I want to start my aviation career....at 44 yrs old

(apologies if this shows up in duplicate - I posted earlier but never =
saw this appear)

Greetings!

I obtained my Private Pilot certificate in Jan, 1990, and enjoyed its =
privileges for a couple of years following. (For the rest of the story, =
see sig block) My career has been in IT, specifically in network =
engineering, i.e. Cisco router management. This career provided a =
comfortable living for my family until late January of this year, when =
MCI cut my position (thank you Bernie Ebbers, thank you Scott Sullivan, =
you !$&)%$@ weasels). The IT job market here in Columbus, OH, isn't all =
that great, and for several compelling reasons, we do not wish to =
relocate.

So....

I am wondering what kind of idiot would consider starting an aviation =
career at 44 years of age. I already know I would have to go through =
ground school again, both to learn all the new terminology (Class C =
airspace vs. ARSA) and to re-learn all the important little nuggets of =
knowledge. Yes, the BFR, that too. Then I want to get my IFR and =
Commercial, of course. MAYBE get my CFI, but I'm not sure about that. =
I should probably go for my multi-engine, but geez, that could get =
expensive reeeeaaaaalllly fast - did I mention I'm unemployed?

The question from there is - then what? What kind of demand is there in =
this region for newly-minted Commercial pilots, especially if I don't =
have a multi rating?

All feedback is appreciated!!!

Mike T.
--=20
When I had Money, I could fly.
Then I got Married...then we got a Mortgage...then we had a Munchkin.
She has three Ms, I have none. I'm...
2Poor2Fly4Real

(remove "nospam" from address for direct replies)

Mike, email me privately.

Eric

"2Poor2Fly4Real" wrote in message om...
(apologies if this shows up in duplicate - I posted earlier but never
saw this appear)

Greetings!

I obtained my Private Pilot certificate in Jan, 1990, and enjoyed its
privileges for a couple of years following. (For the rest of the story,
see sig block) My career has been in IT, specifically in network
engineering, i.e. Cisco router management. This career provided a
comfortable living for my family until late January of this year, when
MCI cut my position (thank you Bernie Ebbers, thank you Scott Sullivan,
you !$&)%$@ weasels). The IT job market here in Columbus, OH, isn't all
that great, and for several compelling reasons, we do not wish to
relocate.

So....

snip

Seems a lot of people (including me) are in the same boat. We always
wanted to be a pilot for a career but the lure of high pay in the 90's
for the comptuer field made us put that dream on hold. Well, as the
bottom fell out for the tech field, we re-thought our life goals and
decided that money does not necessarly make one a happy person. I'm
also in a high paying computer position that requires very little work
and I ONLY work weekdays from 9 till 5. (I have to admit when I look
at the janitors in our building that work their butts off everyday for
a 1/10 what I make and it makes me feel guilty.)

So you wish to switch careers? Well, I'm also in the process of
changing but I'm going about it the smart way. I'm keeping my nice job
and using that money to pay off any loans and build up a nest egg for
when I make the switch. Remember, a low paying IS position will pay
more than a flight instructor or entry level pilot job. What a new
pilot needs to build a career is flight hours and there is a lot of
retired pilots as well as young kids that are used to making 10K - 15K
a year that want to fly.

As for how easy it will be for you to switch? I like to use the
flip-flop example. What if some pilot (that has only flow his entire
adult life) asked you how he could learn to be an IS professional?
Remember, they have never used a computer and need to learn the inner
workings of Windows (all OS's), Unix/Linux, networking, Hardware,
Software and still have ~20 - 25 years of work experience with
computers. I guess you would see the wealth of knowledge they need to
learn and realize that they have a long road ahead. However in this
flip-flop example you as a new commercial pilot will only making about
~$800 to at most $1200 a month if your very lucky. (I started my
first computer job with NO experience around $30K a year. In 5 years
I've easily doubled that.)

I don't want to crush your dream. In fact, I think you have a good
chance of making it if you, and more importantly your family, is
behind your goal. Hell, I'll fly with you.

"2Poor2Fly4Real" wrote in message om...
(apologies if this shows up in duplicate - I posted earlier but never
saw this appear)

Greetings!

I obtained my Private Pilot certificate in Jan, 1990, and enjoyed its
privileges for a couple of years following. (For the rest of the story,
see sig block) My career has been in IT, specifically in network
engineering, i.e. Cisco router management. This career provided a
comfortable living for my family until late January of this year, when
MCI cut my position (thank you Bernie Ebbers, thank you Scott Sullivan,
you !$&)%$@ weasels). The IT job market here in Columbus, OH, isn't all
that great, and for several compelling reasons, we do not wish to
relocate.

So....

I am wondering what kind of idiot would consider starting an aviation
career at 44 years of age. I already know I would have to go through
ground school again, both to learn all the new terminology (Class C
airspace vs. ARSA) and to re-learn all the important little nuggets of
knowledge. Yes, the BFR, that too. Then I want to get my IFR and
Commercial, of course. MAYBE get my CFI, but I'm not sure about that.
I should probably go for my multi-engine, but geez, that could get
expensive reeeeaaaaalllly fast - did I mention I'm unemployed?

The question from there is - then what? What kind of demand is there in
this region for newly-minted Commercial pilots, especially if I don't
have a multi rating?

All feedback is appreciated!!!

Mike T.


Mike here is just one route: I was a poor boy who made it to flying
for a living. If you love flying, I advise you to TELL the wife you
are going to do it for free for a few years. It is do-able no matter
what your age. You will be broke for a good while. Put the wife to
work, the kid at her Mom's and become a dispatcher or something at
your local Flight School. No one's going to hire you as a pilot or
insure you without some time, so you are going to have to mooch for a
while. Ask instructors that you get to know, if you can just quietly
sit in if the paying customer doesn't mind and then ask him. I got
through most of the training this way, even though they had to "resign
me" from the dispatcher job because I was never at the desk. :-) Many
customers became good friends and would let me sit in the back of four
seaters to take notes. This made check rides much easier. Forget
mult-engine stuff, unless, you want to be gone all of the time from
your family. Multi Engine = suitcase. If twins seduce you anyway, as
they did me, then tell the owner of the FBO you will fly co-pilot for
free and do all the dirty work: Coffie, baggage, cargo, mtc, even
emptying the honey-bucket, etc. He'll put you on at minumum wage, but
you'll never see the paycheck (just sit there next to the PIC, watch,
and shut up. If he feels like it, he'll give you a leg.) I flew a
season on a BE-18 this way. If this is too humble for you, then you
are simply not willing to "pay your dues" in aviation and need to find
a rich relative to pay for all this.

Good Luck,

pacplyer

"to thine own self, be true" - Shakespeare

This must be "quit IT and start flying" day....

Today is the first day I've ever looked at this newsgroup, but wouldn't you
know, I'm starting to ask myself the same question: how feasible is it to
scrap programming and get into an aviation career?

I don't have any answers for you, but I'll be watching this space with
interest, as I find myself in the same boat (in Cincinnati). I have a
friend in Columbus who went to work for Toyota (another IT guy).

Dan.

"2Poor2Fly4Real" wrote in message
m...
(apologies if this shows up in duplicate - I posted earlier but never saw
this appear)

Greetings!

I obtained my Private Pilot certificate in Jan, 1990, and enjoyed its
privileges for a couple of years following. (For the rest of the story, see
sig block) My career has been in IT, specifically in network engineering,
i.e. Cisco router management. This career provided a comfortable living for
my family until late January of this year, when MCI cut my position (thank
you Bernie Ebbers, thank you Scott Sullivan, you !$&)%$@ weasels). The IT
job market here in Columbus, OH, isn't all that great, and for several
compelling reasons, we do not wish to relocate.

So....

I am wondering what kind of idiot would consider starting an aviation career
at 44 years of age. I already know I would have to go through ground school
again, both to learn all the new terminology (Class C airspace vs. ARSA) and
to re-learn all the important little nuggets of knowledge. Yes, the BFR,
that too. Then I want to get my IFR and Commercial, of course. MAYBE get
my CFI, but I'm not sure about that. I should probably go for my
multi-engine, but geez, that could get expensive reeeeaaaaalllly fast - did
I mention I'm unemployed?

The question from there is - then what? What kind of demand is there in
this region for newly-minted Commercial pilots, especially if I don't have a
multi rating?

All feedback is appreciated!!!

Mike T.
--
When I had Money, I could fly.
Then I got Married...then we got a Mortgage...then we had a Munchkin.
She has three Ms, I have none. I'm...
2Poor2Fly4Real

(remove "nospam" from address for direct replies)

2Poor2Fly4Real wrote:
...
story, see sig block) My career has been in IT, specifically in
...

Let us know how you make out, just the other day I was telling someone
that I have the same idea when my current contract runs out.

--
Peter Weaver
Weaver Consulting Services Inc.
Canadian VAR for CHARON-VAX, Run VMS on your PC!
www.weaverconsulting.ca

To Peter, BykrDan, pacplyer, Mark, EDR, and whoever else responded,

1) My apologies for the delay in responding, I've been cut off from my =
newsgroup server for a couple of days.

2) THANK YOU!!! I am still giving this idea some serious =
consideration. I've a better feel for the caveats from reading your =
opinions, and intend to continue working on this. I'll update the lists =
since some of you expressed an interest in same.

Mike T.
--=20
When I had Money, I could fly.
Then I got Married...then we got a Mortgage...then we had a Munchkin.
She has three Ms, I have none. I'm...
2Poor2Fly4Real

(remove "nospam" from address for direct replies)



"Peter Weaver" wrote in message =
...
| 2Poor2Fly4Real wrote:
| ...
| story, see sig block) My career has been in IT, specifically in
| ...
|=20
| Let us know how you make out, just the other day I was telling someone
| that I have the same idea when my current contract runs out.
|=20
| --=20
| Peter Weaver
| Weaver Consulting Services Inc.
| Canadian VAR for CHARON-VAX, Run VMS on your PC!
| www.weaverconsulting.ca
|=20
|

Mike, I put this in a reply to George, and I may have forgotten to tell
you, also.

If you get your Ground Instructor Rating (basically the same test as
the PPL), you can deduct your training for further ratings on your
income tax.

Ground Instructor positions may be easier to come by (a means of
getting your proverbial foot in the door), as flight instructors would
prefer to fly than teach ground school.

If you get your Ground Instructor Rating (basically the same test as
the PPL), you can deduct your training for further ratings on your
income tax.


In the US, you can deduct training to MAINTAIN competency, but you cannot
deduct training to ADD ADDITIONAL (marketable) competency. Be careful.

Jose

--
(for Email, make the obvious changes in my address)

In article , Teacherjh
wrote:


If you get your Ground Instructor Rating (basically the same test as
the PPL), you can deduct your training for further ratings on your
income tax.


In the US, you can deduct training to MAINTAIN competency, but you cannot
deduct training to ADD ADDITIONAL (marketable) competency. Be careful.

Okay, I guess I should clarify...
.... you can deduct your training for further "instructor" ratings...
(CFI, CFII, Multi-Instructor)