Career Change to Pilot – You’ve Decided to Make the Mid-Career Switch. Now What?
So, you’ve done the research, talked to pilots, and finally made the decision that you’re going to make that mid-career switch and pursue a career as a pilot. Now what? For those who are switching their careers, this may be intimidating. Unlike someone starting flight training straight out of high school, someone who starts their aviation journey in their 30s or 40s may already have a full-time job, children, a spouse, and other challenges that may be difficult to balance with flight training.
The good news is that success as a pilot can be found even when starting flight training at a “later” stage in life than the average. The question shouldn’t be whether or not it’s possible — it should be whether or not the right expectations are set from the beginning. Here’s a little bit about what to expect when you’re making a mid-career switch to become a pilot.
Timeline Expectations
One of the most difficult things to accept when pursuing a career as a pilot is that the timeline will be different compared to a full-time aviation student. If you’re working full-time and need to continue making income to support your household, your journey in aviation training will take longer than someone attending school full time. It is important to accept this reality and not relate your pace of progress to your level of success.
Realistically, for someone training part-time, the timeline would look more like the following as opposed to earning a CPL in just a year or two:
Private Pilot Licence
12–24 months
Commercial Pilot Licence
+ 1–2 years
Therefore you’re looking at at least three to four years of flight training from zero experience to a CPL. Could it happen faster? Absolutely it could, but having realistic expectations set early on will prevent disappointment if life ever does get in the way.
Winter Realities: When Will You Actually Fly?
There’s another factor that catches many career-changers off guard: the Canadian winter. From November through February, the sun sets early and rises late. If you work 9 to 5, it’s nearly impossible to train consistently during the week — by the time you leave the office, it’s already dark, and it’s still dark when you’d need to fly before work. That leaves the weekends, and only the weekends where the weather actually cooperates. Between low ceilings, icing conditions, snow-covered runways, and short daylight hours, flight training through the winter months is very, very hard.
In practice, this means the majority of your flying will happen in the spring, summer, and early fall. Rather than fighting the season, plan around it:
Make winter your ground school season. The months when you can’t fly consistently are the perfect time to work through your ground school, write your practice exams, and show up in April with the theory done — ready to put every flyable hour toward actual flying.
Ground School
Along with flight training, ground school is arguably one of the most important parts when it comes to becoming a pilot. Learning subjects such as meteorology, air law, navigation, human factors, and aerodynamics will prepare you well for everything that will be applied in the cockpit. If you’re balancing a career and family life, ground school can be one of the easiest ways to make progress when you aren’t flying.
Some flight schools may offer ground school in person, but that requires just as much time commitment as flight training lessons. The best and most efficient way to make progress is to complete a self-study ground school online. Reading a chapter or completing a practice exam in your free time will keep you moving forward even when you’re not at the airport. Luckily, Canadian Flight Trainers offers a perfect solution for those who are looking to make a mid-career switch to aviation, or just for those who prefer an asynchronous environment. All of our ground school courses are conducted in accordance with the Canadian Aviation Regulations and can be credited towards the appropriate permit or licence.
Check out the courses and products we have to offer:
Work-Life-School Balance
One of the biggest and most common questions is “How am I supposed to do this while working full time?” The simplest answer is to stay consistent and accept that the little bit of free time that you once had may now be dedicated to flight training. Many people complete their training by flying early in the mornings, evenings after work, or on weekends and holidays. As mentioned above, completing an asynchronous ground school will keep you moving forward without having to dedicate the time to go to the airport.
The best advice we can give: stay consistent by flying at least once a week. This will keep you on track and ensure you don’t lose any progress.
How Much Will It Actually Cost?
Unfortunately there isn’t a simple answer to this question, as cost will differ based on location, aircraft rental rates, fuel prices, and progress through training.
A general estimate in Canada will look a little like this:
Private Pilot Licence
$18,000 – $25,000
Commercial Pilot Licence
$80,000 – $120,000
Additionally, ratings such as night, multi-engine, instrument, and instructor ratings will increase the costs further.
Although those look like really big numbers, the costs will rarely arrive all at once. Most students will pay as they progress through their training, which makes the investment a little more manageable over several years.
What About My Age?
Many aspiring pilots worry that because of their age, they’ve missed the opportunity because they are in their thirties. Although it is true that an aviation career is long, someone who begins their training in their thirties and completes it by the time they are forty will still have more than two decades of professional flying ahead of them. Even if you are starting later than others typically would, you still have the opportunity of enjoying a rewarding career as a pilot.
Plus, the aviation industry values professionalism, decision-making skills, and good communication — qualities that someone who has worked a professional career in the past will have already developed.
A Real Story: From the Police Cruiser to the Flight Deck
A Captain that our founder used to fly with spent 25 years with the Toronto Police Service. He finished with a great pension, but he disliked a large part of the job. In policing, you meet people at their worst — and no one is ever happy to see you. When a fire breaks out, firefighters are heroes. When you’re hurt, everyone is relieved to see the paramedics. The police? They’re rarely met with a warm welcome.
So he retired, started flight training at the age of 50, and never looked back. He worked his way up to Captain at a regional airline and, by the time he retired for the second time, he was a Training Captain — teaching the next generation of pilots.
His story proves it’s possible — but it also carries a lesson: your career aspirations have to be realistic. Can you make it to Air Canada or WestJet after a late start? Sure — but you’ll be junior on the seniority list, and you won’t have a cushy schedule. Can you become a Captain at Porter or another regional carrier and retire with a genuinely good schedule and quality of life? Absolutely. Be realistic about where a late start can take you, and you’ll find there’s still a deeply rewarding career waiting.
First Steps
So, you’ve made the decision to pursue a pilot career. Here are the first steps that should be taken to start your journey:
- Obtain a Category 1 Medical. A Cat 1 medical is required for your training as a commercial pilot. Read more about medicals on our blog, “Transport Canada Aviation Medicals”. Find a Civil Aviation Medical Examiner near you at Canada.ca.
- Research local flight schools. Remember that lesson and aircraft rental costs will differ between flight schools. Take note of what type of training they offer and if it fits in your budget and schedule.
- Schedule an introductory flight. Many people go into aviation just to discover that flying simply isn’t for them. Look into booking a discovery flight at your local flight school before fully committing to the switch.
- Plan a budget for your training. Ensuring that finances won’t be a problem during your training will only take that much stress off the process.
- Create a routine and schedule that fits your life. Plan out times that you can dedicate to ground school and flight training. Create a weekly routine to stay consistent.
Getting started is going to be the hard part; maintaining that momentum may be harder. However, thousands of pilots have found success in the transition before. The journey may take longer than it would have straight out of high school, but it doesn’t make it any less achievable.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it worth it to start pursuing a pilot career at 35? 40?
With time and dedication, yes. If you begin your flight training at or before the age of 40, you will still have 20-something years of professional flying. During that time you will be able to build seniority and reap the company benefits and higher pay that pilots are known to earn.
How does Canadian Flight Trainers help with my mid-career switch?
Canadian Flight Trainers offers a wide selection of courses and products that you will need in your flight training. Because of the online asynchronous format that we offer, you can easily complete ground school on your own time while juggling a full-time job and family life.
Can I take out a loan for my flight training?
Yes. Depending on what flight school and route of training you choose, eligibility will differ. For example, some flight schools may be OSAP eligible, while for others you may have to talk to your bank.
