Hello folks........

I would be interested in anyone's thoughts / opinions in this ng; long and
considered, or short and pithy.

I'm 47, in the UK, and was made redundant from an ICT Manager's position 20
months ago. My dilemma is this. I'm thinking of starting up my own
home-visit computer repair / training / advice consultancy, but close
relatives have said "Why don't you do what you've always wanted to do?".
I've always had natural flying ability (solo glider pilot at 19, and I was
allowed to do t/offs & landings in a Cessna 152 myself after 6 hours while
the instructor just watched), but had to stop lessons in 1979. I went for a
trial flight last year, and the instructor was astonished as to how much I
remembered.

Now that I have the means (financially), is it worth a trip to Florida to
achieve a life's ambition ? I've found a school that will take you from
scratch to an instructors certficate for USD 35,500 ; it would cost at least
double that here in the UK.

Anyone know if there is a stigma against hiring newly qualified pilots at,
say, 48 ????

Thanks,

Steve.

Now that I have the means (financially), is it worth a trip to Florida to
achieve a life's ambition ?

That question needn't be answered, but I will.

I waited till I was 35 to start flight lessons. Learning to fly changed my
life, and I now regard my first 35 years on this planet as wasted time.

Do it now, before another year passes.

Anyone know if there is a stigma against hiring newly qualified pilots at,
say, 48 ????

I wouldn't count on a career in aviation, but that's beside the point.
Flying is an end in itself.

Good luck...
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

There are other schools that will do the ab initio program or even
all the way with a starting point a bit past the "Hi! this is an
airplane!" introduction. And for much less that $35K US.

Altho with the current US dollar, $35K is probably a good deal for
someone outside the US.

Hello S,

I don't know about getting a job with the airlines I suppose
anything is possible if you try but it's possible to work in the industry or
around airplanes. One thing for sure you'll spend the next 47 years
wondering if you could have. The other thing you have going for you is you
don't live in the USA where you would have to retire at 60.

You could do what Jay does and open a Hotel on the airfield. Call
it "Fawley Tower". You could start your own FBO or sub-contract freight
for Fed-ex. Anything beats being 49 and thinking "Hmm I wonder if I could
have." At the very least you'll have your PPL and be able to go just about
anywhere you want whenever you want weather permitting.

Paul Davis


"S." wrote in message
...
I would be interested in anyone's thoughts / opinions in this ng; long and
considered, or short and pithy.

I'm 47, in the UK, and was made redundant from an ICT Manager's position
20 months ago. My dilemma is this. I'm thinking of starting up my own
home-visit computer repair / training / advice consultancy, but close
relatives have said "Why don't you do what you've always wanted to do?".
I've always had natural flying ability (solo glider pilot at 19, and I was
allowed to do t/offs & landings in a Cessna 152 myself after 6 hours while
the instructor just watched), but had to stop lessons in 1979. I went for
a trial flight last year, and the instructor was astonished as to how much
I remembered.

Now that I have the means (financially), is it worth a trip to Florida to
achieve a life's ambition ? I've found a school that will take you from
scratch to an instructors certficate for USD 35,500 ; it would cost at
least double that here in the UK.

Anyone know if there is a stigma against hiring newly qualified pilots at,
say, 48 ????

Thanks,

Steve.

Steve,
I started flying when I was 29. My aviation career started four years
ago as an aircraft mechanic. I "landed" my first flying job last month
at age 42. The pay decrease for my current job from when I was in the
computer industry, 75% I couldn't be happier!
Michelle

S. wrote:

I would be interested in anyone's thoughts / opinions in this ng; long and
considered, or short and pithy.

I'm 47, in the UK, and was made redundant from an ICT Manager's position 20
months ago. My dilemma is this. I'm thinking of starting up my own
home-visit computer repair / training / advice consultancy, but close
relatives have said "Why don't you do what you've always wanted to do?".
I've always had natural flying ability (solo glider pilot at 19, and I was
allowed to do t/offs & landings in a Cessna 152 myself after 6 hours while
the instructor just watched), but had to stop lessons in 1979. I went for a
trial flight last year, and the instructor was astonished as to how much I
remembered.

Now that I have the means (financially), is it worth a trip to Florida to
achieve a life's ambition ? I've found a school that will take you from
scratch to an instructors certficate for USD 35,500 ; it would cost at least
double that here in the UK.

Anyone know if there is a stigma against hiring newly qualified pilots at,
say, 48 ????

Thanks,

Steve.

"S." wrote in message
...
I would be interested in anyone's thoughts / opinions in this ng; long
and
considered, or short and pithy.

If you're looking to make spending money instead of rent, instructing
doesn't care so much about your age. The fact that you're not going to up
and fly the minute you pass your next airline interview can actually be an
advantage. I'm 29 and had two instructors both older than me. My private was
done with a part-time carpenter in his early 50s who was basically an
aviation hippie and my instrument instructor was in his mid 60s and was a
former defense engineer who got surplussed back shortly after we stopped
caring about the Soviets. He started his flying career in his early 50s and
has 12000 hours and an ATP and has done a variety of instructing, corporate
flying, and freight. So long as your health doesn't cause you problems (and
I know JAA standards are more demanding than in the US), it can be done.
Easy? Different question.

-cwk.

"S." wrote in message
...
I would be interested in anyone's thoughts / opinions in this ng; long and
considered, or short and pithy.


And I got them .....! Such brilliant contributions, thanks one and all.

Blanche, if you have any references that I can check out on the web for 'ab
initio' training, I'd be grateful.

Steve.

S. wrote:
Blanche, if you have any references that I can check out on the web for 'ab
initio' training, I'd be grateful.

Steve:

take out "blackhole" and send me an email with your real address
and I'll send them along offlist.

If you don't mind jumping through all the visible and invisible TSA
hoops and spending even more money for all the security and background
checks before you can even begin your training, then yes, there are
flying jobs available.

S. wrote:
I would be interested in anyone's thoughts / opinions in this ng; long and
considered, or short and pithy.
I'm 47, in the UK, and was made redundant from an ICT Manager's position 20
months ago. My dilemma is this. I'm thinking of starting up my own
home-visit computer repair / training / advice consultancy, but close
relatives have said "Why don't you do what you've always wanted to do?".
I've always had natural flying ability (solo glider pilot at 19, and I was
allowed to do t/offs & landings in a Cessna 152 myself after 6 hours while
the instructor just watched), but had to stop lessons in 1979. I went for a
trial flight last year, and the instructor was astonished as to how much I
remembered.
Now that I have the means (financially), is it worth a trip to Florida to
achieve a life's ambition ? I've found a school that will take you from
scratch to an instructors certficate for USD 35,500 ; it would cost at least
double that here in the UK.
Anyone know if there is a stigma against hiring newly qualified pilots at,
say, 48 ????

"jsmith" wrote in message
...
If you don't mind jumping through all the visible and invisible TSA hoops
and spending even more money for all the security and background checks
before you can even begin your training, then yes, there are flying jobs
available.


Yep, this is a consideration. At the school I was looking at, it's $350 for
foreign student registration, plus $130 for Homeland Security check.