Expert: David A. NewMyer - 7/15/2005

Question

Nice to hear from you.  I will try to assist!

Since you are asking in the first place, I am sure that you realize that a career change at age 40 into the pilot field is no small matter.  There are several issues to keep in mind:

1.  The "Age 60 rule"....which, in short, means that you MUST retire from active flying as a "pilot in command" at a major airline.  Up until recently (2000-2001) this was not a major issue in that an airline pilot could continue to fly as a "flight engineer" on a three pilot aircraft.  Those, however, are now quite rare in the industry.  So, at the top end of the industry, age 60 is IT.  Therefore, you have 20 years left on your chosen career...you can continue to fly after age 60, just not with the airlines....

2.  Time and money:  You will need up to three to five years and about $30,000 to $40,000 to complete all of the flight certification, ratings and minimum experience building you will need to have to get a fairly decent job in aviation.  You might be able to cut the time back to 12 to 18 months, but, that assumes you will go to one of the major aviation flight schools (such as Delta Airlines Academy, Flight Safety Academy, Gulfstream Academy, Southesastern Flight Academy and others) that can provide an accelerated format, airline placement and other benefits that a local flight school can not provide.  However, the cost at one of these national schools will be higher.

3.  Bachelor's Degree:  It is a good idea to have it, that is for sure.  This is especially true in terms of employment with the larger airlines.  Remember also that, over the next 20 years, the market will be even more competitive than it is today.  Therefore, those with a degree, and all other qualifications being equal, will likely get "the nod" for any job.  In your case, however, I am not sure that a degree is the first thing on your priority list.  

I would argue that you need to go beyond an introductory flight to find out if you REALLY like flying so much that you want to change careers.  I would not quit your day job just yet....fly on the side, earn an FAA Private Pilot Certificate (or as much of it as possible) to give this field a solid "tryout" first.  Once you have your Private, and assuming you are still happy with flying as a career choice, THEN make your decision to quit your job and move on into aviation.

As far as prospects are concerned, I think that they are good.  The fuel price situation present today can not continue as it is.....if it does, there will be a damper on the aviation marketplace in the next five years.  If fuel prices were not as high as they are today, airlines would be booming.  As it is, they are barely making it financially.  So, once that situation clears up, then, the airline job situation (and aviation hiring in general) will be very good.

I hope that this answer is of help to you.  Best wishes to you and let me know if you have any other questions.

Sincerely,

David A. NewMyer, Ph.D., Professor and Chair
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Thank You, David, for replying so promptly and in such detail.
I certainly do intend to obtain a private licence first, and chip away
at completing my degree. (Nothing to lose there) Do the airlines prefer an Aviation Degree or is it just the level of education they want to see.
I've looked into a couple of flight schools in the east Fla Area, Phoenix East and ATP in Jacksonville.  I was not aware that Delta is there too.
I like the affiliation factor. It's hard to tell what a good school is from a website.  Having worked in the Truck Driver Training industry, I know that accreditation is only as good as the agency that does it.
What are some things to look for in a school.  It seems that once I have the private license, (or winter arrives) it may me best to hit school full speed.  Your thoughts?
Thank you again for all of your time.

Mike.  

Answer
Hi, Mike:

Nice to hear from you again!

As far as the airline preference, I do not think that they have one.  I do know that jetBlue does value students who have graduated with a degree from an accredited aviation university.  But, I am not sure if any of the others have such a preference.

As far as school names, Phoenix East is the one at Daytona, I believe.  I have not heard much about that one. I hear generally good things about ATP.

As far as accreditation, the flight schools may or may not have accreditation, but, the key thing is that they all should hold a Federal Aviation Administration FAR 141 Pilot School Certificate, which I am fairly certain that they do. You can also call the FAA Flight Standards District Office (I think there is one in Orlando) and ask them questions about the safety record of the various flight schools in the area.  When looking at the schools, the things I would look for as a potential student are;

Costs, such as:  What the quoted program cost pays for, and, what it does not.  How much flight time, what happens when there is bad weather (a hurricane interrupts your training, etc), room and board costs (if you are not living close enough to commute), other training costs such as simulator costs (whether or not those costs are built into the total price or not), etc.  What about "time over" charges beyond what you pay for in the basic package....let's say it takes you longer than the average person to complete the instrument course.  How much will they charge you for the "time over" the main package?

Placement:  What sort of placement arrangements or agreements that the flight school has, and what their placement record is for the graduates.

Graduation Rate:  What percentage of people starting the school are able to finish?  What is the average flight time that they leave the school with (this gives you an idea of total flight time they are promising for the cost, AND, how much extra flight time you might have to pay for in your training phase.

Aircraft:  How new is their fleet and what type of aircraft do they fly, particularly in the upper stages of the training?  (complex singles and multi engine aircraft)...the more sophisticated and heavier, the better for you in terms of transitioning to the airline or general aviation industry.

I agree:  Obtain your Private Certificate to make sure you like aviation as a field to go into, and, if so, then, go full speed from there....as long as you can afford it and as long as it fits in with the rest of your life plans.

I wish you the best in your career plans,

Dave NewMyer