Midlife Career Change

Got a hot employment or interview tip to help a fellow aviator find a job or looking for a little job advice place your posting here.

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beaverpuq
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Re: Midlife Career Change

Post by beaverpuq »

Do as much flying on floats as possible. A hundred hours on floats for a first job looks not bad these days. I was in a float plane partnership for a bit. Built some time that way and did some neat trips. I shut down my successful construction company at age 48 when I got my first job. I’ve never looked back. Lucky enough to start in a Beaver. I was promised 50 bucks a flight hour and all the Walleye I could eat!! Being a bit older has been nothing but a benefit to me in this industry. Most fun I’ve ever had. After ten years I’m still excited for this coming season. Now flying a 3T and 208 in Yukon and the day I stop is the day I can’t climb up the steps to the seat. Go for it!!! I can afford to buy my own fish now too!!! Feel free to pm me. Best of luck.
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ayseven
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Re: Midlife Career Change

Post by ayseven »

Suck it up, spend the money on a rental deal, and see how many friends you can convince to fly them around for split costs. There is no easy short cut, but it's your life.
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ahramin
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Re: Midlife Career Change

Post by ahramin »

Personally, I towed gliders at several clubs long before I had my commercial licence and counted some of those hours towards my commercial including some of the dual required. TC had no issues with it. This was over 20 years ago but the rules haven't changed since then.
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ant_321
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Re: Midlife Career Change

Post by ant_321 »

I had about 25 hours of my 200 for my cpl flying cadet famil flights, everything paid for by the Canadian tax payer. Transport didn’t have a problem with it, and they were aware of it. That was in 2010.
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ayseven
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Re: Midlife Career Change

Post by ayseven »

TC appears to be quite illogical, so wording can count. Go flying, have fun, don't give up your hobbies.
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RedAndWhiteBaron
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Re: Midlife Career Change

Post by RedAndWhiteBaron »

Thank you everyone for your well thought out replies. I've got my medical scheduled next week, and I don't anticipate any issues. Once that's done (I don't want to get my hopes too high in case I'm medically unfit), I'll be going to BFC to sign up for flight school.

So far the overwhelming response is, more or less, "yeah you can do it, but at your age it won't be a cakewalk". Thank you all for your input.

If anyone has reservations about the Brampton Flying Club, let me know. I can go to Barrie or Collingwood or Guelph to train, even the Islands, if it turns out that Brampton is a shitty place to learn.
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cargocowboy
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Re: Midlife Career Change

Post by cargocowboy »

The instructor is more important than the flight school. Find an instructor you jive with and flight school doesn't matter so much.

I switched careers at 35 and had zero trouble finding a job and moving up quickly. I'd say that my maturity and work record has been a benefit, not a deterrent, so far. Yeah, the pay sucks, but flying is the easiest job I've ever had, and the money will come. If it doesn't work out, you've got a fall back. I cringe at the 20yr old, 80k in debt, making 30k/yr, with no other life skills. But hey, whatever works for each of us.

Good luck.
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stormshadow503
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Re: Midlife Career Change

Post by stormshadow503 »

I would not recommend going through training at Brampton. I recently went through their college program and my experience with them was extremely transnational. They really don't give a damn if you are leaning or not but they are very quick to tell you you need extra SIM sessions or more dual flights. Instructors in general are relatively new with a very few class 1 and 2.. hence most of them are interested in building their own time.

ground school was more like lets get this over with kind of attitude..

do some research, there are plenty of good schools around the GTA. Oh and they also charge you a membership fee which is a complete waste ( although its a relatively small amount, it will add up if you choose to renew every year, unless you end up working there as a flight instructor).
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RedAndWhiteBaron
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Re: Midlife Career Change

Post by RedAndWhiteBaron »

Realistically I can deal with the "let's get this over with" attitude to ground school - I've done ground school 3 or 4 times now. I studied aviation in highschool (physics of flight, meteorology, and navigation), learned to fly gliders at 16, did an air studies summer camp with the cadets (top of my class), and then of course the 5ish years of ground school once a week with the cadets. It's a "let's get it over with" thought to me too. Aside from catching up on what's been happening in flight theory and air law in the last 25 years (and yeah, there've been changes in the last 25 years), I think I'm ok there. I hope I'm not being pompous or overconfident; please everyone challenge me if I am. It was 25 years ago now.

They also run 3 ground schools at a time, and you can just drop in on any class, at any time, if you think you need review. I've never been a good online learner, I do need a serious refresher, and they're 20 minutes from me. I could walk there if I had to.

In terms of instructors - my one and only requirement is: I do not want a time builder. I don't need a 20k hour retired airline pilot, but I do want someone who is teaching because he/she wants to teach, not someone who just wants to get the duck out of fodge the moment the airlines call. I think that's realistic?

And really the membership fee doesn't bother me. How many cities have an airport like Brampton? (Really, please tell me of them.) I don't mind supporting that for a couple hundred a year. Flying is not a cheap proposition, and the membership fee is barely a rounding error when compared to the cost of professional flight training.

Beyond all that, I'm only looking to get my PPL at Brampton, and then continue to a CPL elsewhere. Brampton doesn't offer float training (although they used to, not that I'd take it, we have no lakes big enough to land on anywhere within a hundred miles), it's extremely flat, and more than that, going the private route, I want to learn in a number of places; I'm even considering the Yukon. So, I'm not doing the college program or even my CPL - just my PPL at Brampton.
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pelmet
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Re: Midlife Career Change

Post by pelmet »

Remember something...IT continues during times like this. I suggest remaining in IT, keep the income coming in and either fly at a flying club or purchase an aircraft for pleasure. It can be very rewarding.
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Jeremy Kent
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Re: Midlife Career Change

Post by Jeremy Kent »

RedAndWhiteBaron wrote: Fri Jan 10, 2020 9:23 pm I can go to Barrie or Collingwood or Guelph to train, even the Islands, if it turns out that Brampton is a shitty place to learn.
I’m not positive, but I believe the school at Guelph has been closed for years. The air park’s down the road from my place, and I don’t see anything other than private aircraft overhead. Great restaurant there for breakfast, though, if you’re ever in the neighbourhood!
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Av8r7
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Re: Midlife Career Change

Post by Av8r7 »

static_invertor wrote: Mon Jan 06, 2020 5:40 am I say go for it.

But remember this industry can turn on a dime, and there are no guarantees.

The economy and aviation industry are long over-due for a correction.

Just stay out of debt!
nah man, its a pilot shortage! "This Generation will be the first to go through their careers without layoffs!"

-all sarcasm aside, man the wave was fun while it lasted! Going from an airline Captain to not being able to land a minimum wage job was a tough cookie to swallow. If the OP is still considering flying as a career....be warned....its a great job when its good but when its bad, its baaad!
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EPR
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Re: Midlife Career Change

Post by EPR »

:up: :up: What he said!
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OneYonge
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Re: Midlife Career Change

Post by OneYonge »

iflyforpie wrote: Sun Jan 05, 2020 4:22 pm Please don’t offer to fly for free. That will close more doors than it will open in this very very small industry.
Hi, can you elaborate on this? I was not aware that this is a thing. What typically happens when a pilot offers to fly for free?
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garfield
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Re: Midlife Career Change

Post by garfield »

OneYonge wrote: Wed Sep 09, 2020 7:58 am
iflyforpie wrote: Sun Jan 05, 2020 4:22 pm Please don’t offer to fly for free. That will close more doors than it will open in this very very small industry.
Hi, can you elaborate on this? I was not aware that this is a thing. What typically happens when a pilot offers to fly for free?
Your pay at the end of the year is 0.00$
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Invertago
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Re: Midlife Career Change

Post by Invertago »

Those who still have jobs are often seeing companies cutting wages and working conditions because now they can because they have a pile of over qualified candidates ready to take your spot... and they love to say "you should just be thankful you have a job"

If your employer hasn't taken this opportunity to screw you over, you are one of the lucky ones.
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North Shore
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Re: Midlife Career Change

Post by North Shore »

^Isn't that what the lawyers call 'Constructive Dismissal'?
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Invertago
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Re: Midlife Career Change

Post by Invertago »

Yup it is, but If I have to get lawyers to deal with my employer I’d rather just leave. I don’t want to work for a place that does that kinda crap.
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OneYonge
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Re: Midlife Career Change

Post by OneYonge »

garfield wrote: Thu Sep 10, 2020 10:43 am
OneYonge wrote: Wed Sep 09, 2020 7:58 am
iflyforpie wrote: Sun Jan 05, 2020 4:22 pm Please don’t offer to fly for free. That will close more doors than it will open in this very very small industry.
Hi, can you elaborate on this? I was not aware that this is a thing. What typically happens when a pilot offers to fly for free?
Your pay at the end of the year is 0.00$
But you get compensated in flying hours, as opposed to renting and paying for the hours... Isn't the reason people go after hours is it leads to better paying jobs?

It's a race to the bottom situation i know, but
what is the reason it closes doors? Someone said cleaning toilets opens doors, why wouldn't offering free labour?
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OneYonge
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Re: Midlife Career Change

Post by OneYonge »

Invertago wrote: Fri Sep 11, 2020 11:47 pm Those who still have jobs are often seeing companies cutting wages and working conditions because now they can because they have a pile of over qualified candidates ready to take your spot... and they love to say "you should just be thankful you have a job"

If your employer hasn't taken this opportunity to screw you over, you are one of the lucky ones.
You have to understand the companies don't have enough income to keep you unless you take a pay cut. They aren't screwing you just because they are adjusting to COVID decimating the industry.
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