Am I too old?

[Sea Monster]

Wouldn't the metal plates hinder you?

I'm not sure what you meant, but I'm having images of the pilot not being allowed on the plane in case he tries to hijack it...

[dks]

That too, but mainly the fact that some people complain of pain with pressure changes.

[Whoey]

I'm a few months older than Grant and kind of contemplating a bit of a career reboot as well, been kinda lost on direction for a while... 

[dks]

The funny thing is that, in Europe, we assume that getting a great job and becoming rich stateside is very easy...

[Grant Lamontagne]

That too, but mainly the fact that some people complain of pain with pressure changes.

The old ones don't have any issues when I fly, other than getting through a metal detector.  I don't know about the new screws though, as I have yet to fly with them.

Def

[derekmac]

From talking with air force pilots, flying a helicopter is a great deal more fun than a fixed wing, but exponentially harder.

You're definitely not too old to get into the field though.  I'd personally recommend going to the Ottawa Flying Club, and taking the Introductory Flight they offer before making any decisions.  http://www.ofc.ca/introflight

Having your apartment here might be good for monthly income, but being far away from it does make it less worthwhile, since you now have to hire someone to do sudden repairs on it.  It might be better to sell it the way it sits, and not have to worry about it.

Knowing how much Megan has worked for, and loves her new job, I don't think it would be fair (IMHO) to ask her to move back to Halifax.  Though it's also not fair to you if you're not happy there, or can't get a job that interests you.  Tough spot to be in!

Selling MT.o?     In all honesty, we all know how hard of a decision that would be for you!  If it came down to that, I'm sure that we could respect that decision, and support and help you through it in any way we could.

As others have said, sit down with Megan, discuss the present, the foreseeable future, and the futures you'd both like to have.

[dks]

[powernoodle]

I'd be looking at dropping between $50,000 and $80,000 over 18-24 months.

Most people change career trajectories with little or no expense.  You can too, depending on how hungry you get.  I say that as an encouragement. 

 

[Grant Lamontagne]

From talking with air force pilots, flying a helicopter is a great deal more fun than a fixed wing, but exponentially harder.

You're definitely not too old to get into the field though.  I'd personally recommend going to the Ottawa Flying Club, and taking the Introductory Flight they offer before making any decisions.  http://www.ofc.ca/introflight

Having your apartment here might be good for monthly income, but being far away from it does make it less worthwhile, since you now have to hire someone to do sudden repairs on it.  It might be better to sell it the way it sits, and not have to worry about it.

Knowing how much Megan has worked for, and loves her new job, I don't think it would be fair (IMHO) to ask her to move back to Halifax.  Though it's also not fair to you if you're not happy there, or can't get a job that interests you.  Tough spot to be in!

Selling MT.o?     In all honesty, we all know how hard of a decision that would be for you!  If it came down to that, I'm sure that we could respect that decision, and support and help you through it in any way we could.

As others have said, sit down with Megan, discuss the present, the foreseeable future, and the futures you'd both like to have.

I've been looking at their intro course.

I have actually flown in both planes and helicopters, and while I haven't flown a helicopter, I have flown a plane.  Honestly, I'd be ok with either.

I have to say, I'm a bit embarrassed to even have shared this much- now if I fail it is going to be that much worse.... 

Def

[powernoodle]

Don't worry - we will make fun of you no matter what happens.

[Grant Lamontagne]

Yeah, I figured that.  But it would be much easier to take if I was in a helicopter when you did.

Def

[Grathr]

Helicopter pilot would be awesome!
It could be smart to get certified by a flight surgeon first, so you dont invest too much in it, only to be grounded by a doctor.

[dks]

sell the Jeep - do you really need it?

[sLaughterMed]

Definitely not too old, especially if this is something you really want to do. I say go for it! Also, hang onto that woman Grant. Hardships are easier with help, and im sure she will help to support you.

No one here would fault you for selling MT.O, but id sell that apartment first, especially since you are no longer in a position to maintenance it yourself.

[Grant Lamontagne]

sell the Jeep - do you really need it?

That has also been on the list.  After all, I have another one as backup.  There's still about $25,000 owing on the green one, which would be $25,000 more I'd have to put against training of some sort.

Def

[Yadda]

The funny thing is that, in Europe, we assume that getting a great job and becoming rich stateside is very easy...

 

Stop, really, just stop..... I can't catch my breath.....

 

[Monrogue]

Don't worry - we will make fun of you no matter what happens.

Haha, I was going to say the same thing after reading the end of his post

Sent from my SM-G920R4 using Tapatalk

[Whoey]

Grant will never be too old for us to make fun of him... 

[Syncop8r]

Helicopter pilot would be awesome!
It could be smart to get certified by a flight surgeon first, so you dont invest too much in it, only to be grounded by a doctor.

We had to obtain a Class 1 Aviation Medical (could be called different things in other countries) before we could sit our course.

You probably already know that helicopter is WAY more expensive than fixed wing?
Man, I wish I had joined the Air Force when I was young... Commercial Pilot Licence for free and they get to fly both fixed and rotary here.

[Aloha]

The funny thing is that, in Europe, we assume that getting a great job and becoming rich stateside is very easy...

 

Stop, really, just stop..... I can't catch my breath.....

 

If only.   

[detron]

I love black Adder,  have watched all of them many times

[ironraven]

Grant, I hope you don't have to sell the club house- under new management it wouldn't be the same. But sometime you have to take a big gamble. You've got 30 years of useful life in you. Well, 25, so long as you don't break yoruself more.

But this is a big outlay of money, and it sounds like you've got to make a decision as to who/what matters to you. But at the same time, if you aren't happy, you pull everyone around you down. So, have you told Megan about this idea? Because if you do this aviation thing and it doesn't work out, you'll be kicking yourself. But if you screw that up, and your relationship, then...

Well, lets just say you don't want to be like me. Trust me.

The funny thing is that, in Europe, we assume that getting a great job and becoming rich stateside is very easy...

I have two degrees in engineering. I got the first one as the dot-com bubble was breaking, laid of three times in six months before settling for retail, then second as the great recession was starting. I'm just barely making hourly what I did at my first job, short lived though it was, in '01. With three times as much for medical, double the rent, etc. I have been defering my student loan repayments for the past few years so I can pay rent. I've been trying to get out of the horrible job that has keeps me alive while making me wish I'd die in my sleep for YEARS, don't have the money to relocate, and for 5 years I've been sending out five to ten job applications every week. It been over a year since my last intervew, and it would have been a 15% pay cut. My dad's factory off shored two years ago, and he hasn't been able to find a real job. My brother is qualified both as a journeyman electrician and plumber, along with being an EMT/Firefighter before he got hurt, and HE can't find a decent job. So yeah, jobs are easy to find in the States.

Real easy to find a job. And get rich. Sure.

And no, I'm not bitter. Just very. Very. Angry.

[Aloha]

Tuff situation Ironraven.  Hoping for big changes for you, bro and pops  .  Keep your head up brother. 

[dks]

In Modern Family etc. everybody is loaded. Even in married with children All Bundy was way better off than most of the Europeans.
Big houses, huge cars with massive engines - even the dukes of hazard had enough money.
Watching youtube, people seem to be fine paying 40, 50k for a pickup truck, expensive knives, huge gardens.. Most people in europe leave in small flats.
Even those leaving in alaska seem well off, despite the area having few resources.
I also know a few people that moved to the states a decade or so ago and are doing very well now.
Even in the forum some people that are not, by american standards, especially well off can still get any tools they like, eg. Saks, or a house or cars with massive engines, easily. So they are way better off than middle class europeans. Even if these are on credit, the fact that you can get credit is impressive. Obviously US/Canada economy has recovered, or has it?

Long post, too early in the morning....

[Yadda]

In Modern Family etc. everybody is loaded. Even in married with children All Bundy was way better off than most of the Europeans.
Big houses, huge cars with massive engines - even the dukes of hazard had enough money.
Watching youtube, people seem to be fine paying 40, 50k for a pickup truck, expensive knives, huge gardens.. Most people in europe leave in small flats.
Even those leaving in alaska seem well off, despite the area having few resources.
I also know a few people that moved to the states a decade or so ago and are doing very well now.
Even in the forum some people that are not, by american standards, especially well off can still get any tools they like, eg. Saks, or a house or cars with massive engines, easily. So they are way better off than middle class europeans. Even if these are on credit, the fact that you can get credit is impressive. Obviously US/Canada economy has recovered, or has it?

Long post, too early in the morning....

Just like many places the US has areas of opulence and other areas of poverty.  Overall we are very lucky.  Opportunity is often the difference. We are a land of opportunity to succeed or fail. 

[dks]

Where is my Green card?? 

[Yadda]

Where is my Green card?? 

Opportunity and standards..... 

Come on over!

[gregozedobe]

Only you can know how important your relationship with Megan is to you.  I know I would hate to be apart from my Christine for any lengthy periods.

I don't know what the employment market is like for pilots in your area, but I would advise caution before taking on a large loan for flight training.  I have seen some issues with a friend of a friend trying to get a job as an airline pilot on large passenger jets.  He spent a lot of money on the training, then got a job flying smaller freight planes.  He did this for many years (with the quite non-family friendly working patterns putting some stress on his marriage).  The problem he had was that as his flying hours mounted up so did his age, so last I heard he was still an airborne truck driver, and never did get to fly the planes he really wanted.

Are there any other careers you might enjoy ?  Being realistic (age, health) I would suggest something where the majority of the labour value comes from your head and your hands (not your back and legs).  Maybe something where you could start off at a low level, then prove your worth to your employer and they will likely help you re-train for the job you really want ?  Many employers have realised it is better to take a good worker to do extra as they can rely on them.

It might be worth going to a good (professional) career guidance adviser, as they might suggest something you would never have thought of.

[ironraven]

In Modern Family etc. everybody is loaded. Even in married with children All Bundy was way better off than most of the Europeans.

I've been sitting on this reply for a few days. So I'm going to leave it at "try watching less television".

[dks]

That is why I gave examples from the forum and people I know.
Maybe a couple of people in the states/Canada are not that rich but the rest are loaded.

All Bundy (and dukes ..) was portrayed as the poorest american possible. Modern family is supposed to be a typical US family. Dallas, Beverly hills etc. series were focused on the wealthy, so I did not mention them.

Unless you are making at least 200k a year and have a big house you must be missing some great opportunities, in the US. The american dream.

Healthcare, huge houses, huge cars (in Europe a 2l car is considered a large engined car and a Toyota hilux is considered big), lots of land, cheap guns, knives, electronics, food, cigsrs, lots of jobs, money everywhere.....