Expert: David A. NewMyer - 3/20/2007

Question
I just celebrated my 40th b'day last dec. I am a former air traffic controller(14 yrs)and a licensed flight dispatcher, however, I have never worked as a flight dispatcher. I have always considered a career as a commercial pilot and I have been giving the idea very serious thought over the past few months. My question to you is whether at this point in my life is it too late to pursue my dream as a pilot with a small regional airline, if not please advise on flight training options towards my achieving my goal taking into consideration my family commitment and full time job.

steve j.b  

Answer
HI,  A commercial pilot, at least at a larger, FAR 121 airline, has a career that spans (by regulation) to his or her 60th birthday.  So, the clock is ticking from that perspective.  But, the key thing for you is this:  You have to figure out what you would enjoy doing most in the next 20 years of work.  And, on top of that, you will have to figure out whether getting to a commercial pilot position that pays well is worth the intervening years of sacrifice.  What I mean by that is, you will not earn great amounts of money when you first start out.  So, there is a lot to think about, and I know you realize that from the way in which you asked your question.  From this point, you will have to do some serious investigation of the costs of obtaining all of your FAA certificates and ratings and then the time it will take to build up the appropriate qualifications to fly for a regional airline.  The good thing right now is that most regional airlines have dropped their flight time requirements below 1000 hours total time and 300 hour of Multi Engine time to be hired....some are as low as 500 hours TT and 100 or less ME time.  So, NOW is the time to make this decision if you wish to make it.

Best wishes to you,

David A. NewMyer, Chair
Aviation Management and Flight
Southern Illinois University Carbondale
http://www.aviation.siu.edu