49 y/o, 0TT, 0 debt, 80k trucker salary. Shall I go for CPL?

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Roadster912
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49 y/o, 0TT, 0 debt, 80k trucker salary. Shall I go for CPL?

Post by Roadster912 »

Hello, and thanks for reading my topic.
I am a 49 y/o trucker in the oil patch in Northern Alberta -It is ok, but not super happy living and working here-. Just started a job making 80k a year a couple of months ago, I drive a CND$2K Civic Si/04, I have almost no debt, Zero TT, Zero money in the bank, and a child to support.

Shall I start saving money to get to CPL?
Shall I change careers at this age?
Can I do all the online schooling from PPL up to CPL with out flying?
How long would take me to make 80k a year as a CPL again?
Can I make CND$80k flying a MIFR Turboprop like a King Air?
I just want to fly and make at least CDN$ 80K. Not aiming for A320 at AC. King Air Medevac would do it.

Honestly.....how much would be all the schooling? CND$ 70K?
Do I get a refund for parts of the PPL if I take years to finish my CPL.

I am not originally from Canada, so flying in Asia on the Middle East would do it too. What do I need to fly in those places? I have heard they pay well, as well, a Pilot told me that Canadian Pilots are the worst paid. Is it true?

Please write anything that comes to your mind, negative or positive, all comments welcome.

Truly yours...
Roadster912.
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172ReliefPilot
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Re: 49 y/o, 0TT, 0 debt, 80k trucker salary. Shall I go for CPL?

Post by 172ReliefPilot »

Roadster912 wrote: Sat Aug 17, 2019 2:52 pm Hello, and thanks for reading my topic.
I am a 49 y/o trucker in the oil patch in Northern Alberta -It is ok, but not super happy living and working here-. Just started a job making 80k a year a couple of months ago, I drive a CND$2K Civic Si/04, I have almost no debt, Zero TT, Zero money in the bank, and a child to support.

Shall I start saving money to get to CPL?
Shall I change careers at this age?
Can I do all the online schooling from PPL up to CPL with out flying?
How long would take me to make 80k a year as a CPL again?
Can I make CND$80k flying a MIFR Turboprop like a King Air?
I just want to fly and make at least CDN$ 80K. Not aiming for A320 at AC. King Air Medevac would do it.

Honestly.....how much would be all the schooling? CND$ 70K?
Do I get a refund for parts of the PPL if I take years to finish my CPL.

I am not originally from Canada, so flying in Asia on the Middle East would do it too. What do I need to fly in those places? I have heard they pay well, as well, a Pilot told me that Canadian Pilots are the worst paid. Is it true?

Please write anything that comes to your mind, negative or positive, all comments welcome.

Truly yours...
Roadster912.


Bit of a loaded post but ill take a shot



Shall I start saving money to get to CPL?

If youre serious about changing careers than yes...youll need money to support the flight training on a regular basis

Shall I change careers at this age?

Up to you ultimately, definitley achievable, but health and your long term career goals will play a factor. Medevac Captain...possible after a couple years. 777 Captain AC probably not (i know youre not thinking AC)

Can I do all the online schooling from PPL up to CPL with out flying?

youll need a ppl to start cpl training....so youll need to write the ppl exam (which requires some flight time to be completed) and complete a flight test

How long would take me to make 80k a year as a CPL again?

probably a couple years once you go captain at a 703 or 704 company.

Can I make CND$80k flying a MIFR Turboprop like a King Air?

probably as a captain after a couple years....research salaries in companies that youre interested in


As far as flying over seas, not everyone has the knowledge. Youre best talking to that foreign bodies government and seeing what the requirements are. My final advice would be that if this is something youre serious about, start looking and doing A LOT of research. Many roads lead to Rome, but not every path is right for you.....if you wanna go ahead and pull the trigger and get started, its as easy as booking an intro flight at a local airport.
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iflyforpie
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Re: 49 y/o, 0TT, 0 debt, 80k trucker salary. Shall I go for CPL?

Post by iflyforpie »

I'm 40 and I make over 80k flying a medivac King Air. Best part is it's all days in a well serviced but relatively inexpensive BC town.

You have a couple of challenges ahead of you. No debt is good, but no cash might be a bit of a problem because in order for your training to go quickly and be effective you'll want to have a lump sum. Either the whole thing or enough to float you through in addition to want you can spare monthly. This isn't going to be easy with a dependent.

Of course, working for 80k a year will qualify you for all kinds of loans. Don't do it. Because your first job and even your second job are going to pay crap and there will be no way you can make even minimum payments.

What I'd suggest is adjusting your lifestyle to what it will be when you start out. $30,000 to $40,000 per year and use the excess to save and train so hopefully you will have a bit of a float to help you throught the first hard years.

Next is breaking into the industry. You may have heard we have a shortage. It's not a shortage of 200 hour CPLs. I got my King Air job with several thousand hours and a bunch of multi PIC. It's going to take perhaps moving to a worse locale before you get enough hours to go someplace better.

Best of luck and remember, nothing ventured nothing gained.
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edmanster
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Re: 49 y/o, 0TT, 0 debt, 80k trucker salary. Shall I go for CPL?

Post by edmanster »

I worked all across the west as a mechanic .. good times & bad. When money was bad, I augmented my money by working as small engine mech, 7eleven cashier, moonlighted fixing private AC .. etc. As with everything, nothing is purely black & white; figure out a scenario where u can drive truck & pay for ur CPL. Use a good school; get ur instructors rating & part-time drive for $$ & fly/instruct to build time. (In fact - flight schools prefer 40+ instructors because they actually are more 'down to earth' etc .. whereas most most 20+ aged instructors just want to do time & dont care about the student. & schools will preferentially hire from ex students)
- if life were so easy to flip from one 80K job to another within a year. The flying school experience will give the opportunity (& time) to feel & see if u really like flying .. I made a couple mistakes moving to other cities thinking that this 'was the opportunity of a lifetime' - later to regret or get laid off. What seems as a 'sure-shot' opportunity at the moment .. in many case rarely developed as conceived.
- in the past.. (not so much today) .. trucker owners - (in remote locations) used to own private aircraft. Some truck routes require to 'dead-head' the drivers back to base .. work out a deal to fly them back. or 'hot -shot' critical items to locations. & who better than a ex-trucker with oil fields experience to deal with this .. Dont dump your experience - make use of it!
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ReserveTank
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Re: 49 y/o, 0TT, 0 debt, 80k trucker salary. Shall I go for CPL?

Post by ReserveTank »

Can I make CND$80k flying a MIFR Turboprop like a King Air?
Definitely achievable.
I just want to fly and make at least CDN$ 80K. Not aiming for A320 at AC. King Air Medevac would do it.
You say that now, but you're 49 and medevac can wear you out, especially at the wrong company. By this I mean flat-out exhausted, and it's bad for your health. It's tempting to look into an airline lifestyle when you start feeling burned out.
I am not originally from Canada
Can you live and work in the USA? Flight training is much more accessible there and cheaper. Companies will now pay for your flight instructor certificate and your ATP. Look at places like Cape Air. Excellent airline operation, and they will hire low time. Home every night, generally a 4/3 schedule, $80K USD is do-able as a captain. PM me for info on that (I'm not affilliated, BTW).

Let us know how you're doing with your decision.
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