Is 22 too old to be a pilot?

The good news for those who are above the age of 17, is that there is no maximum age for getting your private pilot license. The world is your oyster, and it is never too late to go for your private pilot's license. That said, getting your medical certificate is required by the FAA to fly solo.



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Some students ask themselves, “Am I too old to become a pilot?” and wonder how long they will be able to pursue a career in the air. No one is too old to attend flight school, as long as they are physically capable of operating an aircraft.

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Not to mention exposure to radiation, pressure changes, high levels of stress, and sitting for hours at a time. These factors can speed up the aging process for many pilots and research suggests they often die younger than the average population, particularly after retirement.

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No particular age is considered the “best” age to become a pilot. In the U.S., you can earn a student pilot certificate beginning at age 16, a private pilot certificate at age 17, and commercial pilot at age 18 — but these are minimums, not maximums!

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You must begin your pilot training between the ages of 18 and 33. In some cases, you may be eligible for an age waiver up to the age of 35. This ensures that you have plenty of time to become a fully qualified pilot and ample time to dedicate 10 years of active duty service upon completion of pilot training.

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Meet the age requirements 16 years of age to obtain your pilot certificate. 17 years old to earn a private pilot certificate. 18 years old to be eligible for a commercial pilot license. 23 years old to qualify for an airline transport pilot (ATP) certificate.

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Pilots must have normal color vision, near visual acuity of 20/30 without correction, distance visual acuity of no worse than 20/70 in each eye correctable to 20/20 and meet other refraction, accommodation and astigmatism requirements.

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Some 80% of student pilots voluntarily withdraw from training before gaining even a basic pilot licence, according to a study conducted for the US Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association.

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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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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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The reality is that you only become too old to start flight training when you can no longer hold a class one medical. However, if you are starting your training over the age of around forty, what you are looking to achieve takes some serious consideration.

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Scientists have done the math, and it turns out that frequent fliers actually age the tiniest bit more quickly than people with both feet on the ground. But not to worry, the difference is so small, you don't have to worry about extra wrinkles.

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