I might be insane!

[Topofthegreen]

They keep saying there is a pilot shortage, and even more so in the helicopter industry, well im pushing 60 and want to get into helicopters, im in great health, I bike ride to work and I sling boxes at Amazon. I think im way too old to get into helicopters as its a young mans game and I’d be close to 70 by the time i would have enough hours to get a job, but my inner child wont shut up about this helicopter thing. I think age will be a serious problem what do you think?

[Disguise Delimit]

Get your medical done first, it might surprise you.

 

I had one student who was in his middle 60s, and his short-term memory was a problem. He does something which needs correction and a re-demo, he then does it once correctly, but 10 minutes later he has forgotten how to do it.

 

Situational awareness requires memory - if you don't remember what worked properly last time, you will make the wrong decision next time. You need to remember what the approach angle looks like, what the auto glide distance looks like, how to control RRPM in an auto turn, and so on.

[helonorth]

10 hours ago, Disguise Delimit said:

Get your medical done first, it might surprise you.

 

I had one student who was in his middle 60s, and his short-term memory was a problem. He does something which needs correction and a re-demo, he then does it once correctly, but 10 minutes later he has forgotten how to do it.

 

Situational awareness requires memory - if you don't remember what worked properly last time, you will make the wrong decision next time. You need to remember what the approach angle looks like, what the auto glide distance looks like, how to control RRPM in an auto turn, and so on.

Yeah, dementia could be a problem as you'll need to remember how to fly a helicopter. 😂 

[Hand_Grenade_Pilot]

On 10/25/2022 at 7:29 PM, Topofthegreen said:

They keep saying there is a pilot shortage, and even more so in the helicopter industry, well im pushing 60 and want to get into helicopters, im in great health, I bike ride to work and I sling boxes at Amazon. I think im way too old to get into helicopters as its a young mans game and I’d be close to 70 by the time i would have enough hours to get a job, but my inner child wont shut up about this helicopter thing. I think age will be a serious problem what do you think?

You’re past the point of this being a viable career option.

However, recreational flying is still a realistic goal. There are a couple possibilities here.

I’d recommend fixed wing over rotary. Planes are easier to fly, much cheaper to operate, and more accessible. Volunteering with an organization like CAP (Civil Air Patrol) also provides a means of getting free flight time and the opportunity to participate in searching for overdue aircraft and intercepting exercises with the Air Force. 

If you’re determined to fly helicopters, you can pursue it as a supervised hobby. I had a couple of students who recognized that getting certified as a private pilot wasn’t going to happen (either due to a lack of free time or finances). They would only fly once or twice a month, and were content with  always flying with an instructor keeping them safe. It wasn’t enough training to get them solo, but they were still able to have a lot of fun planning out flights over places of interest and flying the helicopter under supervision.

Just food for thought. Aviation is an incredible experience… whether it be in planes, helicopters, gliders or a balloon; if it interests you, don’t be afraid to pursue it in whatever capacity you can.

Edited November 12, 2022 by Hand_Grenade_Pilot

[KevO]

On 11/12/2022 at 8:49 AM, Hand_Grenade_Pilot said:

You’re past the point of this being a viable career option.

However, recreational flying is still a realistic goal. There are a couple possibilities here.

I’d recommend fixed wing over rotary. Planes are easier to fly, much cheaper to operate, and more accessible. Volunteering with an organization like CAP (Civil Air Patrol) also provides a means of getting free flight time and the opportunity to participate in searching for overdue aircraft and intercepting exercises with the Air Force. 

If you’re determined to fly helicopters, you can pursue it as a supervised hobby. I had a couple of students who recognized that getting certified as a private pilot wasn’t going to happen (either due to a lack of free time or finances). They would only fly once or twice a month, and were content with  always flying with an instructor keeping them safe. It wasn’t enough training to get them solo, but they were still able to have a lot of fun planning out flights over places of interest and flying the helicopter under supervision.

Just food for thought. Aviation is an incredible experience… whether it be in planes, helicopters, gliders or a balloon; if it interests you, don’t be afraid to pursue it in whatever capacity you can.

What great advice! In all the threads all over the internet that I've read, I've never even heard someone mention that option. ALSO a great marketing angle! I was a professional AdCopy writer for years... (just raw not polished but)

"Want to fly helicopters? Don't have the time or money to pursue it for a career? NO PROBLEM, come fly with us, we'll get you in the air and go anywhere you want"... 

As opposed to trying to sell the investigating the career flight or selling instruction where you have to go through certain skill training to get them qualified. If their desire is just to get up and hold the collective+cyclic and maybe learn a little bit, what a great angle. Also, they could still log training hours if you actually do some training and they get the Medical... 

Anyway, great perspective.