Student Pilot at 50

[TF]

Sound like alot of wisdom in this newsgroup would appreciate the same about
what my prospects can be starting at 50. Flight has always been a lure for
me (father in the business, avid flight sim user etc etc) Now that I can
financially afford to do the real thing (well lets say ~ $7,000/year
afford). I haven't looked beyond the adventure of just getting a PPL but
I'm still dreaming. Possible scenarios ? Bring me back to earth ?

AARP Student Pilot (that card came in the mail on my birthday)

[William W. Plummer]

"TF" > wrote in message
...
> Sound like alot of wisdom in this newsgroup would appreciate the same
about
> what my prospects can be starting at 50. Flight has always been a lure
for
> me (father in the business, avid flight sim user etc etc) Now that I can
> financially afford to do the real thing (well lets say ~ $7,000/year
> afford). I haven't looked beyond the adventure of just getting a PPL but
> I'm still dreaming. Possible scenarios ? Bring me back to earth ?
>
> AARP Student Pilot (that card came in the mail on my birthday)

I started 12 years ago at age 51. Best thing I ever did! Then I went on
to gliders, seaplanes and all I need for LTA is a checkride. I had a lesson
in a helicopter, but that's a really expensive machine.

[Paul Tomblin]

In a previous article, "TF" > said:
>Sound like alot of wisdom in this newsgroup would appreciate the same about
>what my prospects can be starting at 50. Flight has always been a lure for

Go for it. One of the members of my flying club got a flying lesson for
his 65th birthday. He decided he liked it so much that he went on and got
his license. He had a fun time in the club and was one of the more active
non-IFR pilots for 4 or 5 years until he lost his medical due to heart
problems. He probably could have gotten his medical back if he'd worked
on it, but decided it was time to hang up his wings.

Anyway, starting to fly at age 50 is nothing unusual. Of course you'll
never get a job flying an airliner, but you'll have a lot of fun.


--
Paul Tomblin > http://xcski.com/blogs/pt/
Kyoto dealt with Global Warming. Disposing of lawyers cuts down the
production of Hot Air, and thus is encouraged by the Kyoto Accords.
-- Keith Glass

[C J Campbell]

"TF" > wrote in message
...
> Sound like alot of wisdom in this newsgroup would appreciate the same
about
> what my prospects can be starting at 50. Flight has always been a lure
for
> me (father in the business, avid flight sim user etc etc) Now that I can
> financially afford to do the real thing (well lets say ~ $7,000/year
> afford). I haven't looked beyond the adventure of just getting a PPL but
> I'm still dreaming. Possible scenarios ? Bring me back to earth ?
>
> AARP Student Pilot (that card came in the mail on my birthday)

I started flying at 47. I retired a year later and now I am having a ball as
a flight instructor with instrument and multi-engine ratings.

[[email protected]]

>> what my prospects can be starting at 50.

I just started at age 55. I've got twenty five hours, have soloed, and am
currently working on short field landings and takeoff. This is fun. Go for
it. Half of the people I see in the school are are old farts like us.

tom pettit

[G.R. Patterson III]

TF wrote:
>
> I haven't looked beyond the adventure of just getting a PPL but
> I'm still dreaming.

Check out the available local schools and take an "introductory" flight or two.
I was past 40 when I started.

George Patterson
Battle, n; A method of untying with the teeth a political knot that would
not yield to the tongue.

[Tom Sixkiller]

"TF" > wrote in message
...
> Sound like alot of wisdom in this newsgroup would appreciate the same
about
> what my prospects can be starting at 50. Flight has always been a lure
> for
> me (father in the business, avid flight sim user etc etc) Now that I can
> financially afford to do the real thing (well lets say ~ $7,000/year
> afford). I haven't looked beyond the adventure of just getting a PPL but
> I'm still dreaming. Possible scenarios ? Bring me back to earth ?

Nope...we're going to boot you into the air :~)

Not quite the same thing, but I resumed flying after a 14 year layoff on the
day after my 50th birthday. I would have done it ON my birthday, but I was,
well...incapacitated.

As for a scenario, just find a good school that you're comfortable with, do
you homework and then have at it. Try not to space your lessons out too
much, lest your motor skills pertaining to flying deteriorate a bit. (I
recommend two lessons a week, but YMMV.

As for beyond the PPL, well, take it one step at a time.

Tom

[Tom Sixkiller]

> wrote in message
...
>
> >> what my prospects can be starting at 50.
>
> I just started at age 55. I've got twenty five hours, have soloed, and am
> currently working on short field landings and takeoff. This is fun. Go
for
> it. Half of the people I see in the school are are old farts like us.
>
> tom pettit

Speak for yourself! :~)

The other Tom.

[Ed]

$7000 a year will get you PLENTY of flying. :)

"TF" > wrote in message
...
> Sound like alot of wisdom in this newsgroup would appreciate the same
about
> what my prospects can be starting at 50. Flight has always been a lure
for
> me (father in the business, avid flight sim user etc etc) Now that I can
> financially afford to do the real thing (well lets say ~ $7,000/year
> afford). I haven't looked beyond the adventure of just getting a PPL but
> I'm still dreaming. Possible scenarios ? Bring me back to earth ?
>
> AARP Student Pilot (that card came in the mail on my birthday)
>
>
>

[Jack Allison]

You're only too old if you're dead! :-)

You still have plenty of flying years left. Better to start now and enjoy
them than look back 10 years or so from now and wish you'd started. That
was a huge motivating factor for me. I started while I was 40 and thought
and, while it would have been great starting sooner in life, this is how it
worked out and I'm having a ball.

Check out rec.aviation.student as another great source of information.
And...post about your flying lessons. There are a bunch of us out here that
love reading about them. Many folks have been there/done that and can offer
tons of great advice. Lots of funny stories too.

--
Jack Allison
PP-ASEL

"When once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the Earth
with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been, and there
you will always long to return"
- Leonardo Da Vinci

(Remove the obvious from address to reply via e-mail)

[g n p]

Started at 47, now 51, own my plane, fly all the time, best thing I ever
did!!!



"TF" > wrote in message
...
> Sound like alot of wisdom in this newsgroup would appreciate the same
about
> what my prospects can be starting at 50. Flight has always been a lure
for
> me (father in the business, avid flight sim user etc etc) Now that I can
> financially afford to do the real thing (well lets say ~ $7,000/year
> afford). I haven't looked beyond the adventure of just getting a PPL but
> I'm still dreaming. Possible scenarios ? Bring me back to earth ?
>
> AARP Student Pilot (that card came in the mail on my birthday)
>
>

[Bob Gardner]

My oldest student was 85...and there were many whose age fell between 50 and
85. Don't sweat it.

Bob Gardner

"TF" > wrote in message
...
> Sound like alot of wisdom in this newsgroup would appreciate the same
about
> what my prospects can be starting at 50. Flight has always been a lure
for
> me (father in the business, avid flight sim user etc etc) Now that I can
> financially afford to do the real thing (well lets say ~ $7,000/year
> afford). I haven't looked beyond the adventure of just getting a PPL but
> I'm still dreaming. Possible scenarios ? Bring me back to earth ?
>
> AARP Student Pilot (that card came in the mail on my birthday)
>
>

[Dan Luke]

"TF" wrote:
> would appreciate the same about
> what my prospects can be starting at 50.

I got my PP certificate on my 50th birthday. The last seven years have
been immensely enriched for me by flying.
Go for it.
--
Dan
C172RG at BFM
(remove pants to reply by email)

[Ed]

My CFI is 79. He teaches aerobatics in a Decathlon.


"TF" > wrote in message
...
> Sound like alot of wisdom in this newsgroup would appreciate the same
about
> what my prospects can be starting at 50.

[Gary Drescher]

"TF" > wrote in message
...
> Sound like alot of wisdom in this newsgroup would appreciate the same
about
> what my prospects can be starting at 50. Flight has always been a lure
for
> me (father in the business, avid flight sim user etc etc) Now that I can
> financially afford to do the real thing (well lets say ~ $7,000/year
> afford). I haven't looked beyond the adventure of just getting a PPL but
> I'm still dreaming. Possible scenarios ? Bring me back to earth ?
>
> AARP Student Pilot (that card came in the mail on my birthday)

As others have affirmed, there's no problem with starting to fly at 50. At
any age, though, it's a good idea to get your medical certificate early in
the process--even before you start your training--so you won't spend a lot
of money on lessons only to discover later that there's some medical
disqualification. (See www.aopa.org for information on finding a medical
examiner.)

Good luck!

-Gary

[RobertsCFI]

It's too bad that FBO's don't give "senior citizens' discounts", because you've
got a lot of company in the "over 50" crowd.

My second instrument student passed his IFR checkride at age 59. He then went
on to get his instructor's certificate at the ripe young age of 66. He's in
excellent health, so I expect he'll have many more years of happy flying. He
stays busy "riding herd" on a large group of student pilots (some of whom are
just teenagers).

It's been my experience that older students take somewhat longer to master the
basic hand-eye coordination required for flying. On the other hand, older
students tend to be more patient and usually possess better decision-making
skills.

One weakness of many adult learners (in almost any endeavor, not just flying)
is that they tend to "overthink" a maneuver or procedure. Although it's
important to plan ahead and vizualize what you want to accomplish, it's also
important to recognize that many flying skills (such as learning to land in a
crosswind) require you to react nearly instantaneously in response to what you
see and feel. (As you gain proficiency, many of these responses become
automatic and almost unconscious.) During your initial training, keep an open
mind and pay careful attention to the visual cues (what you see outside the
airplane), how the aircraft sounds, and how it responds to your control inputs
at various speeds. A good instructor can help you with this.

Interestingly enough, I had two older students that struggled with basic flying
skills (i.e., landing), but turned out to be superior instrument pilots.

Good luck,
E. Roberts, CFI

[smackey]

"TF" > wrote in message >...
> Sound like alot of wisdom in this newsgroup would appreciate the same about
> what my prospects can be starting at 50. Flight has always been a lure for
> me (father in the business, avid flight sim user etc etc) Now that I can
> financially afford to do the real thing (well lets say ~ $7,000/year
> afford). I haven't looked beyond the adventure of just getting a PPL but
> I'm still dreaming. Possible scenarios ? Bring me back to earth ?
>
> AARP Student Pilot (that card came in the mail on my birthday)

Got my PPSEL at age 49; IR at age 52. Do it!!! You'll never regret
the things you tried (especially flying); only the ones you didn't.

[Cub Driver]

On 13 Mar 2004 20:39:26 GMT, (RobertsCFI) wrote:

>It's too bad that FBO's don't give "senior citizens' discounts", because you've
>got a lot of company in the "over 50" crowd.

I asked my periodonist if he gave senior discounts, and he just
laughed. Heck, practically all his clients are seniors.

Evidently the same is true of flight instruction.

(Who else can afford it?)


all the best -- Dan Ford
email: (requires authentication)

see the Warbird's Forum at www.warbirdforum.com
and the Piper Cub Forum at www.pipercubforum.com

[William W. Plummer]

"Ed" > wrote in message
. com...
> My CFI is 79. He teaches aerobatics in a Decathlon.

My seaplane instructor was in his mid-70's. He is a great pilot, but I
could still scare him!

[Ben Jackson]

In article >, > wrote:
>Half of the people I see in the school are are old farts like us.

And it's not that we kids are unfriendly, it's just that we can't tell
you old farts that started at age 55 from the ones that started at age
5, and the latter group will pin you down with hangar talk for hours.
You've got to make sure your schedule is flexible before you wander too
close to the hangar. ;-)

--
Ben Jackson
>
http://www.ben.com/

[Doug]

So if you start at age 50, you will be 51 or so when you get your
pilot certificate. How old will you be a year from now if you DON'T
get your pilot certificate?

"TF" > wrote in message >...
> Sound like alot of wisdom in this newsgroup would appreciate the same about
> what my prospects can be starting at 50. Flight has always been a lure for
> me (father in the business, avid flight sim user etc etc) Now that I can
> financially afford to do the real thing (well lets say ~ $7,000/year
> afford). I haven't looked beyond the adventure of just getting a PPL but
> I'm still dreaming. Possible scenarios ? Bring me back to earth ?
>
> AARP Student Pilot (that card came in the mail on my birthday)

[Vince]

"Ed" > wrote in message
. com...
> My CFI is 79. He teaches aerobatics in a Decathlon.
>
>
> "TF" > wrote in message
> ...
> > Sound like alot of wisdom in this newsgroup would appreciate the same
> about
> > what my prospects can be starting at 50.
>
>Like they all said... do it! In 1999 I started at age 67 and got my
Instrument ticket in 2002. Go for it!

Vince

[David J]

Tf,

I started at age 45 last August 27. Trained at least 2 times a week to
rebuild my coordination and keep the rust off. Took my checkride FRIDAY Feb
13, 2004. Now at age 46 am glad I started, stayed with it and got my PPL.
I am still learning but enjoying every minute of it. This is a great group
as well as rec.aviation.student. Go For It.

David James
PP-ASEL
"TF" > wrote in message
...
> Sound like alot of wisdom in this newsgroup would appreciate the same
about
> what my prospects can be starting at 50. Flight has always been a lure
for
> me (father in the business, avid flight sim user etc etc) Now that I can
> financially afford to do the real thing (well lets say ~ $7,000/year
> afford). I haven't looked beyond the adventure of just getting a PPL but
> I'm still dreaming. Possible scenarios ? Bring me back to earth ?
>
> AARP Student Pilot (that card came in the mail on my birthday)
>
>

[Michelle P]

go for it!
Most peoples limitations are only in the minds.
Michelle

TF wrote:

>Sound like alot of wisdom in this newsgroup would appreciate the same about
>what my prospects can be starting at 50. Flight has always been a lure for
>me (father in the business, avid flight sim user etc etc) Now that I can
>financially afford to do the real thing (well lets say ~ $7,000/year
>afford). I haven't looked beyond the adventure of just getting a PPL but
>I'm still dreaming. Possible scenarios ? Bring me back to earth ?
>
>AARP Student Pilot (that card came in the mail on my birthday)
>
>
>
>

--

Michelle P ATP-ASEL, CP-AMEL, and AMT-A&P

"Elisabeth" a Maule M-7-235B (no two are alike)

Volunteer Pilot, Angel Flight Mid-Atlantic

Volunteer Builder, Habitat for Humanity

[Cockpit Colin]

This might help answer you question :)

http://planenews.com/article849.html

[Cub Driver]

On Sat, 13 Mar 2004 22:32:30 -0500, "Vince" >
wrote:

>Like they all said... do it! In 1999 I started at age 67 and got my
>Instrument ticket in 2002. Go for it!

We should form a club. I started same year, same age, though I settled
for a recreational cert.

It was definitely the case that my ground school was filled with
Dreams Deferred people. My guess is that the average age was 49 or 50.
We had two high-school kids who looked as if they'd wandered into the
wrong party; everyone else had a story to tell. Most had taken a few
lessons 20 or 30 years earlier and given up because of family or job
commitments. Others of us hadn't even gotten that far with the
project.

1999 of course was the top of the market, before the bubble burst. We
were all fat, rich, and happy in 1999.

all the best -- Dan Ford
email: (requires authentication)

see the Warbird's Forum at www.warbirdforum.com
and the Piper Cub Forum at www.pipercubforum.com

[Cecil E. Chapman]

Just do it... Nothing like the left seat and age is not a factor as long as
you have reasonably good health and coordination! Pick up the phone and
set-up a discovery flight,,, if you like it,,, there is NOTHING,,, I repeat
NOTHING like the adventure you will start your life on.

Make it so!

--
--
=-----
Good Flights!

Cecil
PP-ASEL
Student-IASEL

Check out my personal flying adventures from my first flight to the
checkride AND the continuing adventures beyond!
Complete with pictures and text at: www.bayareapilot.com

"I fly because it releases my mind from the tyranny of petty things."
- Antoine de Saint-Exupery -

"We who fly, do so for the love of flying. We are alive in the air with
this miracle that lies in our hands and beneath our feet"
- Cecil Day Lewis -
"TF" > wrote in message
...
> Sound like alot of wisdom in this newsgroup would appreciate the same
about
> what my prospects can be starting at 50. Flight has always been a lure
for
> me (father in the business, avid flight sim user etc etc) Now that I can
> financially afford to do the real thing (well lets say ~ $7,000/year
> afford). I haven't looked beyond the adventure of just getting a PPL but
> I'm still dreaming. Possible scenarios ? Bring me back to earth ?
>
> AARP Student Pilot (that card came in the mail on my birthday)
>
>

[JimBob]

"TF" > wrote in message >...
> Sound like alot of wisdom in this newsgroup would appreciate the same about
> what my prospects can be starting at 50. Flight has always been a lure for
> me (father in the business, avid flight sim user etc etc) Now that I can
> financially afford to do the real thing (well lets say ~ $7,000/year
> afford). I haven't looked beyond the adventure of just getting a PPL but
> I'm still dreaming. Possible scenarios ? Bring me back to earth ?
>
> AARP Student Pilot (that card came in the mail on my birthday)

I obtained my PPL when I was 34 and regretted I didn't start training earlier.
I obtained my IR when I was 47 and regretted I didn't start training earlier.
Whenever I am aloft, I always feel being blessed.

[Corky Scott]

On Sat, 13 Mar 2004 10:26:34 -0500, "TF" > wrote:

>Sound like alot of wisdom in this newsgroup would appreciate the same about
>what my prospects can be starting at 50. Flight has always been a lure for
>me (father in the business, avid flight sim user etc etc) Now that I can
>financially afford to do the real thing (well lets say ~ $7,000/year
>afford). I haven't looked beyond the adventure of just getting a PPL but
>I'm still dreaming. Possible scenarios ? Bring me back to earth ?
>
>AARP Student Pilot (that card came in the mail on my birthday)

You should go ahead for several reasons: 1. 50 isn't old. I got my
PPL last summer at that 55. 2. If you don't do this but have wanted
to all your life, you'll never forgive yourself.

Corky Scott

[Cub Driver]

On Mon, 15 Mar 2004 17:58:48 GMT,
(Corky Scott) wrote:

> I got my
>PPL last summer at that 55.

Congratulations, Corky!


all the best -- Dan Ford
email: (requires authentication)

see the Warbird's Forum at www.warbirdforum.com
and the Piper Cub Forum at www.pipercubforum.com

[Gillian]

I got my PPL at 54 and have found tremendous joy in following my
heart. When I started lessons I found that the young 20 something
flight instructors were so polite to me that I really felt old :-) But
they stopped being quite so polite after a while ...

Learning new things in flying always seems to take me a little longer
than most. I think it's because I come from a background (counselling)
that is so completely different. But I just get stubborn and
determined and always come through. Last summer I learned tailwheel
and basic aerobatics and that is REALLY fun.

I see that AOPA kas a 'late blooming aviators' club' in their chat
room by the way.

Gillian

[G.R. Patterson III]

Gillian wrote:
>
> I see that AOPA kas a 'late blooming aviators' club' in their chat
> room by the way.

Thanks for that info. I need to check that out.

George Patterson
Battle, n; A method of untying with the teeth a political knot that would
not yield to the tongue.