Pilot training!

Pashine

Hi all! I'm sure this has been asked 1000 times but I'm 32 and would love nothing more than to become a pilot! I don't have a college degree, just leaving cert. I'm wondering is there any possibility of getting a cadetship at my age. Or if anyone has any advice on the best route to take or best way to go about getting it. Bearing in Mind I'm not rich by any means and would need a loan to fund it! Any info would be greatly appreciated

basill

Little or no chance to be frank. Most if not all cadets taken on recently have higher level education including degrees, some post grad. On top of this some have completed flying training up to PPL level, possibly even further in isolated cases. Education plays a big part in most airline schemes. We can debate the rights and wrongs of this till the cows come home but it's their train set.

Pprune is your best bet on everything flying training. All your questions will be covered there.

Before taking on debt I would undertake the GAPAN tests to see if you have the aptitude for a career as an airline pilot. It's a small amount of money that could save your shirt. The flying schools will happily take your cash regardless of your suitability to be gainfully employed.

Pashine

Thank you for your reply! I've never actually heard of those tests in all the researching I've done! Just a bit nervous about jumping into it because it will be all or nothing. Thanks again!!

folbotcar

Your age is not necessarily a negative if you want to start training as a pilot even if it was for a cadetship. I would apply anyway. You might be exactly what they need.

But if you are serious about becoming a pilot, you need to start training now. Getting the money being the first problem and given your age you will have to dive straight in and get training full time. In five years time you'll be 37 and less interesting for employers.

I happen to know several pilots who got into the airlines at similar ages. But many had previous experience as Instructors or private pilots and were well known in the pilot community. But even they struggled with the line training.

You have to make one of those life changing decisions soon. It's all in or nothing.

KnotABother

Pashine wrote: »

Hi all! I'm sure this has been asked 1000 times but I'm 32 and would love nothing more than to become a pilot! I don't have a college degree, just leaving cert. I'm wondering is there any possibility of getting a cadetship at my age. Or if anyone has any advice on the best route to take or best way to go about getting it. Bearing in Mind I'm not rich by any means and would need a loan to fund it! Any info would be greatly appreciated

Age is not a barrier to training. Finance is the biggest barrier as far as getting to fATPL(employable level).
The problem faced by most people over the age of 30 when getting a job is airline's tendency to want to hire a little younger so they get longer out of you and also the younger you are the better/longer you will be for command roles in the future.
On the more personal level, I do know guys who have trained and got jobs in their early 30s and to be honest the conversation you need to have with yourself is not one of "will an airline want to hire me with low hours and an older age?", it's more "do I want the type of job offered by an airline who will hire me with low hours?" Most carriers who hire newly minted pilots can base you in isolated places far away from home on poor enough terms and with not great financial certainty/stability. For a guy in his 30s that can be a real problem if there is a wife and/or kids in the picture and can put a lot of pressure on as far as money and also separation. If the kids are in school here you may not want to up root them to Poland and so you are living away from them for long enough periods of time. Factor in the debt you may rack up in training and now you may be putting undue pressure on.

There is nothing stopping you training to be a pilot, but you need to think about the whole game, not just the warm up.

ProfessorPlum

Also, if you're serious about it, get your Class 1 medical before you spend any money training.