Flight Training - May 2014 - 60

ADVANCED PILOT»

CAREER ADVISOR

Seeking a career change

He's ready to play, but is he dressed for the game?
» By Wayne Phillips

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» Q: I'm 53 and I have a commercial certificate and instrument
rating with 1,200 hours and 250
hours of instrument time. I would
like to pursue a second career as a
commercial or corporate pilot. I am
in a position where I can invest in
training and not rely on a substantial income to support my family.
1. What additional ratings should
I get in order to position myself for
a paid pilot job? Should I get an
ATP, a multiengine rating, or a type
rating now or wait to see what is
required in job applications?

the ATP certificate. It is a must for
the regionals and any good-paying
corporate job. If you don't have a
multiengine rating and at least 100
hours in twins, you are at a serious
disadvantage. Skip a type rating
and plow that money into multi
time.
2. Nope. Any employer is going to
take well-trained or experienced
pilots to fly its equipment. There
are far too many competitors
getting pumped out of aviation
colleges and academies vying for
entry-level jobs.

IS IT UNREASONABLE TO THINK A 53-YEAR-OLD WITH
A COMMERCIAL CERTIFICATE, INSTRUMENT RATING,
AND 1,200 HOURS COULD FIND A SECOND CAREER
AS A PILOT?
2. Is it reasonable to think I could
find a pilot job where I would
work for nearly free and have the
employer pay for all ratings they
would want me to have, building
experience in a right seat while I
completed training?
3. Is it possible to find right-seat
opportunities to build flight
time while I complete rating
certifications?
4. Is it unreasonable to think a
53-year-old with a commercial
certificate, instrument rating, and
1,200 hours could find a second
career as a pilot?-Bailey

» A: Bravo, Bailey! Going after a
long-deferred dream is laudable.
I am living proof that a 50-something can still make the leap to
commercial aviation, having
transitioned from a broadcasting
career to airlines at 55.
Let me answer your questions
in numerical order.
1. Get another 300 hours and earn
60 /

FLIGHTTRAINING.AOPA.ORG

3. Those opportunities are virtually nonexistent unless you are
good friends with a Citation
owner. Insurance requirements
also make this type of arrangement difficult.
4. Absolutely not, but you need to
come dressed for the game before
you play. There are regional
airlines that cannot fill their newhire classes and, with the pilot
shortage, corporate operators will
be looking for talent. At your age,
I would take the regional airline
track. It appears that it is more of
a sure thing than corporate. You
would have another decade to
buzz around in an RJ.
Get another 300 hours, an
ATP, and at least 100 hours of
multi, and you could find some
airlines rolling out the red carpet
for you.
Send your career questions to careers@
aopa.org and we'll publish the best ones
here.
http://www.eFIRC.com http://FLIGHTTRAINING.AOPA.ORG
Flight Training - May 2014

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