42 yo student pilot, saying hello

G

G0rillacake

Filing Flight Plan
Joined
Oct 14, 2026
Messages
6
Display Name
Mnurick
Hi all. I’m taking a career break to finally get my PPL after dreaming about it for 30 years. I don’t know if this is a career shift yet or not, but 30 hours in, I’m having the time of my life.

That was until my solo got blocked in August thanks to an SSRI path 1 deferral. I wish there was more transparency on timeline. But I “preflighted” my medical, so hopefully that’s enough to get me back in the air before I’m forced to put this dream on hold again.

Open to any advice, or simply say hello and tell me your student stories!
 
Flying is great. Great people, great experiences, all the things. But do take it seriously. Three are plenty of ways it can go wrong in a hurry.
 
Hello! While you can't solo without a 3rd class, you can still fly with a CFI to keep from getting rusty. Knock out those hours needed for night flying, 3 hours on instruments, etc.
 
Welcome! I’m sure it will work out as it should, but OKC can be infuriatingly slow at times. You could use the down time to work on your ground school and test. For students who are not on top of the timelines, it can be frustrating to get the hours and be ready for the flight examination, but not have the written out of the way.

Just so you know, since you brought up a medical issue, there is a forum here dedicated to medical issues, and, unlike this thread, it is completely anonymous. It allows a pilot to be more candid without fear of OKC getting wind of an issue. The number one rule in dealing with the FAA is to be honest, but the second rule is to know the answer to any question before you ask it. Third is never say more than what is required.

That applies to your practical oral as well. Answer the questions asked of you, but don’t sink yourself by going into so much detail you get wrapped around the axle and say something that is just outright wrong.
 
Here is the best AME to navigate a deferral path:
www.aeromedicaldoc.com

Aeromedicaldoc

Difficult Aviation Medical Certification Bruce Chien AME HIMS ADV Senior Peoria
www.aeromedicaldoc.com

I would not try to navigate an SSRI deferral myself or with a run-of-the-mill AME. The FAA considers depression and other psychiatric conditions VERY seriously.
 
Thank you all for the warm welcome and advice! Excited to be a part of this special community.
 
Good for you! I'm a little envious :D. I'm 42 and have about 25 hours but haven't flown in years. Two small kids, work, and other hobbies have kept me out of the air. My 2027 goal is to get the written knocked out and that will motivate me to get back in the air 2 days per week. Good luck and keep us posted!
 
jmn107 said:
Good for you! I'm a little envious :D. I'm 42 and have about 25 hours but haven't flown in years. Two small kids, work, and other hobbies have kept me out of the air. My 2027 goal is to get the written knocked out and that will motivate me to get back in the air 2 days per week. Good luck and keep us posted!
Click to expand...
Thank you! Will do. Sounds like we’re in the same boat: 42, few dozen hours, two kids. Work is what I left behind to finally get time to train! 2027 will be our year, brother.
 
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