Flight Training Post Covid

[marcella]

Just wanted some opinions regarding flight training.

Prior to the Covid outbreak I had saved up enough money to do my PPL but hadn't started it yet. I am 32 years old and my plan was to get the PPL and progress to possibly become an instructor. I see as more of a hobby but with the hope I might make a career out of it.

I'm not fussed about getting into airlines as I don't have the money for training which would result in me probably being too old to start by the time I did have the money. But with working in the oil industry which I am getting fed up of it would be nice to have a different career option, granted instructing doesn't make great money but maybe going on to small regional transport flights would be great.

Anyway what I'm asking is, would it be worth even trying this now? As the aviation industry is a mess and going to take ages to recover so I imagine there will be a lot of pilots instructing etc to just stay current and plenty looking for jobs. I know I said this would be a hobby first but I would like it to lead to something more, or should I pocket the money and stick to simming?

[Dr Jekyll]

marcella said:

Just wanted some opinions regarding flight training.

Prior to the Covid outbreak I had saved up enough money to do my PPL but hadn't started it yet. I am 32 years old and my plan was to get the PPL and progress to possibly become an instructor. I see as more of a hobby but with the hope I might make a career out of it.

I'm not fussed about getting into airlines as I don't have the money for training which would result in me probably being too old to start by the time I did have the money. But with working in the oil industry which I am getting fed up of it would be nice to have a different career option, granted instructing doesn't make great money but maybe going on to small regional transport flights would be great.

Anyway what I'm asking is, would it be worth even trying this now? As the aviation industry is a mess and going to take ages to recover so I imagine there will be a lot of pilots instructing etc to just stay current and plenty looking for jobs. I know I said this would be a hobby first but I would like it to lead to something more, or should I pocket the money and stick to simming?

A surprising number of professional pilots started in their 30s, according to an instructor I spoke to anyone over 40 'needs to think carefully'. I did meet someone last year who decided to go for a commercial licence in her 50s and got a job as a first officer with BA.
Also be aware that pilot recruitment often swings between feast and famine so an airline career is far from impossible if you're lucky with the timing.

If you aren't interested enough in flying to fancy it as a hobby, then you shouldn't consider it as a career, there are cheaper things to qualify in that lead to more stable employment.

Whether you want to fly professionally or just as a hobby the initial step is the same, go for a PPL. It's satisfying to do for it's own sake and then you'll have a better idea whether you might want a career in flying. But do go for a class 1 medical first so you know where you stand. You don't want to decide in future to go commercial then find you can't get the medical, and a medical is generally easier to renew than to get in the first place, so get it before you're any older.

[Sifly]

I came out of Commercial Flight training at 30, Instructed briefly and got into the airlines at 32. Have had a great flying career (so far) and over the 15 years have flown:- DHC -8, EMB145, B737, B757, B767, B787.

Forgive me if the rules have changed (its been a long time) but when I was instructing, in order to be paid to fly, you had to have a frozen ATPL?
If that's the case, and you want to instruct for a living, then there is nothing stopping you applying to the airlines (when they eventually get back on their feet and start flying again)!

Best of luck with it all

[Siko]

Some good advice in here. Friend of mine got a BA cadetship as an ab initio at 40, my best buddy is a 777/787 P1 having started training around late 20s, got a co-pilot job around early 30s. So you’re not too old for sure by a long way. There are a lot of young people who want to be pilots but youth is not everything, my own company recruits a variety of ages and my personal opinion is that determination, life experience and drive count for way more than being a fresh faced kid.

Timing is pretty dire with the industry in turmoil and looking like mass layoffs across the board, but that probably makes it a good time to start training, hour building etc positioning yourself for the upturn, which will come.

I’m not an airline pilot so take my advice with a pinch of salt, (currently fly helicopters offshore and Ex-military too), but my advice would be to have a very clear goal and go for it.

Really hope it works out for you. Despite what you may read from time to time, flying really is the best job in the world, even throbbing across the North Sea in your slow but mighty wokka

[aeropilot]

Siko said:

flying really is the best job in the world, even throbbing across the North Sea in your slow but mighty wokka

Flying the mighty Wokka sounds like the best job to me

[Krikkit]

aeropilot said:

Siko said:

flying really is the best job in the world, even throbbing across the North Sea in your slow but mighty wokka

Flying the mighty Wokka sounds like the best job to me

It's almost like flying two-for-one! Sounds very cool