Good Afternoon,
my name is Jaimi Perry,and I am a 47 year old person that is possibly intrested in becoming a pilot. Am I too old to do it?
Jaimi,
Please take a look at the FAQ section as there is a detailed post there that directly addresses your question.
Chris
This is a great question and I believe Adam answered it perfectly in his previous post.
This is the question I am currently asking myself, and one that a lot of my fellow members of the military helicopter community are asking as we close in on military retirement. I have 27 years in the military and have gone from Private to LTC in that time. I have spent much of my time as an officer flying helicopters throughout the world, and am well over the 1500 hour mark that is the benchmark that those in the civilian world are trying to achieve.
Thus far, I have amassed a total of zero hours fixed wing time, so I have asked myself the same question, “Will I be too old to make that transition.” As Adam points out, it’s about expectations and goals that can be achieved, and being realistic on how seniority works into that factor.
For me personally, I will retire from my first real job in another two years at the age of 50, and I simply look forward to being a pilot again, having my office in the clouds where the air is crisp and often clear, and the view is better than the best corner office in a steel building somewhere. As I’ll be very fortunate to already be on the receiving end of a pension, the money will be fine, even as a year one FO in a regional. For me its not about the money at the opposite side of the career, though even for someone who only works for 10-14 years, it’s pretty darn good.
I am putting my chips on the table and embracing the cost I’ll put into the training for flying fixed wing over the next 24-months because flying is what I have always wanted to do. There are times that being a pilot can be tedious, and heading out for a few days or a few weeks away from family and your own bed gets a little old after a while. The reward is figuring out what you love to do, and then finding a way to get paid a living wage (or more) to do it. If you love it, then the the choice is clear.
Personally, I look forward to doing what I love at the point of execution and not having to worry about the constant personnel management, leadership, and behing the scene business side of an organization comprised of 500 - 30,000 people. My time as a military pilot has been the best of all the years I have served. The checkrides were a drag, long preflight, cancelled missions due to maintenance or weather was heartbreaking, and extended time away from family (sometimes a year +) sucked, but climbing out into crisp morning air, getting a constant 210 degree view of God’s office at all hours, and breaking out of the clouds on an ILS to see nothing but a rabbit leading you to a straight runway and pretty lights…nothing beats it!
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