A have known a number of GA pilots, in their 40s or 50s, who were working towards the IR and instead of doing the 7 IR exams (JAA, EASA, or CBIR) they did, or tried to do, the full 14 ATPL exams.
Could one enter the airline pilot career at that age, against the flood of young (and in some cases very good) students who mostly have no family ties and can get on with it? What I hear about e.g. Easyjet is that you have to ace the exams, ace the interview, and ace the simride.
Yes airlines will take first officers in their early 50’s but it is rare. Students who switched career in their 40’s have got jobs via pay-to-fly schemes (your cost of type rating includes 500 hours multi crew), but end up in exotic jurisdictions. The probability that you are a career first officer with a captain in their twenties is high.
EasyJet gets their crew mainly through the Integrated or MPL (multi pilot licence) route. The schools wash out candidates not meeting standard hence achieving 90% employment record. If you were contemplating a career switch, perhaps the integrated route makes more sense. The long haul BA first officer, Mark Vanhoenecker, made this switch and wrote a bestseller about it.
https://www.waterstones.com/book/skyfaring/mark-vanhoenacker/9780099589853
With the shortage here in the US, you’re seeing 55-year olds getting airline jobs as FO’s. There was a lifelong career CFI who posted about it on forum. He put his application in as a lark at 57, and they were all over him. Now he’s right-seating in a CRJ!
Europe, with it’s lower req’s, probably won’t experience the same pressure, but it might happen that way there too.
I know numerous 40 something and about 5 years ago a 53 year old move into the right hand seat. And everyone of them did it via the modular route and none of them did any sort of pay to fly or any of that malarky.
Pay to fly is not that illogical. Unless the airline is providing a bonded type rating, which is uncommon except for types, like the Dash 8 which are limited in numbers being operated, a pay to fly is a type rating where you also get your 500 hours multi crew and line training to achieve an unfrozen ATPL. During your 500 hours you are being paid, albeit not at Ryanair type rates. The premium on a self funded TR is roughly in line with your earnings. Compared to getting a TR on spec, and many do, this seems financially more logical.
Whatever you do, getting a TR on spec, ie not linked to a firm offer of employment, is not a wise decision. Most airlines will ask you to pay for a new TR if you are a newbie with a TR which you self funded on spec.
One graduate of this ‘malarkey’, the pay to fly TR, looks like might be on track for long haul command…in their twenties.
I have been toying with this idea myself, and I know two people past 40 who did it. Both of them had money and paid for the type rating out of pocket without a job lined up. One of them did it fairly recently, and after 1.5 years in the right seat of A320 at a charter subsidiary of Icelandair is currently choosing between several wide-body job offers with a prospective of captain upgrade in 2-3 years. Also, as I am told, assuming all other things (including salary) to be equal, some companies may actually prefer older pilots due to their safer behaviour. Judging by the job adverts, many airlines set the top hiring age at 55. The same age limit applied to BA cadet program when they had it. Also, for less prestigious jobs (turboprops, cargo, uncivilised places, etc.) there seems to be no shortage of open vacancies as long as one has enough hours logged.
Mark Vanhoenecker
I have read his book. Very nice 
However BA is perhaps unusual in having loads of permanent first officers?
At 55, you have just 5 years left, unless the other pilot is always under 60 – correct?
Peter wrote:
At 55, you have just 5 years left, unless the other pilot is always under 60 – correct?
For commercial air transportation, generally yes, but there is an effort by the pilots to raise this limit by another 5 years (like they already did to reach the current limits).
Yes you can. Age discrimination is rarer these days. Concerning any preference of age due to „safer behavior“ – I call BS on that one. In fact, some airlines in Europe prefer „young, standardized, indoctrinated“ ab initios as they are easier to shape and form them the way you want them to be vs. older guys with „habits“ that are harder to get rid of. As always it depends on the individual candidate. And don’t forget the saying: „If you love flying, being an airline pilot is the cure against that“. Make of that what you wish.
