How old is "too old" to get my private pilot's license?

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ByronViggo
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Joined: Mon May 03, 2021 7:02 pm

How old is "too old" to get my private pilot's license?

Post by ByronViggo » Mon May 03, 2021 7:05 pm

I've been dreaming of flying small aircraft (and especially a helicopter) since I was a kid, but never had the means to go through the training and get licensed. And now that I do have the means, other obligations that I can't shift around simply take priority (a.k.a "life"). Realistically, I'll probably be in my 50s by the time I can make this happen. But I'm already starting to feel changes in my body; my balance / vestibular apparatus isn't what it used to be, etc.

Is this dream of mine still attainable? How many years of flying will I have ahead of me? Is there even a point in pursuing it anymore, or might as well build myself a sick cockpit at home, and settle for the simulators?

Honest opinions and life experiences appreciated. I'm prepared to hear the worst, I won't be hurt.
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Adam
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Post by Adam » Tue May 04, 2021 7:16 am

One of the most active members of my local gliding club is 92! And one of my good friends on the airshow circuit is well into his 70s, still doing some pretty complex aerobatics. I don't know how typical that is, but for some, it's clearly possible.

How many of them actually learned to fly later in life, I've got no idea, but over half of the private flyers I know are in their 50s, 60s and 70s also.
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