what should i do now to become a comercial pilot???

Question

ok, i'm a 16 year old girl that wants to be a airline pilot really bad! but i've heard and read some articles on how to begin this whole thing. i've got ppl telling me to join the military, the marine, the national guard,etc. b/c in there you can fly for free. but then i hear some ppl(my dad) say not to join it, especially a girl. but i mean, i dont really care about HOW do i become a pilot, i know you need to have self disaplines in the military and all that, but still....i dont care, i will do whatever it takes(if it helps me to reach my goal)

Answer 1

You don't have to go into the military to become a pilot. At age 16, you can get an FAA license to fly gliders and hot air balloons, but you must be 17 to get a student pilot certificate for powered aircraft. In the meantime, you can take flight instructions for your private pilot certificate from a flight school or licensed flight instructor. You can also take your required ground school instruction.

You should go to the FAA's web site for information on how to become a pilot. http://www.faa.gov/pilots/become/student_cert/.

You should also make an appointment to meet with an FAA Inspector to talk about your career goals. He or she can give you information on how to get started, which school courses can help you, and other good information. You should contact your nearest Flight Standards District Office (FSDO) for an appointment to speak to an operations inspector. You can locate your nearest FSDO at http://www.faa.gov/about/office_org/field_offices/fsdo/.

You may also want to contact Women In Aviation International. This nonprofit organization encourages young people (men and women) to pursue careers in aviation. They have local chapters around the world. They also have scholarships to help people pay for their training. http://www.wai.org/about.cfm

Answer 2

You've already got some good answers and advice there, but as a retired airline pilot (captain on 767's for last 22 years) here's some more advice:

1. Don't let the fact you are female be a deterrent. In the past there was some tendency for perfectly well qualified women candidates to be overlooked from hiring, but that is not the case any more. I have worked with many fine women First Officers who went on to become captains and are enjoying a good and well paid career.

2. Getting a university degree in engineering or science is critical - no matter if you choose to go the military or commercial route to build up hours. So start studying all your high school courses, get good marks, and prepare yourself for a good university education.

3. There are some universities that specialize in aviation (like Embry-Riddle mentioned earlier) but they don't give you any advantage over a good commercial flight school close to home combined with a degree in mechanical engineering or physics.

4. There is nothing wrong with the military route.

5. Be prepared for hard work, long hours, and meagre pay until you make the major airline roster. Even then its still hard work with recurrency training, long flights, and time zone changes, but the pay and hours become more rewarding. For example, a senior captain on a "heavy" for a major airline can easily make $250,000 per year and only work 80-100 hours per month.

6. Don't have any accidents when you are building up your hours. If you have an accident caused by pilot error, you can pretty well be assured you will never work for the major airlines.

7. It will take some money and perseverence.

Good luck with your career!

Answer 3

I am just like you!! I wanna be a pilot so badly.... but getting a job is a VERY competitive procedure since there's so many pilots out there unemployed. Of course if you join the military, there's a chance of dieing, and then every dream you've wanted will turn to waste...

but you can also join civilian school's which is the SAFER way, of course, but it takes longer to build you hours and it costs A LOT of money (around $40,000 to $60,000 on average for a year training-- cheapest i've seen is $27,000 in phoenix)

but even if you join the military, in order to become a pilot you must receive a BA in ANY degree, airlines don't care which. I'm already on my second year in medical technology, and right after my fourth year, I'm heading straight for an aviation school.

hope this helped and happy flying!!!

Answer 4

Well, from my experience in the aviation industry, you would probably not want to make it a career since it is such a volitile industry. But if you still want to become a pilot the first thing you should do is start with a few lessons at a flight school and get your privte pilots licence first. The military would be the fastest and cheapest way to go but you would give up some years of your life to the military. And you would probably have to go to an airforce acadamy and get straight A's so they could even consider putting you in the hot seat of an f4 trainer. The long and expensive route would be. Get your private pilot licence it takes 40hrs. of flight time most of which are solo after getting signed off by the instructor and doing a check ride with an FAA inspectior. Then you increase your hrs .by getting becoming a certifed flight instructor and offer your services to help others learn while you accumulate flight hrs off of student funds and you get paid too. Then you would need to get a multi engine rating on your licence to fly twin piston prop engine aircraft. Also a IFR rating which is to fly at night, You will have your vfr rating from the start. Then continue building flight hrs to qualify to turbine eng. aircraft. which are harder schools to find and more expensive per flight hr. about 175 per hr. you will probably need about 1000hrs of that not to mention your last 2000 hrs of piston eng. experience .. totaling at 3000 hrs of left seat experience then get a job with a small carrier with small jets to get increase your hr. and get paid too. until you can finally climb the later to fly large commercial airliners like the b757, or b767 and you won't go right to capt. either you start as first officer then captian.
There it is in summary. You can get more info at FAA.gov and get the FAR book, part 14.

Answer 5

) I am a amatuer pilot and have looked into this in some detail.

2) Get a subscription to plane and pilot magazine, they often give good advise in this area in articles.

3) Get an undergraduate degree, most air carriers require this.

4) Embry Riddle is the top school for ATP's. This stands for Airline Transport Pilot, a step beqyond commercial pilot. Those folks flying you and others around the skies in the big jets, all ATP's. Embry Riddle can get you your four year degree, and ATP with type rating in jets.

5) If you can not afford this or do not want to invest this much. Get your four year degree, stay completely out of trouble ( any drug or imature behavior/arrest record will get you firmly in the back of the line,perhaps put your goal out of reach). Also, you will need to earn and maintain a class one medical, so get in shape and stay in shape.

6) Be prepared to be a certified flight instructor with an instrument rating for some period of time. You may get lucky and avoid this, but prepare yourself for this step just in case, 1-3 years of paying your dues by teaching others to fly while employed at a flight school

7) To those who say most ATP's are military trained, not true today. In fact, get plane and pilot and you will see perhaps twenty quality schools with direct entrance into the right seat ( co-pilot) after graduation. You may start with a fast turbo-prop or get into a jet. Private jets and corporate jets are fine as well, as are large freighters like fed-ex.

8) The top things airlines look for are maturity/stability, good decision making skills, the ability to be predictable and follow protocol/routine, and lastly a technical bent. They expect and demand that you are a good pilot, but your pilot training should take care of this. As a ATP you will have the lives of hundreds of folks in your hands on a daily basis, not to mention being put in charge of a machine costing somewhere between $30 and $130 million dollars. This takes dedication, stability and genuine maturity.The people who died recently when the CJ ran out of runway, the pilot lined up on the wrong runway, died needlessly. The rules and protocols state you read those big numbers at the end of the runway and confirm the information with the heading on your compass. They match with your take off clearance you go. It does not, you stay put and figure it out. The Pilot made an eror. the error cost a bunch of people their lives. .ATP is a big, big responsibility, and I hope you make it to your goal.

Good luck, great career.....

Answer 6

at the age of 17 you can get your learner's certificate. Find a good flight school in your area and apply. If finances are an issue, Student loans are available for students in a Commercial Pilot program . In the mean time study, You will need to know Aeronautics, Flight law and meteorology. If you decide this path is too costly for you, then the military may be your best option. I would also suggest going for an indoctrination flight as soon as possible.

Answer 7

my husband, who flies cargo, flew with a 19-years-old girl that had joined their company just a few weeks ago. she got her licenses through student loans, worked as a flight instructor and started flying there within the last 3 years.
go to your local airport (look up the FBO in the phonebook, it's not where the airlines fly out of) and talk to the FBO/ flight school about the reqirements. $50 will get you your first 30 minutes of flight and another hour of explanations on how to reach your goal
good luck!

Answer 8

The big choice is going to be cost. The military pays you and you start flying heavy iron much sooner. The hours come in buckets! Flying MAC is the ticket you would want so you get experience in aircraft that is the closest aligned to commercial planes.

For non-military:

You are going to spend around $25,000 to get your commercial rating (for budgeting purposes) then the best route is get a check-flying job. You flight a lot of nights but build up a ton of hours flying checks for backs.

Answer 9

First you have to plane where do you want to work with after getting your CPL !

IF your planes within US airlines companys then go with the region schools which provide FAA CPL.

OR

IF your planes to work with airlines out side US i think better to get JAR CPL which can you get from UK or some Few school in US like Orlando Flying Training or Delata Airline in Florida.

I can guide you more if you want :)
good luck

Answer 10

Well if you want to fly for the militrary you have to a 4 year college degree first