Menu Sign In Contact FAQ
Banner
Welcome to our forums

General questions for achieving flight hours and some travels in GA.

What I meant is that some folks have supplemental income from their pensions, and thus can afford to, if they so choose, accept lower pay from their job, especially if the job is one they love and want to do. Not that they have to, not that they do, just that they have the option to do so. Overall in the overall (not just aviation) job market as it is now it doesn’t matter, but in a more challenging one it could potentially make a difference.

I guess same is true for any group that for one reason or another has a right to early retirement, or, in more general terms, supplemental income from sources other than their day job.

The “peanuts” was supposed to be a reference to what I consider the airline go-to snack. Apologies if it ended up sounding offensive, was by no means meant that way.

tmo
EPKP - Kraków, Poland

I understand you study at an FTO that trains young integrated students who get hired very well. Does they only offer their networking opportunities to their integrated students ? That would be shameful from the FTO.

As said above, I don’t think building hours is a huge selling point to airlines. I know a very experienced FI-IRI, very proficient in IFR, above 40 and he can’t get a job. I think age is a concern for them.
Changing career remains difficult in Europe, les for cultural/regulatory reasons, but for profit reasons !
And they pretend promoting diversity among their new pilots

Maybe some of you know this story.
A few years ago, in the US Flying mag, every month, a ex-surgeon(?) wrote every month about his experience of becoming an jet pilot at PlaneSense (IIRC). He was 58 (or even more, not sure) with about 8k hours on anything an owner could reasonably own (a Cheyenne was among his last planes). At that age, he had decided to become a biz jet pilot (for a year or two before retiring). So he applied, got a job, took the Citation type rating at Flight safety (looked very serious stuff), and did his routes as « young » copilot. Incredible story reading from Europe.

LFOU, France

Jujupilote wrote:

Maybe some of you know this story.
A few years ago, in the US Flying mag, every month, a ex-surgeon(?) wrote every month about his experience of becoming an jet pilot at PlaneSense (IIRC). He was 58 (or even more, not sure) with about 8k hours on anything an owner could reasonably own (a Cheyenne was among his last planes). At that age, he had decided to become a biz jet pilot (for a year or two before retiring). So he applied, got a job, took the Citation type rating at Flight safety (looked very serious stuff), and did his routes as « young » copilot.

You mean Dick Karl I believe he was 67.

I fly in a company biz jet occasionally with the crew makeup being much the same: a young guy and an ex-Vietnam era F4 pilot now flying for fun and side money.

Yes, that’s him ! Thanks Silvaire. Amazing story.

LFOU, France

Read that column too. The picture that remained with me is the surgeon emptying the lavatory in rain or something close to that.

LPFR, Poland

I agree that it is difficult to change job orientation for anything past 40, not only aviation. Enterprises prefer to hire young people because they work more time for less money, and doesn’t have argument to oppose to 0 annual (although they are far less autonomous, rigorous and efficient).
For aviation, I didn’t get the picture yet about pilots. Usually older people are wiser and performance are not related to physical potential… Is it just a matter of young people are more ductile?

LFMD, France

Given the hurdles you mastered and the ones ahead of you, and the perception of your professional environment, I would suggest to look for an opportunity to get an outside point of view. That is, someone who get to know you very well, but is independent (no really close friend), someone who could offer his perception of the situation. Background: as it is next to impossible too change the surrounding, it’s maybe wise to put oneself in a suitable setting.

Bremen (EDWQ), Germany
27 Posts
Sign in to add your message

Back to Top