In this guide, we will dive deep into the specifications of a regular pilot, and how older candidates can find success in aviation.
One of the best things about flying aircraft is that anyone can experience flight if they are capable enough. Aviation is an experienced field that values flight training, discipline, and logged flight hours – all of which can be found in spades in older pilots.
In other words, older pilots are seen as more reliable, disciplined, and experienced than younger ones, especially if they already have a lot of flight training. Take the example of commercial captains.
Most flight captains are older and are regarded for their demeanour, training, and attitude. So, if you think you have passed your prime and can’t become a pilot, think again!
Aviation is all about training, and while there are lower and upper age limits due to legal reasons, in theory, anyone with the right training, mindset, and discipline can become a pilot regardless of their age.
In this guide, we will dive deep into the specifications of a regular pilot, and how older candidates can find success in aviation.
MINIMUM AGE REQUIREMENT FOR FLYING AIRCRAFT
Before we get into the maximums, let's look at the minimum requirements for pilots.
Many people believe aviation is a young man’s game. While it is true that many of the ambitions in aviation were achieved by young people, it was the older, more experienced generation that breathed life into the idea of flight.
Take the Wright brothers as an example. Wilbur Wright was 37 years old during the brothers’ first flight in 1903!
But in aviation, age truly is just a number. Aviation is fuelled by imagination, passion, dedication, and ambition. These abstract concepts are timeless and can be accessed by anyone of any age!
This is why in most aero clubs; flight training can begin well before young candidates are even eligible for a pilot licence.
Think about it, why wouldn’t you get a head start in aviation? The earlier you start, the more experience you can gain and the earlier you can begin realising your dreams!
In the UK, there is no minimum age to learn to fly. Instead, the CAA has age restrictions when it comes to awarding licenses. In the case of a private pilot licence (PPL), the minimum age to be eligible for the licence is 17 years old.
A PPL is suitable for candidates who want to enjoy the skies without committing to a career in aviation. As per the CAA, candidates can enrol and start training from the age of 16.
In fact, there are many flight clubs, like Sherburn Aero Club, that offer discounts for enrolling at a young age (below 18).
On the other hand, for more serious types of pilot licences, like a Commercial Pilot License (CPL), the candidate must be 18 years of age. The good news is that candidates can begin training before the age of eligibility and quickly qualify for a CPL licence when they are 18 years old.
MAXIMUM AGE REQUIREMENT FOR FLYING AIRCRAFT
Now that we know the minimum requirements for pilot licences, let's take a look at the maximum age limit for becoming a pilot.
The short answer is that there is no age limit to becoming a pilot. However, if we dive into the details, we will see some technicalities that apply to this rule.
In aviation, the average retirement age for pilots is 65 years old. This is when most commercial pilots are thanked for their service and are allowed to remain private pilots for the remainder of their lives. So, in terms of a career, the maximum age you can remain a commercial pilot is 65 years old.
However, outside of the corporate world, you can enjoy being a pilot for as long as you want! In fact, many comprehensive flight schools, like Sherburn Aero Club, are built by experienced pilots – for pilots.
This means that when you hand in your uniform, you can immediately begin flying light aircraft for leisure purposes!
It is important to note that while there is no upper age limit, there are some indirect limits that may be placed with growing age. For example, an advanced age is usually linked to deteriorating health.
All pilots whether private or commercial must possess a valid medical licence. In the case of a private pilot licence, the pilot must hold a valid class 2 medical certificate while CPL holders require a Class 1 medical certificate.
The good news is that if you don’t have any serious health conditions that may affect your ability to operate an aircraft, you can be eligible for a valid medical certificate!
BENEFITS AND TIPS FOR SUCCESS FOR CANDIDATES STARTING LATER IN LIFE
Age may not be a guarantee of success but is usually a clear sign of maturity. As mentioned above, mental maturity and dedication are two factors that are required in any type of profession in aviation.
For pilots, being mature, mentally present, having a positive attitude, and being resilient are mandatory traits – and luckily, these features are usually readily found in older generations.
If you wish to learn how to fly later in life, then good for you!
Not only can you learn how to fly, but if you train well, chances are that you can progress way quicker than most younger candidates.
Not only do older candidates have the mental requirements for becoming capable pilots, but they also check other important boxes. Let’s look at some important tips that can help develop success stories for pilots starting later in life:
Using Financial Maturity
Aviation is not cheap! Flight training can require a lot of resources, especially if you go for serious licences for commercial activities. On average you can expect a pilot to spend a considerable amount of money on training, licensing, aircraft-related costs, and more.
So, clearly, if you are young and broke, you will struggle with training and even if you get financial assistance, you may always have to spend brain power worrying about arranging funds during your training.
Older candidates, especially the ones who are financially responsible, have a much better chance of self-funding their training without worrying about arranging funds.
While age isn’t a guarantee of financial security, statistically speaking, older people tend to be more responsible with their savings and have some funds set aside for their pleasures later in life!
Taking Advantage of Mental Maturation and Resilience
Resilience is perhaps the most important feature that many people gain with age. When you are older, you are likely to be more disciplined and practical. This means that you can approach training with the right attitude and even if you face failures, you may be able to quickly get back up and try again.
Younger people usually have a short fuse and may hastily try to progress through their training resulting in a longer training time, loss of money, and other hinderances.
Older candidates usually have a positive and comprehensive view of life and may be able to better draw out a career path for themselves in aviation.
Using Free Time to Your Advantage
The benefit of starting flight training later in life is that you will have more time to devote to aviation than a younger person. Younger people must divide their time between studies, jobs, family, and other personal matters.
Meanwhile, older candidates might be able to spend even more time in aviation since they would be at a more stable point in their lives. In theory, an older candidate can easily rack up more training hours than a younger candidate just because older candidates will have more time to spend in aviation!
Rallying Friends and Family
Perhaps the best tip for older pilots is to bring their friends along and train together! This is the best way to not just progress quickly in your training but to also share a new skill with the people you want to spend time with later in life.
Aviation is an excellent way for people to bond and learning to fly can greatly enhance one’s relationship with their peers. Furthermore, since most instructors are also older, you may be able to connect with them more easily and make lifelong friends in aviation!
CONS OF STARTING FLYING LESSONS LATER IN LIFE
Here are some important cons of starting flight training later in life:
Health Problems
While health problems can occur at any age, older people are likely to experience more serious health problems that may affect their ability to operate aircraft effectively.
This is perhaps the biggest reason why most older people find it difficult to find proper footing in aviation. As mentioned above, all pilots are required to possess a valid medical certificate. This certificate guarantees that you can fly an aircraft without being hindered by health problems.
Health issues like progressively bad eyesight, heart problems, and even neurological problems can affect a pilot’s ability to fly an aircraft.
Stress and Pressure
With age, maturity, and most of all, experience, comes the ability to handle stress and pressure.
Older people are usually able to take stress well, but the truth is, in most cases, stress can lead to the worsening of underlying health problems such as anxiety or heart problems.
The CAA has strict guidelines for designing flight programmes that virtually forge great pilots through extensive training but if you are older and have serious anxiety issues or if stress triggers certain conditions, then you might not be able to easily progress through your training.
Most capable pilots develop a stoic-like personality by the end of their training which allows them to handle extreme stress and pressure when operating aircraft. However, if you are someone who can’t handle stress due to their age, then this might be a big problem!
While pilots can train themselves to handle stress better, some susceptible older and inexperienced pilots might panic during a high-stress situation which is a huge red flag in the eyes of the CAA. In extreme cases, high stress may even result in a disaster.
Financial Pressure and Progression Plateaus
Older people can be financially stable, but if you are someone who has devoted their life and money to their family and have nothing of their own left, then it might be a struggle for you to get into aviation and begin flight training.
As mentioned above, aviation welcomes young blood who can train and spend time gaining flight hours to progress in their career. This is why many comprehensive aero clubs, like Sherburn Aero Club, offer monetary incentives to younger people.
Unfortunately, this isn’t the case for older candidates. Older candidates may struggle to find financial assistance unless they can take a loan from an institute or their family.
For example, on average, the cost for a complete CPL training program can range from £50,000 to £80,000 or more. Also, since candidates will start later in life, they will have to spend quite some time hunting for jobs as airline companies usually go for only highly experienced and trained older pilots rather than newly trained older pilots.
But even then, employment, though likely, is not guaranteed. Fresh pilots need to prove their worth and may have to face several challenges before they can even start earning from their training.
Even worse is the fact that you would have a limited time before the age of retirement. So, if you start at 50 and get your licence at 52, you will essentially have about 13 years of service which isn’t significant compared to the potentially 45 years of service that younger pilots have to offer to airlines.
SHERBURN AERO CLUB AND SUCCESS STORIES OF OLDER PILOTS
If you want to become a great pilot, you need to train with the right people! Aviation is an experience-based field that requires hands-on training from veteran instructors.
If you are beginning your aviation journey later in life, we recommend that you go with a comprehensive flight school like Sherburn Aero Club which offers a panel of veteran flight instructors to help you quickly advance through flight training.
Sherburn is proud to have older candidates and the school is known for producing several success stories of pilots who thought that they had passed their prime - only to become successful pilots and even instructors with the help of both faculty and facilities of the aero club.
Sherburn Aero Club also offers an excellent fleet of aircraft. Trust us when we say that you wouldn’t want to fly just one type of light aircraft all your life. If you are starting later in life, then we recommend that you train on as many planes as possible.
However, not every aero club has a dedicated fleet. So, pick a flight school that has a large fleet of new aircraft for the most bang for your buck. Sherburn also offers plenty of auxiliary services like hangarage, and even social amenities like a café, a common area, and much more.
WHY CHOOSE SHERBURN AERO CLUB?
With a large fleet of new aircraft and an airfield refurbishment with new runways, hangars, and an extended clubhouse, Sherburn caters to brand-new flyers who have just started their journey to the skies, as well as seasoned flyers who have been operating aircraft for decades.
If you wish to begin your career in aviation or wish to take to the skies as a hobby, Sherburn’s flight training school offers private and commercial licences, along with pilot medicals to ensure a smooth journey going forward.
Sherburn Aero Club, which has been operational since 1964, is the ideal place for most of your training and flying needs. It is one of the largest flying clubs in the North of England and also one of the largest in the country.
Sherburn offers a dedicated day-long Flight Radiotelephony Operator’s Licence (FRTOL) course for those wishing to get the certification, running the first Sunday of every month.
For those who wish to experience the thrill of a flight for fun or to help fuel their aviation dreams, Sherburn offers experience flights for the newbie, as well as the veteran.
The flight experience option is also available for people who wish to take to the skies for special occasions, even if they aren’t into aviation in the long run.
In addition to that, if you are looking for a hangarage for your aircraft, need servicing or repairs, want to buy a new aircraft or aviation equipment, or are just looking to enjoy and watch the aircraft, Sherburn Aero Club is the place to be.
Call us at 01977 682 674, email us at flightdesk@sherburnaeroclub.com, or message us via our online contact form for more information on how you can enrol for flying lessons!
Photo by Saj Shafique on Unsplash
