Commercial flying is all about getting where you want to be, and planting your feet. You are never too old to earn your pilot's license as long as you can pass all the physical and mental requirements. Nor is there an age limit on flying.
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The answer is no. While some airlines have an age requirement before you can fly a commercial flight, there's no age limit in wanting to become a pilot.
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.
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.
How much does a commercial pilot make? The average commercial pilot salary in the United States is $94,406. Commercial pilot salaries typically range between $63,000 and $139,000 yearly. The average hourly rate for commercial pilots is $45.39 per hour.
The average Delta Airlines pilot earns $192,000 with top-earners making $526,000. American Airlines pilots earn an average salary of $118,000, with some pilots earning in excess of $700,000. Most importantly, pilot salaries continue to increase.
Publicly available data on hiring, employment, and wages indicate strong current demand for pilots. Meeting that demand has been particularly difficult for regional airlines—which generally serve smaller communities—and has, according to them, affected their operations.
The answer is no. While some airlines have an age requirement before you can fly a commercial flight, there's no age limit in wanting to become a pilot.
While commercial airline pilots are currently mandated to retire at 65, these same pilots that are forced to retire can still fly corporate and charter jets beyond the age of 65, said Representative Troy Nehls, a Republican, adding the change could help address a pilot shortage.
It depends on the speed of the airplane. If the plane has speed zero, then they will return older. If they travel around the Earth at the speed for which time goes equally slow as the time on Earth, then they will return with the same age as the people who stayed on the ground.
Traditionally a pilot at a regional airline might start out earning less than $50,000 per year, but get hired on by a major airline and that goes up quickly into the six figures, and well over $300,000 for senior captains flying widebody aircraft overseas. Some earn over $400,000.
According to figures from The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median salary for airline pilots is $114,200, but starting pay for a regional airline First Officer could be as little as $28,000, while ending pay for a major airline Captain could be several hundred thousand per year.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual wage for airline pilots is around $202,180. Medical doctors came in with a salary of $208,000, lawyers $127,990 and engineers with a median annual wage of $79,840.
The second came from the US Airline Pilots Association and looked at pilot deaths after the age of 60. Analysing these two sources, the study's authors deduced that the average age of death for pilots was 61, compared to the average age of death of the general population, which was 63.
The lifestyle of a professional pilot can be quite challenging. Pilots often have to work long hours and are often away from home for extended periods of time. However, pilots also enjoy many benefits, such as flexible schedules, dedicated time off, and an above-average income at the airline level.
Becoming a pilot is very accessible and a great path to walk through, whether you're a teenager or young adult, starting your professional life or even if you're in your mid-thirties and you want to start anew!
Kelsey says that corporate and charter pilots he knows usually fly a 7-day on, 7-day off schedule. He says airline pilots fly an average of 15 or 16 days a month. The schedule of those days varies by airline, but it often looks like making a three- or four-day trip followed by three or four days off.