60-Year-Old Becomes Airline Pilot: How it's Done and Why it's Never Too Late // #95

[@jasonjohnston94]

52 years old and scheduled to solo tomorrow. This gives me hope.

[@Flying81]

Good Luck!

[@pr0jektcha0s]

Congrats! I’m 50 and about to take Checkride. 😊

[@swolenation8550]

You got this Jason

[@willmcsweeney7101]

Happy solo!

[@hjr2000]

Go for it!!

[@colonslash6609]

Yo! That's my cousin Adam! Great guy, Navy vet, family man.

[@gweaver]

I’m still a sim instructor at 74 after a 35 yr airline career. There’s always a door open somewhere!

[@ProPilotPlaybook]

It's amazing to see the passion for aviation never fades!

[@anand-menon]

This is JUST the episode that deserves a million views.Thanks Mike and Shawn

[@ProPilotPlaybook]

We couldn't agree more! Thanks for the great comment

[@fredcanavan3864]

I joined the airlines at 61-1/2.

[@patshozo9158]

What an inspiration ! Just started training at age 61. Just got class 3 medical, online ground school, community college flight club, and private flight instruction in Piper PA28.

[@damaciogamez4899]

As a future career 2.0 pilot, this makes me feel better about my chances.

[@aviatorsyed]

Career 2.0 guy here. I’ll be 50 years old next year and working towards my IFR.

[@ahetzel9054]

I'm only 31 and just starting my private pilot journey but this was super insightful! I really appreciate you speaking with this older gentleman.

[@ProPilotPlaybook]

Thanks for watching! Great to hear you're starting your private pilot journey!

[@Nghilifa]

This is very inspiring! I'm turning 36 this year, well on my way to finish my CPL. Thank you for sharing!

[@edwardrichardson5567]

This gives me a lot of Hope. I graduated out of FlightSafety back in 1996 with a Commercial Multi/ Instrument. I was 20 and now turning 49 and haven't flown since. How can I work my way to the Airlines or Corporate Jets? I really have an absolute passion for Aviation..

[@luisdelarosa4834]

Very inspiring. Go for it Adam

[@BenjaminWiggins-u2k]

Thanks for sharing this type of content !

[@ProPilotPlaybook]

You're welcome! It's inspiring to see people pursue their dreams, no matter their age.

[@matteogeem896]

It is great to see fellow veterans achieve the goal! Congratulations! I am an Army pilot retiring in May next year (I am 53 years old) and will begin an internship to build 250 airplane PIC hours. I have 102.5 airplane PIC, 39.6 ME, and 172.5 airplane hours, for a total of 2303 hours, including a helicopter (I have FAA Commercial ASEL, AMEL, Helicopter, and Instrument Ratings). 147.5 airplane PIC hours to apply airlines. Thanks for sharing your story. It motivates a lot of us young people!

[@ProPilotPlaybook]

It sounds like you're well on your way to making your dream a reality! Keep it up, you've got this.

[@matteogeem896]

@ Thanks, and I will keep you posted!

[@PatrickDuffy-u3s]

Getting my sport pilot license at age 60.

[@benh2134]

Awesome episode! Thanks fellas Ben

[@ProPilotPlaybook]

We're glad you enjoyed it, Ben!

[@AnthonyWeisler]

Awesome episode!

[@melissaaustin8877]

Great info and so inspiring to those of us soon approaching 50! Becoming an airline pilot has been my dream since I was 14 years old. I don't have the luxury of going to a fast-paced school, so this interview gives me so much hope to finish, get hired, and still have a decently long career. Thank you for this!!🙌🏻💯

[@ProPilotPlaybook]

You’ve got this! We’re so glad it inspires you.

[@micclay]

Thanks for coming on Adam. I enjoyed the talk. I hope you're able to do this as long as you want. I'd hit you up for instrument training if I were in your area.

[@ProPilotPlaybook]

It was a pleasure having Adam on the show, and hopefully he'll be flying for a long time to come!

[@swolenation8550]

What a great motivational video, another great content. Great job Adam

[@scottyscott9965]

Fellas, it’s much easier for to listen the episodes on Spotify is my choice, rather than watching them. Not sure if they are not getting uploaded or my service is janky. Thank you for the shows and the interviews, it’s alway nice to get more points of views.

[@russell9304]

Very inspiring..

[@Dragonred88]

great video fellas, i highly recommend you do a follow up with him once hes flying with skywest

[@ProPilotPlaybook]

Great suggestion!

[@Jarhed1964]

Turning 60 next week. Have been tossing a PPL around in my mind for the past three weeks (current MSFS Junkie). I don't need an airline, I'd rather fly freight anyway, but the allure of flying my favorite (B777) is delicious! Flying Corporate a possibility for me?

[@thehowtostudios1980]

i think you need an atp for cargo as well but not for corporate. get that private pilots license never too late for that

[@Jarhed1964]

@thehowtostudios1980 thanks! Yeah, I was watching some vids and it appears that an ATP with commercial is still going to require retirement at 65.

[@r4v3nous31]

That gray hair will be a benefit on the job

[@realestateoscarbarragan]

The bug never goes away

[@trent_dyrsmid]

Way to go Adam!!! Have they given you a class date? I got my CJO (at 54!) last June and don’t yet have a class date.

[@aglaysh]

Thanks! I don’t have class date yet. Hoping for second qtr. but really no idea officially.

[@Tom_in_CA]

I just turned 60. Decided to go get a Sport Pilot license. My pre-solo stage check was supposed to be today, scrubbed for weather, hope to solo this coming week.

[@ProPilotPlaybook]

Awesome! You've got this. Good luck with your solo!

[@adamkorekach9936]

Let’s Go!

[@afihaileywibowo1095]

This gives me hope too. I'm a 50 yrs old

[@mikep9604]

For example, some years ago a 47 years old person completed his pilot training and started his career as an airline pilot in the UK.

[@TheCaioKyleBraga]

Great video. Have a similar background in sales including selling aircraft. Always debated about becoming a CFI and now working towards this rating. Teaching others is a special skill. And if you are good at it, you live off of it. It's all about customer service. And the golden rule of sales: people buy people first!

[@ProPilotPlaybook]

It sounds like you've got the right mindset for it!

[@gromm93]

I'm 49, and so far, my greatest aspiration is to simply get paid to fly. Being a FI sounds fine to me, although I'm sure that I'll move on to something else for better pay for a couple years before I have to go back to that at 65. In the meantime, my wife is complaining that she'll likely never retire if I have to cash in all my RRSPs to get into this.

[@brandtbecker1810]

Lord! Never knew Bellefontaine, Ohio even had an airport. (I was born in Sidney, just 20 miles to the west). I currently live in Topeka, KS and am looking at starting training at a brand-new flight school at Billard Airport here (Topeka).

[@ProPilotPlaybook]

It's awesome to see you're pursuing your passion for flying! Best of luck with your training in Topeka.

[@iceman21pwk]

I love the shirt Adam!

[@strumminandwrenchin9162]

I'm 35 just join the USAF Reserve as a junior enlisted E-3 training to be a C-17 crew chief. It may not be directly pilot related but its a damn good foundation towards becoming a pilot for the airlines.

[@ljthirtyfiver]

Damn didn’t know you could join at that age . Sometimes I wish I could do it and get another skill via guard/reserves. Get all you can outta them

[@strumminandwrenchin9162]

@ yes as of today, the USAF has upped its age limit to 42 for non prior service applicants in the enlisted side for active/reserve national guard. Age 48 for commissioned officers in special positions such as medical and chaplain.

[@Hedgeflexlfz]

Even if you can log it, no future employer cares if you logged dual received in a citation

[@gregorytaylorbowman4661]

Awesome, Shawn and Mike, This is all 36 flavors in one. Prefect for my 55 year old crusty barnacle ridden boat!!! Super inspiring coming through my training like you know I had this summer ☀️ And at 60!!!! Wow there's hope our there. Great stuff keep em coming!!!

[@ProPilotPlaybook]

Glad it was inspiring! It's never too late to chase your dreams!

[@miamirules101]

Flying rocks!!! It doesn’t matter how old you are.

[@n7155a]

Did you have to sign a 5yr training contract

[@saulgood2548]

This is a great story.

[@Jon.......]

You'd think they'd treat pilots like they do many parts of the plane. It's called "on condition". After 65, they should just allow senior pilots to get medicals every 3 months instead of 6. As long as they meet the standards, they should be able to fly until age 70. For those concerned, they can always create a restriction, such as never having 2 pilots over age 60 or 65 in the cockpit.

[@ProPilotPlaybook]

It's a great idea! I think those are very important things to think about.

[@flyerkg436]

Live by the gouge - Die by the gouge

[@ismaelmasso6662]

That is admirable. I live in Europe/UK, changing careers to aviation here later in life feels almost impossible.😑

[@flyerkg436]

Definitely Navy "Gouge"

[@danielreuter2565]

But did he sign the training contract??

[@aglaysh]

Yes I did 😊

[@danielreuter2565]

@aglaysh great thanks for sharing

[@AviatorAngela]

I am rolling my eyes at those 35 year olds :P

[@onethousandtwonortheast8848]

53. If I was single, I’d be all Over this like white-on-rice.

[@thehowtostudios1980]

65.5 wouldnt be much of an improvement to the age restriction

[@clarkgriswold-zr5sb]

Age restrictions on any two-pilot flying is rediculous.

[@Cbow406]

Right. I never really thought about it like that. 2 pilots randomly dying is extremely unlikely lol

[@AviatorAngela]

Tell him I'll be his honorary daughter :P

[@topofthegreen]

the retirement age will always be 65 for all pilots, that is written in stone. this guy has 5 years left to fly for a living, he wont even have any retirement benefits.im 61 and i would never wast all of that small fortune on flight trading this late in the game.

[@ltthetruckerable]

He can fly corporate after the airlines.

[@thelastboomer9088]

Never say always and never say never. The age was raised from 60 to 65 in 2007, granted, this still met ICAO standards but no reason an age 67 Part 121 pilot couldn’t solely be assigned domestic routes, easy enough with scheduling software. It’s more of a union issue than an age/safety issue.

[@Hedgeflexlfz]

It is too late to have a good career

[@dougbankhead1566]

Perhaps, but as someone else who's also pursuing the later in life career change I've learnrd it is probably better to pursue and possibly fail at something you love than to stay rooted and "succeed" at something that's making you miserable.

[@clarkgriswold-zr5sb]

What's a good career?? Working 30 years at Eastern, Braniff, Pan Am and loosing it all (job and retirement)??? Pilots today have no clue of how relatively cushy they have it. As for flying 5-7 years, so what? This guy was coming up when I did. 5,000-6,000 hours to get on with a major. 9/11 flushed everything for years. It's all relative.

[@Hedgeflexlfz]

@ A good career is one that will provide good QOL and schedule. You won’t have it starting at age 50-60

[@shawnbaum1125]

How's about the guys just fucking happy! People always try to fund the neg