Mike D Posted March 20, 2007 Report Share Posted March 20, 2007 I'm 18 at the moment and i'm looking at starting training around October time probably at Mauna Loa on Hawaii for my ppl. I'm from the UK and i'm looking at attending Hillsboro in Oregon to go from ppl to cfii. Anyway to get to the main point. After acheiving cfii will my age be a problem with getting a first job as a cfi? I would've thought a lot of people learning to fly would be a bit dubious when their instructor would be about 19-20 even though you would have the right skills and ability. Would possible employers decide against employing a young pilot just because of their age?cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheLorax Posted March 21, 2007 Report Share Posted March 21, 2007 im in the same boat/helicopter. im 19 and starting school in may. ill be around 21 when all is said and done. from what i understand, all employers should be basing most of their decisions on is certifications and flight hours. good luck! i wish i could be doing school in hawaii... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
klmmarine Posted March 21, 2007 Report Share Posted March 21, 2007 I'm 18 at the moment and i'm looking at starting training around October time probably at Mauna Loa on Hawaii for my ppl. I'm from the UK and i'm looking at attending Hillsboro in Oregon to go from ppl to cfii. Anyway to get to the main point. After acheiving cfii will my age be a problem with getting a first job as a cfi? I would've thought a lot of people learning to fly would be a bit dubious when their instructor would be about 19-20 even though you would have the right skills and ability. Would possible employers decide against employing a young pilot just because of their age?cheers Officially companies aren't allowed to ask how old you are when you interview, in reality it is usually obvious (especially if you look like you are young). You'll have some issues, but if you can show that you are a responsible professional and you can back that up with some skill "usually" people will get over their hesitancy. Yes there are always going to be people that are doubtful, it will be on you to show them different. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spencer Posted March 21, 2007 Report Share Posted March 21, 2007 i havn't noticed anything employer wise, but i have seen some timidness when it comes to clients. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
delorean Posted March 21, 2007 Report Share Posted March 21, 2007 They can ask anything on an interview (age, religion, marital status, whatever), but if you don't get the job, you can claim discrimination even if that didn't remotely have anything to do with it. That's why the lawyers tells HR what they can and can't put on the application forms or ask in interviews. Either way, there's plenty of way to get your age......they'll look at you grad date from high school, they'll require you to show a current state ID, they can get it out of your SSN, they'll look at your medical or pilot's cert, etc. Don't worry about it though. The employers don't care about how old you are. The clients do, but after that first flight they'll be all the more impressed with you and your employer. I started commercial flying and CFI'ing when I was 19, and started flying EMS at 22. I've always looked at least 5 years younger than I really am. I still don't need to shave but once every 3-4 days. The only time it ever cost us some flights was when we used to give rides at county fairs and such. Some people on the fence of taking the ride would decide not to when they saw me. But they'd usually come back when we switched out pilots. In EMS, they don't have a choice so it really doesn't matter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dlo22 Posted March 22, 2007 Report Share Posted March 22, 2007 of course getting a job at 19 as a professional helicopter pilot or instructor may be more difficult than if you were older. Is it impossible, no. YOu should act professional, know what you are talking about and know what you want to do. some employers will overlook you age and some will not. some people will blow smoke up your arse and say that they don't care how old you are, but that is not mostly true. you can get your ppl at 17, so if you were a super whiz, you could also be a cfi 11 ready to work at 17, say you graduated early and you were emancipated or whatever. now would employers frown on you. even if you knew the books front to back and you could land you autorotation on a moving flat bed truck, i still think there would be some hessitancy for the employer to hire you. I mean alot of people, including myself , do not like to be taught by a young, young kid, with the only life experience being taking a dump. but then again, I would never tell you not to do it, cause for the first five employers that laugh in your face, there will be one that says come aboard. It is just going to be harder. When I first started my medical training, at the young age of 21, I got this all of the time,. what 60 year old man, wants some young dumb kid prescribing them heart medication, to help keep them alive. what 50 year old women wants to tell a young kid about her abnormal menstral cycles?????? Yes it will be harder, thats fact. no it is not impossible or even rare these days, thats fact. no you should not pause one more minute before starting, thats fact. one other thing, If you wanna look older for your interview, just shave your pubic hair, apply some elmers glue with blackish food coloring in it, to your face. Paste your short curlies to your face in a symetrical aspect, maybe shave a nice looking goe tee and then put a pair of folded socks in your drawers, and put on a sweat shirt with a muscle man tee shirt over that, walk into the interview, with a your chew ringed pants and talk some business. let the first words that come out of your mouth in the interview be, so when can we get started, would you like me to pre flight the bumble bee???? If they laugh at you, start crying and leave the meeting abrubtly then just wait for the call back..... Cause you got the job?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
franky17 Posted March 22, 2007 Report Share Posted March 22, 2007 Officially companies aren't allowed to ask how old you are when you interview, in reality it is usually obvious (especially if you look like you are young). You'll have some issues, but if you can show that you are a responsible professional and you can back that up with some skill "usually" people will get over their hesitancy. Yes there are always going to be people that are doubtful, it will be on you to show them different. you seem to know what you are talking about... and as we know now adays its not the law the rules us its the insurance companies... so my question being, could us youngins not be hired because of some insurance policy..... I.E. any pilot that flys ABC helicopter must be 21 or over? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
500pilot Posted March 22, 2007 Report Share Posted March 22, 2007 The only problem starting at a young age is getting your ATP. You need to be 23 for that. This can come into affect as some companies require an ATP rating to act as PIC. I'm not sure about the gulf but where I fly we require the captains to have an ATP. Co-pilots can have just a commercial but not many people want to be flying co-pilot for several years. I started young but I never had any problem finding jobs. It was all in how you present yourself and whether you met certain experience minimums. By the time I got my ATP I was already past 23 so the age part no longer mattered. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sparker Posted March 22, 2007 Report Share Posted March 22, 2007 In EMS, they don't have a choice so it really doesn't matter. That made me laugh! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheLorax Posted March 23, 2007 Report Share Posted March 23, 2007 i had no idea of an age requirement for ATP. im 19 and start training in roughly 2 months.. i figure ill be 21 by the time im done. what does an ATP license allow you to do other than instrument combined with commercial? i guess jobs with more risk and skill involved? most likely higher pay. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ADRidge Posted March 23, 2007 Report Share Posted March 23, 2007 and here I was worrying about being a credible CFII at 24. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sactown77 Posted March 30, 2007 Report Share Posted March 30, 2007 i landed my first gig as an instructor at 19 (im now the ripe old age of 20). Employers seem to be fine with hiring young guys. What takes effort is gaining credibility with your 45 yr old students. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
67november Posted March 30, 2007 Report Share Posted March 30, 2007 What takes effort is gaining credibility with your 45 yr old students. Come on son you're going teach me how to fly this thing Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John90290 Posted March 30, 2007 Report Share Posted March 30, 2007 ...... with the only life experience being taking a dump. That's priceless I am totally going to use that phrase this weekend Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sactown77 Posted March 31, 2007 Report Share Posted March 31, 2007 Come on son you're going teach me how to fly this thing Ha! story of my life. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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