Hey there! I’m a 31 years old engineer. I’ve been passionate about aviation and flying airplanes since I was a kid. A recent break from work gave me a lot of time to think if I should switch career and become an airline pilot.
I’ve already started studying for the FAA knowledge test and intend to take flying lessons to earn my private pilot license in the next couple of months. My plan is to get my PPL, fly in free time to build some hours and after about a year, quit my job and join a school like ATP to earn additional ratings and work towards becoming a commercial pilot.
The question that keeps bothering me is “Am I too old to be starting a career in aviation?” Keep in mind, I probably won’t earn necessary ratings before I turn 32. Since seniority is everything in aviation, I’m wondering if I’ll ever have a chance at career progression if I become a commercial pilot.
This question gets asked daily but it’s usually from people in their 40s and 50s. At 31 you’re nowhere near too old. In fact the average age when people start training is 33.
Feel free to ask any other questions you have and I recommend you visit our FAQ section where we discuss this and many other common questions.
Shreyas,
Agree, definitely not too old. You said this has been a dream of yours, have you been up in a small plane before? We recommend you take a discovery flight somewhere first and secure a first class medical before you start taking your written exams. If both of those go well, absolutely start your writtens. Browse the forum here, as we have a ton of common questions answered in detail.
Thanks, all! I’ll check out the FAQ section. And like Hannah said, I’ll try to get my first class medical to make sure I’m medically fit to fly commercial. I also intend to take a discovery flight in the next week or two.
Hello! Just wanted to share an update - I received my first class medical! So, now I know I’m medically fit to fly commercial!
I also took a demo flight at a local flight school. As soon as we took off in a C-172 and climbed to about 1500’, we hit turbulence. We climbed to about 3,500’ and there was still turbulence with winds between 10-15kts. There were hills to one side which was causing turbulence and SFO’s Class Bravo airspace to the other. So we had to try and ride it out.
The instructor let me turn in any direction I wanted but with the constant turbulence, I was mostly focussed on keeping the flight level and making altitude corrections. I wasn’t able to enjoy the flight as much. So, the instructor took us south of there to some open space and I enjoyed flying over there. Typically, when I’m in an airliner, even moderate turbulence doesn’t bother me much but in a small plane like the 172 we were in, felt it more. I had the death grip on the yoke the whole time I was in control.
I’m taking another demo flight in a week from a different flying school in the same area. This one is at 11am, so hoping the turbulence will be a bit less and I can actually enjoy the flight.
Any tips or advice for getting used to the turbulence in a small plane? I will have to train in this area and there’s no way I can learn to fly without turbulence, I think.
I hate to break the bad news to you, but there’s NOWHERE you can train and not encounter some level of turbulence. It’s a fact of life if you’re going to be flight training. Further the fact the instructor took you up on that day indicates it wasn’t even that bad otherwise they wouldn’t have. This is the reason when people say “I love flying places and want to be a pilot”. I say go take a lesson or 3 and then we’ll talk. It’s the same thing as taking a cruise and deciding you’d love crab fishing in Alaska. Maybe you would but maybe not?
The best advice I can give you is accept the fact the turbulence is simply waves in the air and while you may be uncomfortable, you’re safe. After a few lessons you’ll probably get used to it and your anxiety should lessen. If it doesn’t you may have to rethink a little.
This is exactly why we recommend taking an introductory flight, it is also very common. Turbulence is something that you will have to deal with in flight training and small airplanes will never handle it as well as large ones do. The good news is that most people get used to the turbulence and learn to relax. I am glad you are taking a second introductory flight.
My advice would be to just relax and not really focus on altitude, turns, etc. Just fly the airplane, it is an introductory flight, not a lesson. Do not focus on holding yourself to any one standard, just look outside and not at the instruments.
Congrats on getting your medical and taking the first step! Which airport are you flying out of? I’m training for my private at KOAK and it’s definitely been windy the last couple of weeks, maybe a bit more than usual. That said I had a flight to Sacramento yesterday and it was pretty smooth sailing so it comes and goes.
I was pretty nervous too early on when we hit turbulence but I think after a while you kind of get used to it. In fact I kind of like it sometimes, a bit like a rollercoaster ride. Then again I like rollercoasters, you may not
Definitely go up again, mornings tend to be calmer here but not guaranteed. Hope you enjoy the next one!
I flew out of KSQL. Next flight is also out of there. I thought of training at KOAK but it takes me an extra hour to drive there during peak hours.
Like you’re said, it’s definitely been very windy here these past few days. The trainer said it took him about 6 months to get used to flying in turbulence similar to what we experienced. Something I never thought of previously was to think of turbulence like waves. I’m still pretty excited about flying. Can’t wait for my next demo flight!
Everything you both said makes sense. It took me a few plane rides to get comfortable with light to moderate turbulence even in an airliner.
I’m going to treat it as waves the next time I fly, like what Adam said. In retrospect, after being in that turbulence for about 15-20 mins, I did stop thinking too much about turbulence and started focusing on keeping the flight level and it seemed fine. This was my first time flying in a small plane and I’m still super excited about getting back in the air next week!
Shreyas,
You’re one of many to feel turbulence for the first time and be… less than excited about it. For some it’s scary, for others it just makes them down right sick, and for most it’s both. I was one of those not that long ago. Flying in a small aircraft is so different than an airliner and the initial sensation can feel like you’re falling out of the sky. But knowledge is power… hopefully you know now that it’s a perfectly normal phenomenon in aviation. You’re not in danger, it’s simply disrupted air you’re flying through but the plane is still fully flying. I hope you keep flying more. It’s just like anything else, the more you do it the more you get used to it. There will be a time you will hardly notice it.
Just want to share an update. I took 4 intro flights in the last few weeks, one each at different schools and with different instructors. I found one that I really like.
Today I flew with an instructor for a little over an hour and they taught me to fly a few maneuvers, do power on and power off stalls, 45 deg turns, one touch and go, fly pattern and two take offs and landings. This was the first time I actually landed a plane, not only once but twice, with the help of an instructor, of course! They covered all the instruments except the compass and the airspeed indicators which helped me learn quickly how the plane is behaving based on outside visuals and the engine sound. I do believe this gave me a bit more confidence to trust the plane and focus more on flying.
I really loved the experience! As they say, knowledge is power. Even though we had wind gusts up to 25kts and flew close to and over some hills, the way the instructor taught me kept me calm because I knew why everything was happening the way it was. I couldn’t help but notice I was a lot more comfortable with turbulence than I was on my first flight. I used the trim a lot and noticed that I didn’t have a death grip on the yoke either!
All to say, I think I’m very sold. I’m going to start TSA clearance process tomorrow and can’t wait to get back in the plane!
Thanks to everyone here who kept encouraging and sharing kind words. Y’all are very inspiring and I appreciate everyone taking the time to respond to students like myself.
