How Old is Too Old?

Yes, I am a pilot, but I don't want to leave the wrong impression. I don't fly the big ones, just small aircraft for my own pleasure. One thing that is real interesting about todays flying prefession though is that a new pilot, just out of flight training with hundreds of hours of flying, several years and $50,000+ of schooling, still will only make about $30,000 year for several years as he enters the airline industry flying regional carriers such as Delta Express. About the same as many truckers just starting out their career. You would think pilots would make much more than that with all the training and responsibilities they carry. Then again, a truck driver is responsible for driving an 80,000 lb missle out on the road safely daily in all kinds of road and weather conditions and occupied by every kind of 4-wheeler driver you can imagine.

 

There probably isnt at that. But they might look at it as:

How often will another pilot pull in front of another plane and hit the "brakes"?

How often will another pilot fly his plane under another plane trying to kill themselves? (Which I had happen to me in '05, but it wasnt a plane, it was a S-10 Blazer)

How many pilots try to have head-on collisions?

How many instances of FWI (Flying while intoxicated)?

See where I'm tryin to go with this? Personally I think a pilot would be a good driver, but after experiencing some pretty stupid trucking company logic, I wouldnt put it past them to think like that.

 

That's true. The saying is, "There are lots of old pilots and there are lots of bold pilots but there are very few old bold pilots"

 

Heh, there you go, injecting logic

 

LOL...but it isnt mine though. Mine says let him drive.

 

How old is too old?

I'd say 92 is too old. To be honest I'd have to be reluctant to hire drivers in their 80s as well.


Seriously I believe employers would consider a guy at 70 if he's been doing OTR for a number of years and has a decent record and shown he's up to it. Hiring a 70 yr old student driver with no experience would be a much harder sell.
For a newbie driver I'd say your chances are decent if you're 62 or younger.

 

60 is NOT too old to drive. In the school I went to, there was a gentleman that was in 2 classes before mine that was 67 and had gotten on with Marten.

Just so ya know..........Gordon will NOT hire any new grads outta WA. We had one of their recruiters at our school (Portland, OR) that was only interested in the OR drivers. He told the WA drivers to get 3-6 mos exp and give him a call. Something about a lawsuit against Gordon by a recent WA grad that got them into trouble and now they won't hire us.

 

That's interesting about Gordon. I do have a personal contact there but haven't talked to him yet so I will and see what he says. What school did you attend in Portland and what was its fees? I plan to do the Community College deal if and when I do this.

Thanks! All of you that have responded. I do appreciate the information and am continuing to look for any more advice that might be added.

 

I went to Elite Truck School in Hillsboro, OR. Fees were $3,450.00 plus expenses for permit and testing and all. It is a pretty decent school. I liked the instructors, they have a good method of teaching. Equipment is a bit old, but for learning, it sufficed.

Good luck with your endeavors.

BTW, I get out to Mossyrock every year for camping on Riffe Lake, been doing it in July for the last 10yrs or so. We stay at Riffe Lake Camp Grounds there, the private camp, not the state run one. Have a blast and absolutely love the lake for it's fishing and fun. We usually attend the rod run and such. I have a 58 Studebaker P/U that I hope to bring out one of these days. Maybe catch ya out there.

 

We may have met each other then if you have attended the Dam Rod Run. I am one of the park supervisors that runs Mossyrock Park. It is actually owned by the City of Tacoma (not Washington State Parks).

Are you currently driving and if so with who?