flying regionally in NZ up until their 70’s. If you’re fit to hold the Class 1 medical you do this for as long as you want to.

I don't believe anybody said he can't. But you have to approach this realistically. And in the full knowledge that the financial outlay may be north of $100K to even get your foot in the door, or on the bottom rung of the ladder. Not withstanding the solitary example of a new First Officer in his fifties, a job in Aviation is attainable from a standing start in your fifties but a career (as per the thread title) is a stretch. Talk to some other pilots that work for empacher48's 'old airline' and see how they feel about flying with 70+ers.

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