Can I become a pilot at 35?

After age 35, you will likely never become one of the most senior pilots at a major airline, but you will probably be able to become a captain or reach any position that you desire.



Yes, you can absolutely begin a career as a pilot at age 35, and it is a common age for "second-career" professionals to enter the industry. In 2026, with the ongoing global pilot shortage, airlines are increasingly welcoming older candidates who bring maturity and diverse professional experience. To fly for a commercial airline, you must be able to pass a Class 1 Medical Examination, which tests vision, hearing, and cardiovascular health. While the FAA retirement age for commercial airline pilots is currently 65, starting at 35 still allows for a full 30-year career. The path involves obtaining a Private Pilot License (PPL), followed by an Instrument Rating, a Commercial Pilot License (CPL), and finally an Airline Transport Pilot (ATP) certificate, which requires 1,500 flight hours in the U.S. (though this is lower in many other countries). Many flight schools offer "accelerated" programs that can take a student from zero experience to being "airline ready" in about 18 to 24 months, making a mid-life career transition both feasible and potentially very lucrative.

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What type of pilot you want to become will determine what age would be too old to change careers and start your flight training journey. If you're looking to fly larger jets for a major airline then I would suggest the cut-off date is around 35 years if you are only just starting your training.

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35 certainly isn't too old to become a pilot. A lot of people start flying later than that. It depend on why you want to become a pilot. If you're planning to make a career of flying — something I never did — then you probably need to get started pretty quickly.

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How Long Does it Take to Become a Pilot? It takes two months to become a pilot and earn your private pilot license. To become an airline pilot, it takes two years to gain the required 1,500 hours flight time.

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In the U.S., there are no FAA age limits for pilots except for commercial airline pilots employed by airlines certificated under 14 CFR Part 121. These airlines cannot employ pilots after they reach the age of 65. However, these pilots may stay on with a Part 121 carrier in some other role, such as flight engineer.

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Emergence of the pilot shortage Regarding magnitude, in our most likely scenarios, there is a global gap of 34,000 pilots by 2025. This could be as high as 50,000 in the most extreme scenarios.

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Annual Pilot Salary Range
How Much Do Pilots Make an Hour? » According to The May 2021 Occupational Outlook Handbook, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the salary for commercial pilots is $99,640 per year. The median annual wage for airline pilots, copilots and flight engineers is $202,180.

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With the responsibility of steering aircraft worth millions and the lives of hundreds, if not thousands, under their care, the demand for pilots is on the rise. This also explains why pilots are one of the most trusted professions in America.

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In general, it takes a minimum of 40-60 hours of flight time to obtain a private pilot's license, which allows you to fly small aircraft for personal use. To become a commercial pilot, which will enable you to fly for hire, you'll need a minimum of 250 hours of flight time and more advanced training.

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Ideally, becoming a pilot should only take 3 to 4 years, the time it takes to get your Bachelor of Science in Professional Flight. Getting an education is also good for a consistency of training, so it's preferred to wait to start your journey until you are in a certified school, like LETU.

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The FAA requires student pilots to be at least 16, or 14 if training is limited to balloons or gliders. As of 2019, pilot age statistics reported the average age of student pilots as 33.5, according to the GAMA Databook.

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Yes, airplane pilots can wear glasses. (And many do.) If you wear eyeglasses or contact lenses, you can still become a commercial, private, or military pilot. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the military have certain minimum standards for prospective pilots.

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The root cause of the coming shortage varies by region: In the United States, it's an aging workforce facing mandatory retirement, fewer pilots exiting the military, and barriers to entry, including the cost of training.

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Losing Interest or Motivation. Many people have an interest in learning to fly, but when they begin the process and realize how much is involved, they may lose interest or decide flight training is not what they expected. These reactions are perfectly normal, as flying your own plane is not for everyone.

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Most likely not, as the pilot was always meant to be actively involved in flying operations.

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Moreover, cargo pilots have one of the highest paid positions in the aviation industry. The highest paid cargo pilots i.e the 90th percentile of these professionals can earn up to $137,096 on average.

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How Much Does it Cost to Become a Pilot? It costs $104,995 to become a pilot when starting with no previous experience or $83,995 when starting with a private pilot certificate. Both prices include the flight training and certification necessary to become a commercial pilot with flight instructor certificates.

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In the U.S., there are no FAA age limits for pilots except for commercial airline pilots employed by airlines certificated under 14 CFR Part 121. These airlines cannot employ pilots after they reach the age of 65. However, these pilots may stay on with a Part 121 carrier in some other role, such as flight engineer.

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Accelerated Flight School These schools will allow students to receive all their initial certifications and ratings in as little as 10 months. This will be the fastest way to an airline career.

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It will take you seven months to complete pilot training, then another 18 months to gain additional flight time and meet airline hiring requirements of 1,500 hours.

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