Too old?

FlySince9

FlySince9

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Huntersville, NC
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Display name:
Jerry
I'm sick and tired of cancelling flights because of benign IMC conditions... Yesterday was the last straw... I was scheduled for a Pilots for Paws ride and weather was great to the north. I was going to make a quick 30 min flight south to pick up the dog but it was Marginal and would be IMC by the time I got airborne with the dog, so I had to cancel... I'm VFR with about 500 hours and now I am seriously thinking about starting IR training... My question is whether or not 63 is a little long in the tooth to embark on it... So I'm interested in hearing from guys & gals that completed the IR training later in life...
 
FlySince9 said:
I'm sick and tired of cancelling flights because of benign IMC conditions... Yesterday was the last straw... I was scheduled for a Pilots for Paws ride and weather was great to the north. I was going to make a quick 30 min flight south to pick up the dog but it was Marginal and would be IMC by the time I got airborne with the dog, so I had to cancel... I'm VFR with about 500 hours and now I am seriously thinking about starting IR training... My question is whether or not 63 is a little long in the tooth to embark on it... So I'm interested in hearing from guys & gals that completed the IR training later in life...
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Nope, I've trained folks your age and older. A good pilot is always learning; you'll just happen to have a new rating to work towards.
 
It's a tough rating in that there's a lot of new and different (from VFR) material you have to learn. But there is so much available to help you (videos, books, online etc) that your age would not be a factor. Oh yeah, almost forgot POA where you'll get lots of great advice, and lousy advice too. It will make you a safer pilot and make those marginal VFR days a thing of the past, well most of the time anyway.
 
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FlySince9 said:
I'm sick and tired of cancelling flights because of benign IMC conditions... Yesterday was the last straw... I was scheduled for a Pilots for Paws ride and weather was great to the north. I was going to make a quick 30 min flight south to pick up the dog but it was Marginal and would be IMC by the time I got airborne with the dog, so I had to cancel... I'm VFR with about 500 hours and now I am seriously thinking about starting IR training... My question is whether or not 63 is a little long in the tooth to embark on it... So I'm interested in hearing from guys & gals that completed the IR training later in life...
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I got my IR immediately after my PPL, so I don't qualify in that respect. But I did get my helicopter and glider ratings decades later, and they were a blast, both theory and practice. I think your age won't be a factor, but your specific personality and motivation might. If you love learning and enjoy being a kid with new toys, then the sky (or soup) is the limit, at any age.
 
FlySince9 said:
I'm sick and tired of cancelling flights because of benign IMC conditions... Yesterday was the last straw... I was scheduled for a Pilots for Paws ride and weather was great to the north. I was going to make a quick 30 min flight south to pick up the dog but it was Marginal and would be IMC by the time I got airborne with the dog, so I had to cancel... I'm VFR with about 500 hours and now I am seriously thinking about starting IR training... My question is whether or not 63 is a little long in the tooth to embark on it... So I'm interested in hearing from guys & gals that completed the IR training later in life...
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You're only as old as you believe yourself to be.
 
paflyer said:
You're only as old as you believe yourself to be.
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"How old would you be, if you didn't know how old you was?" - Satchel Paige

I don't doubt that there are some people for whom 63 would be too old to get the rating, but then, there are people for whom 25 would be too old as well. Give it a shot, see how it goes, and let us know how it works out.
 
No. I know people in their 80s who are younger than people I know in their 20s. You're as old as you choose to be. I have a friend who is 83 years old, still actively flies aerobatics. You could still have 20+ good years of flying ahead of you. Get your instrument ratinf if you want it.
 
First: thank you for flying pups! (maybe we'll co-operate on a long-range mission sometime)

Second: no, you are not too old until you convince yourself that you are. So don't do that. :)
You exhibit good judgement, you can fly an airplane fine and most of all, you have a lot of flying under your belt so adding instruments to the mix should be no big deal.
IMHO, the two hard things about IR are discipline in the cockpit and all the new regulations you need to learn. Other than that, it's just flying. Take a lesson or two under the hood and if you enjoy them, I say jump in and have fun! (my IR training was a lot of awesome fun, just like my primary)
 
Not at all.

But it's a very procedural rating with lots of firehose drinking in the beginning - a lot to take in. I have very bad memory, and no capability to even retain mnemonics, so for me it took a lot of effort until it clicked. Once it clicked, it's easy.

I did an intensive 11-day course in my own plane through PIC. I would recommend that if you have bad memory, as the daily cramming helps keep it front of mind. If you do an hour here and an hour there (which I also tried before), I guarantee you it will take forever. Do it quick, cram and get it over with.
 
Go for the rating. To paraphrase an old saw: You don't stop learning because you are old. You get old because you stop learning.
 
Not too old. Someone posted photo of 83 year old lady who flies aerobatics in her Decathlon on another forum a couple days ago.
 
As said, you're as old as you let yourself be.

I took an instrument ground school at a local community college for free, a benefit of geezerhood. Once you get that out of the way, then learning to communicate and fly in the system and IMC just takes concentration and practice.

Cheers
 
Don't have experience as a student but do as an instructor. I say go for it and have fun. You'll know very quickly if you're up to the challenge. Your age will have very little to do with how you perform.
 
The oldest student I had was 75 and she went for Commercial & Instrument. Took her about 4 months and did both check rides on the same day. She just wanted the Comm. for bragging rights but she did use the Instr.
 
FlySince9 said:
I'm sick and tired of cancelling flights because of benign IMC conditions... Yesterday was the last straw... I was scheduled for a Pilots for Paws ride and weather was great to the north. I was going to make a quick 30 min flight south to pick up the dog but it was Marginal and would be IMC by the time I got airborne with the dog, so I had to cancel... I'm VFR with about 500 hours and now I am seriously thinking about starting IR training... My question is whether or not 63 is a little long in the tooth to embark on it... So I'm interested in hearing from guys & gals that completed the IR training later in life...
Click to expand...
I agree, go for it . Getting your instrument rating or even training for the rating should only make you a better and safer pilot...Good Luck
 
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