Can I still be a commercial pilot?

Question

Hi!

I am a 33-year old male with an Engineering degree and short-sighted.

Can I still be trained and be a commercial pilot with a major airline?

Thanks.

Answer 1

Yes, you can be a commercial pilot. You can also work for all of the airlines, assuming your vision is correctable to First Class Medical standards. Basically 20/20.

You will start as a flight instructor, then fly for a regional, and then after about 5 years or so you will have the required hours to apply to a major airline. So from the start of your flight training until you are at a major could be up to 7 or 8 years, possibly even more depending on how quickly you learn and what the market conditions are like for the airlines.

Good luck.

Answer 2

Hey bud I am sorry to tell you this but you don't have a chance of flying for a major carrier.You are 2 years from being over the hill for new recruits.I wish I could tell you how hard and rocky the road is to a turbine job it is not worth the effort.I can give you this advice though fly for fun, live it, taste it. I wish I never got my Commercial ticket I miss the Private Pilot times. The money sucks too so don't let anybody lie to you and tell you that you have a chance.Every plane that flies over your head is being flown by a Pilot and most of them live on Cheerios. Go to your local F.B.O. and talk to some of the other Commercial Pilots and see what they have to say. Warning don't talk to Flight Instructors they will feed your head with crap. Actually talk to the instructors and ask them why they are not flying turbines. There are thousands of fully trained and rated Pilots with 10,000 plus hours of heavy turbine time that are out of work so do your homework

Answer 3

Don't talk to Embry-Riddle, you already have a degree that's more valuable than some psuedo-aviation "basketweaving" degree.

You should probably consider whether you can afford to make a career switch at this point in your life, considering pay scales are low for the first few years at an airline. With the age 60 rule in place you could still have a 20-25 year career with an airline. if it's a passion of yours, go for it! Join AOPA or EAA, read everything you can and talk to pilots at your local airport.

Answer 4

there is other people your age training so you are not alone
if you are seriously interested get a class one medical you will need to do it anyway first hurdle

do test aptitude your self professionally the airlines may do it to you and the training can difficult

you do need colour vision though and you vision must be completely corrected with glasses or contact lenses

technically you don't need an atpl but the airlines arent going to hire you without a frozen atpl (cpl instrument rating and atpl ground exams) for an atpl you also need 1500 hours flight time

good luck any way

Answer 5

Yes if lenses will correct your vision, but commercial pilot just means you can earn money flying . you will need an air transport license to fly for an airline

Answer 6

Short-sighted might be a problem, but I'd say if you're vision is at leat 20/40 with corrective lenses, you'll be okay (that's the DOTs minimum requirement). Your age shouldn't be a factor yet. If you want to do it, go for it! Good luck!

Answer 7

Contact Embry Riddle University and talk to one of the admissions people. Or ask a pilot next time you're on a flight.

Answer 8

As long as you have a correctable vision to FAA standards, sure can. Go to the FAA website to find qualification standards. Hope this helps