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Is It Too Late?


lotus steve

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Is it too late to start a career as a commercial RW pilot at 40 years of age? When I was 20 I went and talked to a Canadian Helicopter Pilot who told me that after paying 50Grand and getting only 100 hours, that no-one would hire me. So I found another career as a automotive mechanic. But the idea of flying has never stopped, now I'm in the financial position to pay for the training, I'm just wondering if anyone will hire a middle-aged newbie? Leaving the big city of Vancouver and working my way up from the bottom again doesn't bother me. Thanks for the advice in advance.

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Guest heli206212
Is it too late to start a career as a commercial RW pilot at 40 years of age? When I was 20 I went and talked to a Canadian Helicopter Pilot who told me that after paying 50Grand and getting only 100 hours, that no-one would hire me. So I found another career as a automotive mechanic. But the idea of flying has never stopped, now I'm in the financial position to pay for the training, I'm just wondering if anyone will hire a middle-aged newbie? Leaving the big city of Vancouver and working my way up from the bottom again doesn't bother me. Thanks for the advice in advance.

 

Hey lotus,

 

Nothing is impossible. One thing to consider is Money. When you complete your course you will need to find a job, either as ground crew or flying. So, my point is that in the early stages of your career be prepared to make min. money.

 

Possibly for 3-5 years, but all depends on hours, experience, etc. etc. But the money will be

low Gross and Net income.

 

All the best

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Hey lotus,

 

Nothing is impossible. One thing to consider is Money. When you complete your course you will need to find a job, either as ground crew or flying. So, my point is that in the early stages of your career be prepared to make min. money.

 

Possibly for 3-5 years, but all depends on hours, experience, etc. etc. But the money will be

low Gross and Net income.

 

All the best

 

Thanks heli206212,

 

I have planned to be making peanuts for 3-5 years, just wanted to know if the operators are putting

45 year olds out to pasture, which is about the time I thought that I may actually start making some money. I'm at the age where I realize there is more to life than money, doing what you have always dreamed of doing is now my main focus in life.

 

Thanks for the advice

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I'm at the age where I realize there is more to life than money
You just realized that at 40? That's a shame. I knew that when I was 16. I'm not going to waste my time doing something I hate or don't enjoy when I could be doing something I love!
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You just realized that at 40? That's a shame. I knew that when I was 16. I'm not going to waste my time doing something I hate or don't enjoy when I could be doing something I love!

 

That's not a shame!! What's a shame is that most people never realized their dreams!! :shock:

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Guest heli206212

It is not too late and it is not shameful.

 

Unfortunately, you are in the same boat as some others. Not everybody has the money to do their license out of High School, or mommy and daddy to paid for the Training. lol

 

But I was in that boat myself, a little younger. Knew I wanted to fly helicopters for my life since a young age , but no money to pay for the course when out of high school. So I went out and made the money, and paid for the training myself.

 

No family or kids, no house, no responsibilities. I went on tour for 4 years, lol and made up for lost time. That was 7 years ago, and have not stopped.

 

There are positives and negatives to being older when you start in this business, it is how you use the positives and change the negatives into positives.

 

Good Luck. It is possible if you are committed.

 

PM if you have any questions. I will try to help answer them if I can.

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The real shame is that in High School I wanted to be a Playboy Model photographer, but Hugh Heffner never returned my calls. LOL.

 

Having hind-sight now, will not change the past, at best it will only alter my present and future.

 

I think that it's time I sh*t or get off the pot.

 

Thanks heli206212 for your offer of help.

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i think that if you want to do it do it, i'm 36 and working as an apprentice. if you are still questioning at the tech school that i was at there was a 65 year old guy that went through a fue years before me. his line was that he had worked for everyone else up to retirement and the money was to good to walk away from(i think it was shell oil). he always wanted to work on b17's so now he and his wife are living in florida, and he is working on wwII aircraft for the confederate(spl?) airforce.

 

so if you want to try go for it, it will be tough for the first few years. though your age may help you as you have more life expirince and are more level headed than a 19-25 year old (sorry guys)

 

good luck

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That's not a shame!! What's a shame is that most people never realized their dreams!! :shock:

 

So very true, volition.

 

though your age may help you as you have more life expirince and are more level headed than a 19-25 year old (sorry guys)

 

I'm 19, but I do agree. That would apply with most jobs anyways, the more experience you have the better off you are.

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New Guy,

 

I know what the 65 year was talking about. I started with Canadian Airlines in 1989, I didn't make tonnes of money, but I have travelled and climbed all over the world. Now my place is paid off and it's time to move on. When I was climbing on Mt. McKinley, I was amazed at the heli up at 17,200 ft, a Lama called the "Denali Lama", I knew that is what I wanted to do. I'm sure that flying at altitude in the mountains is a specialty. Walk before run, I know. Good luck on your apprenticeship.

 

Steve

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