Anyone got bitten by the aviation bug much later in life?

N918KT

N918KT

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Just wondering, did any of you got bitten by the aviation bug and fell in love with aviation much later in life? Like in your 50's and above?

It seems that we hear plenty of people who fell in love with aviation when they were a little child or teenagers, but not too much of adults who are late to the game.

I'm not talking about having the dream ever since you were a child, but did not started learning to fly until much later in life. I am talking about adults who were not interested in aviation as a child, and decided to give aviation a try one day much later in their life.
 
I've been in love with aviation all my life but could never afford to do a whole lot about it until the age of 62. I took lessons at 40, but couldn't afford to buy an airplane and get serious until 62.

Why do you ask?
 
Started flying at twenty one,looking for a career. Stopped for about twenty years,then went to sun n fun and the bug bit me. Bought an airplane got a lot of ratings,now fly a couple of days a week.
 
Always wanted to fly; just started at 52. Hope to get PPL by 60. :p
 
Started at 48. Just turned 49 and should get my ticket in the next month or so. I look forward to many years of flying.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
I think that most people who get into it that late have probably been containing a smoldering inner passion from early on but "life" always seemed to get in the way. The financial barrier to getting into aviation can be substantial for one thing and I see little, if any, promotional programs that would entice an older person into it.

Not to say there isn't anyone out there...
 
Flew w my dad back in 70s out of San Carlos in Bay Area. Went up and down coast a bunch--Baja to BC. He went through a mooney, turbo 210 then Comanche N8601P. I never liked it much. Too noisy without headsets. Never seemed like my dad was completely comfortable. Should have been flying something like a C150!

Got the bug a few years ago on moving to Yakima, WA. My office is across from CubCrafters and watching those birds all day got the seed planted. 65 hrs into training; almost ready for checkride. Completely addicted at age 57.
 
Never had flown in a small plane. Two years ago I was sent by my job to a meeting on a charter flight, on Cessna 421. Only empty seat was the co-pilot right seat. Pilot leant me a headset and explained what he was doing. When I got home I signed up for flight training and got my PPL five months later. I was 54 when I started. Purchased my own plane last year. Love every minute in the air.
 
I started in my late 30's, bought my first plane, a Cherokee 140 at 39, and upgraded to an RV-6 at 50.
 
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Well, I did in my 40s.

Never thought much about flying until I started calculating performance for a 747. Then, I had to check it out.
 
I started in my in my 50s.
My father was a test pilot and I wanted to go a different way.
I was badly injured in a motorcycle accident at Bonneville at a little over 300 miles per hour. I lost an eye and a lot of cognitive ability.
My neurologist reminded me that head injuries are cumulative so I needed to find another hobby.
I tried helicopters but my lack of depth perception made autorotation to the ground difficult and made another head injury seem likely.
After working with the FAA for two years I took a demonstrated ability medical check ride in a gyroplane and bought a two place open tandem gyroplane. It became my motorcycle in the sky.
I was 59 when I passed the practical test for my private pilot, rotorcraft, gyroplane certificate and 65 when I passed the test for my commercial gyroplane certificate.
I am working on becoming a certified flight instructor.
I have found more joy in being a pilot than I ever imagined.
Each flight is a unique magical adventure for me.
 

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Vance Breese said:
I started in my in my 50s.
My father was a test pilot and I wanted to go a different way.
I was badly injured in a motorcycle accident at Bonneville at a little over 300 miles per hour. I lost an eye and a lot of cognitive ability.
My neurologist reminded me that head injuries are cumulative so I needed to find another hobby.
I tried helicopters but my lack of depth perception made autorotation to the ground difficult and made another head injury seem likely.
After working with the FAA for two years I took a demonstrated ability medical check ride in a gyroplane and bought a two place open tandem gyroplane. It became my motorcycle in the sky.
I was 59 when I passed the practical test for my private pilot, rotorcraft, gyroplane certificate and 65 when I passed the test for my commercial gyroplane certificate.
I am working on becoming a certified flight instructor.
I have found more joy in being a pilot than I ever imagined.
Each flight is a unique magical adventure for me.
Click to expand...


Wow. Amazing perseverance.
 
Didn't get serious about PPL until about 57 years old. Always loved flying. My dad used to take us to air shows and were always parking at the end of runways, watching the planes. 'Took a couple of stabs at ground school, but always eventually realized I didn't have the $$$ to really do it. After a couple of flying adventures with pilot/friends, I was hooked. Got the wife's blessing and finished up in about 9 months.
My only regret... not doing it much sooner!
 
Got my A&P at forty when I discovered that working on airplanes was easier than fixing cement trucks. :D
 
I'm 53 and just started a month ago. I live in a flying community and decided to buy a Piper Archer II a month ago. Bought it and am training with a neighbor that is a CFI (being this is a flying community, we have quite a few CFI's here.)
 
I'm an outlier- didn't have much interest until I realized my husband and I could actually afford a plane! Then I got going. Two years ago I did my PPL in 6 months at age 57, and now starting on my IR.

I'm definitely hooked now!
 
I already weighed in, but as an additional comment:

I think that it MIGHT be that those who grew up in the fifties, sixties, or even earlier, might be more apt to be enthused about aviation than many younger people. Younger people are exposed to many different and interesting things than were available when I grew up. There seem to be many more interests that catch the attention of young folks today than in the stone age when I grew up.
 
Just started at 44.. about 12 hours in. Wish I could get to more lessons but CFI only limited availability. Can't wait to get my plane and log some hours. I have more places I want to visit/fly to than I can probably afford. I think the dreaming on the ground is worth the price of admission.
 
Silvaire said:
I think that most people who get into it that late have probably been containing a smoldering inner passion from early on but "life" always seemed to get in the way. The financial barrier...
Click to expand...

A CFI buddy took me for a flight in my mid-20's and loved it, but no bucks. I started in my early 40's.
 
Not for me, born in 1970 started flying at 15. I don't believe in the 'blame computers kids won't do anything' spiel. Kids won't do anything because their moms won't let them.
MBDiagMan said:
I already weighed in, but as an additional comment:

I think that it MIGHT be that those who grew up in the fifties, sixties, or even earlier, might be more apt to be enthused about aviation than many younger people. Younger people are exposed to many different and interesting things than were available when I grew up. There seem to be many more interests that catch the attention of young folks today than in the stone age when I grew up.
Click to expand...
 
Just recently started learning at age 43. IMHO I believe the desire to fly, (If you have it) is within you since birth, whether you discover it or not.


Thank you for this thread, it's very inspiring!
 
MBDiagMan said:
I already weighed in, but as an additional comment:

I think that it MIGHT be that those who grew up in the fifties, sixties, or even earlier, might be more apt to be enthused about aviation than many younger people. Younger people are exposed to many different and interesting things than were available when I grew up. There seem to be many more interests that catch the attention of young folks today than in the stone age when I grew up.
Click to expand...

Exactly,

Like I mentioned in a previous post: Sony Playstation and Xbox seems to be the standard among most of the young kids these days. In the 70's-80's. We played ball, read books and played video games. I'm grateful video games, (And now Internet) didn't take hold as much in my era as it does today.
 
Vance Breese said:
I started in my in my 50s.
My father was a test pilot and I wanted to go a different way.
I was badly injured in a motorcycle accident at Bonneville at a little over 300 miles per hour. I lost an eye and a lot of cognitive ability.
My neurologist reminded me that head injuries are cumulative so I needed to find another hobby.
I tried helicopters but my lack of depth perception made autorotation to the ground difficult and made another head injury seem likely.
After working with the FAA for two years I took a demonstrated ability medical check ride in a gyroplane and bought a two place open tandem gyroplane. It became my motorcycle in the sky.
I was 59 when I passed the practical test for my private pilot, rotorcraft, gyroplane certificate and 65 when I passed the test for my commercial gyroplane certificate.
I am working on becoming a certified flight instructor.
I have found more joy in being a pilot than I ever imagined.
Each flight is a unique magical adventure for me.
Click to expand...

Here I thought dropping my bike at 130 mph and surviving that without a helmet, was an accomplishment. But 300 mph, no thank you.

I started flying at age 49. I liked airplanes but did not go out of my way to see them. If I heard one I would look up and say someday I will do that. It was a dream. I found, dreams do come true.

Tony
 
Was always a "someday" thing until my father passed away. Then at 47, I decided to no longer wait for anything. Should have done it sooner.

Have over 900 hrs in the past 6 years (on my own dime). Bought my plane (Comanche 260B), one month after getting my PPC. Got my IR shortly thereafter, Tailwheel, Emergency Manuever Training and acro training too. Love it!
 
I never had the bug whatsoever. A highschool buddy offered a ride in his Luscombe one evening during dinner. I started to decline and my wife started giving me the treatment - basically saying don't be chicken. We went up, it was nice, but still no "bug". After a couple of more flights he lent me his sportys DVDs "just in case" and I'm not sure why, but all of a sudden after the 3rd flight and the DVDs the bug hit like a tidal wave.

I never gave flying a thought prior to those flights. Also, Bluefeather was operated by Dick Azar who gave my young son and I an hour and a half tour when I dropped in ... during a fly in ... with a FBO packed with piliots. For an old WWII fighter pilot to drop everything and do that tour really sent a message as well.
 
Very interesting stories everyone!

For me, I remember my dad would take me to a few GA airports to take a look at airplanes when I was a child, and even at one point, bought an airplane ride at Princeton Airport for me, my brother, and him. The pilot asked if I wanted to ride in the front right seat of the Cessna, but I chickened out and said no, because I thought I was not ready to fly the airplane. After the ride, I remember my dad mentioning to the pilot that we have several flight simulator games at his house.

Even my step grandfather was learning to fly at one point in his life, but dropped out due to medical reasons.

I had some kind of interest in aviation at a young age, but I really decided to learn to fly as a hobby and make a career out of aviation when I was in high school.
 
I'm perhaps a bit unusual in that I haven't actually been bitten.

Only this year, at the age of 50, I confirmed that there may be practical personal benefits to gaining wings. My related actions have thus been guided purely by pragmatics. I carefully timed training to accommodate difficult temporal and geographic constraints. I'm only as passionate about flight as I am about getting to where I need to get with what I need to haul.

Now, could this change and a biting occur? Of course. Much work and many unknowns remain. But, being bitten doesn't seem to be a critical part of my bigger aviation recipe.
 
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islandboy said:
I'm perhaps a bit unusual in that I haven't actually been bitten.

Only this year, at the age of 50, I confirmed that there may be practical personal benefits to gaining wings. My related actions have thus been guided purely by pragmatics. I carefully timed training to accommodate difficult temporal and geographic constraints. I'm only as passionate about flight as I am about getting to where I need to get with what I need to haul.

Now, could this change and a biting occur? Of course. Much work and many unknowns remain. But, being bitten doesn't seem to be a critical part of my bigger aviation recipe.
Click to expand...

Do you have a sense of awe when you are up at all though?
I can't imagine not having that.
 
I've had the desire to be a pilot from as far back in my childhood as I can remember. My grandfather and dad both would take me to watch planes take off/land at our local airport. I didn't really think much more about it though until highschool. Shortly after highschool I had to fly to another city for some job training. The bug had bitten and bitten hard. As soon as I returned home I called and scheduled my intro flight. Eight months later had my PPL. I was 20 then, 52 now.
 
ClimbnSink said:
Kids won't do anything because their moms won't let them.
Click to expand...

Unfortunately I believe thats true. "Those little airplanes are dangerous dontcha know. My neighbor's friend's great cousin twice removed died in one."

I am fortunate enough to have a mother who went flying with me less than week after I got my license.
 
Seanaldinho said:
Unfortunately I believe thats true. "Those little airplanes are dangerous dontcha know. My neighbor's friend's great cousin twice removed died in one."

I am fortunate enough to have a mother who went flying with me less than week after I got my license.
Click to expand...

Having parents who do not support your flying desires for safety reasons? I know what that is like. I should talk about that in another thread later on!
 
I had wanted to fly since I was a kid. Time and money never seemed to be available at the same time. When I was 47 my wife and I were the high bidders for a sightseeing ride in a fund raiser at church. When she found out we could get across the state in about 2 hours, rather than the 5 1/2 hour drive, she thought that maybe it was time for me to learn to fly. Started lessons at 48 and took the private ride two days after turning 49. A few years later she got tired of skipping flights when the weather forecasts didn't support a VFR trip across the state and suggested that perhaps I should get my IR. That took a bit longer, but at 59 I passed that ride.

So, no, I didn't get bitten by the bug later in life, but I was finally able to scratch that itch later in life.
 
N918KT said:
Having parents who do not support your flying desires for safety reasons? I know what that is like. I should talk about that in another thread later on!
Click to expand...

I think it goes beyond safety. Its a fear of the unknown, that coupled with the common misconceptions of flying and you've got something that is rather off-putting to the uninitiated.
 
I got the bug at age 47, earlier this year. I live under the flight path for KRHV in San Jose, and looked up one day at the planes flying overhead and it dawned on me...how much fun, and freedom, that must be!

However, I haven't started training yet because learning to fly here in the Bay Area just doesn't do it for me. Too much suburbia, plus a recent story about a CFI and his student having to do an emergency landing on a busy San Jose street didn't do much for me either.

I want to get out of Silicon Valley, and am planning to do that next year and move back to Colorado, where I'll look into it seriously.

I'll probably end up training out of KAPA (Centennial) but haven't decided if I want to go with a flight club like Aspen, or go to the Cirrus training facility.

I also gave some thought to moving up to Bozeman and training at Summit and spending a year in the Montana mountains, Yellowstone, etc.

Either way, I want to get Silicon Valley behind me and get back to the mountains and start my training.
 
SixPapaCharlie said:
Do you have a sense of awe when you are up at all though?
I can't imagine not having that.
Click to expand...

Good question...

For me, the awe isn't with the flight itself but rather with the personal avenues that the flying may open. Again, however, it is entirely possible that I will get swept away as my experience builds. At some point, I may indeed join you in the awe department.

Of course, there is an inherent bias to this thread, as the inputs were explicitly solicited from those who have "been bitten by the bug". At the other end of the spectrum, there are those who are anything but bitten and yet fly regularly. I once met a pilot who had dreamed of a career as a chef. He applied to a famous cooking school but was declined admission. He then fell into professional aviation as a way to pay his bills. It was nothing more to him than that, and he lived with great disappointment as a pilot for a regional carrier.
 
islandboy said:
Good question...

For me, the awe isn't with the flight itself but rather with the personal avenues that the flying may open. Again, however, it is entirely possible that I will get swept away as my experience builds. At some point, I may indeed join you in the awe department.

Of course, there is an inherent bias to this thread, as the inputs were explicitly solicited from those who have "been bitten by the bug". At the other end of the spectrum, there are those who are anything but bitten and yet fly regularly. I once met a pilot who had dreamed of a career as a chef. He applied to a famous cooking school but was declined admission. He then fell into professional aviation as a way to pay his bills. It was nothing more to him than that, and he lived with great disappointment as a pilot for a regional carrier.
Click to expand...


That is interesting and somewhat difficult for me to comprehend.

The way I see it. If not for that awe I experience, it is not worth the risk to me. If I didn't get something out if it on a personal level I don't think I would do it.

That said, I haven't been in a situation where flying was needed to accomplish some other goal so I am not certain about that.
 
I'm all fun, and risk, without the risk I wouldn't bother. Zero practicality in the flying I do. Thing I can't see is practicality of GA without the passion, most pilots live in denial:lol: and make compromises to justify practicality because of their passion.
 
Vance Breese said:
I started in my in my 50s.
My father was a test pilot and I wanted to go a different way.
I was badly injured in a motorcycle accident at Bonneville at a little over 300 miles per hour. I lost an eye and a lot of cognitive ability.
My neurologist reminded me that head injuries are cumulative so I needed to find another hobby.
I tried helicopters but my lack of depth perception made autorotation to the ground difficult and made another head injury seem likely.
After working with the FAA for two years I took a demonstrated ability medical check ride in a gyroplane and bought a two place open tandem gyroplane. It became my motorcycle in the sky.
I was 59 when I passed the practical test for my private pilot, rotorcraft, gyroplane certificate and 65 when I passed the test for my commercial gyroplane certificate.
I am working on becoming a certified flight instructor.
I have found more joy in being a pilot than I ever imagined.
Each flight is a unique magical adventure for me.
Click to expand...
How inspirational :thumbsup:
 
Started flying at 16 got PPL at 17. Loved aviation for about as long as i can remember, fly about once a week or as often as i can.
 
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