Whats the best path to become a professional pilot?

Question

Of course I'd like to be a military pilot but at 21 1/2 and slowly earning my degree online I probably won't be finished soon enough.

I'd like to know some interesting or good paths to become a professional pilot.

Answer 1

I am 18 and looking to be a pilot also. I am going to Fox Valley Tech next year in Oshkosh for my ratings. I have 40.1 hours logged and I need to study study study study for the next 2 weeks to prepare for my checkride lol. I have talked to many pilots and everyone has a different path they took to become a pilot. There is no right way of doing it really. Start by getting your private pilot license and move from there up the ratings. A big part of becoming a pilot is dedication and determination. Lots of pilots wash out of flight school because they thought it would be an easy career. Not just anyone can fly a plane, it takes a skill. If I were you, I would finish your degree in what you are going for, since most airlines won't hire anyone without a 4 year degree. And on the side, go to a local FBO and start working on your ratings (private, instrument, multi, CFI etc.). It is expensive, but if you love flying, it is well worth it. :) After you get a CFI and CFI II, you can do flight instructing to build up your hours. That's usually how they do it. The average airline usually looks for around 1200 - 1300 hours of time, 200 of which have to be multi-engine. My dad works for Midwest Airlines, and Midwest Connect hires pilots with 400 - 500 hours, and then they move into the parent Midwest 717s and MD-80s. You can also fly corporately or for charter in single and twin engine planes.

The military is also another option. You are not too old to enter military flight school. A few Marine recruiters came to visit me at school and talked to me about flying for them. You have to get a 4 year degree before you can even set your eyes on a jet. They said after I go to college for 4 years, I can come in and enter the Marine Flight School and train for 16 months to fly the new F-35 JSF rolling out in 2009. The military is always looking for new pilots. And a military pilot should not be worried about going to Iraq. They keep you safe far away, since it is unwise to keep a pilot close to action. And with today's planes, you can target an enemy from 100nm away and hit it and go home, not even getting close to unfriendly fire. Not to mention that the enemy has a hard time hitting you with an RPG when you are traveling at close to twice the speed of sound. :P

Like I said, there is no specific path like other careers to follow. There is a big gap from getting your Private to getting an ATP. That gap can be filled with anything you want, flight instructing, chartering for a local FBO, fun flying, just about anything that builds time.

Answer 2

First and for most get your four year degree. If you are looking to the military for flight training, don't worry too much about your age. Although the Air force has an age cut off of 27 and 1/2 years for pilot training, you can get an age waiver for some one as old as 30. Choose your military career wisely though. Some military pilots get a lot more flight time than others. Flying fighters or other high profile aircraft might seem glamorous, you will in fact get very few flight hours. Flying less well know aircraft can get you more flight time than you can imagine. I know of a C-130 pilot who logged close to 1000 hours in a year. I know of a C-17 pilot that is gone flying three weeks a month. The other advantage to flying military cargo aircraft is that you get "heavy" multi engine time that looks good on a resume if you are trying to pursue an airline career

Answer 3

Being 21.5 years old won't hurt your flying career, but it will keep you out of the military academies.
If by professional pilot you mean flying expensive aircraft that carry people or cargo, you will need at least a bachelors degree, but if you want to be a small aircraft pilot, you may get by without it, although it would be a great credibility plus for you.
Besides talent, the biggest obstacle to become a flying professional is money. It will cost you over $65,000 to earn all the certifications you will need, plus several years of logged flying experience even to be considered for a first officer position. But if you have access to the money, determination, the will to set your life on course to the exclusion of most distractions, are a focused learner, and have the bug, you can do it.
Move to an area where there is a good aviation college, and earn your degree there if you can. The sky awaits you.

Answer 4

i cant believe i caught your question. Im in high school right now, and i know exctly what to do to become a professional pilot. well right now, im in pilot school in my hometown to get my private license. you should do the same thing. go to the nearest civilian airport to see if there is a pilot course for your pilot license. After this, you need a college degree. where im going is a college called Embry Riddle, in florida and arizona, more pilots come out of that school than any other college. After you graduate get a job and work your way up the ranks. Thats about it, and dont go down the military path, because it does not seem like we are getting out of the war soon, so that is almost a garenteed death. I hope this helped, and hopefully i will see you in an airport somewhere!

Answer 5

You need to join the military. That is the best route. My brother started a little later too, and he's a pilot with American. My dad was also a pilot with American. The military gives you a lot of flight time, and also helps you to deal with stressful situations a lot better. It also gives you the experience that a flight school wouldn't give you.

I spent my whole life around professional pilots, and as far as I can remember most of them were in the military at some point in time.

It's a very competitive field. In my fathers day he got a job with an airline pretty much right away, but with my brother it took him a long time to finally get the job he wanted.

Answer 6

It may be best to get a private pilots licence first this can be done at a local flying school and takes 40 hours of flying and simulator training (in the UK anyway). This will give you an indication of whether you like piloting a light aircraft.

Becoming an airline pilot is different, but a ppl will help. Excellent science or maths based degree, studying meteorology, geography etc. A rigorous interview process including aptitude and psychometric testing. and a couple of hundred hours flying to the final examination.

Most commercial and charter airlines do not like to take military pilots because they are trained to do different things in different ways. In an emergency I for one would not want an ex-military pilot to react in the way he would using a fighter plane, should he be flying with 300 passengers behind him.

Answer 7

Anyone who says "Join the military. It's the best way" hasn't a clue about this industry!

If you simply want to become airline pilot, do not join the military simply as a means to that end. Do it if you want to serve your country but don't think of it simply as a way to get "free flight training" so you can become an airline pilot.

In all reality, it's not truly "free" and the openings for military aviators are fewer and more competitive than they have ever been. If you somehow manage to even get accepted into the service as a pilot candidate and make it through flight school, you will be committed for a decade or more. You could also get killed in the line of duty.

In years past, the major airlines drew almost exclusively from former military pilots. Former military pilots either dominated the hiring boards or they would recommend their friends who were getting out of the service and looking into airline careers. This big "squadron buddy" network was how the majority of pilots got hired.

That is not the case today. For several years now the airlines have been increasingly hiring pilots from a civilian background. According to statistics compiled from Air Inc, about 65% of new hires are civilian. This is partly the result of a smaller pool of military pilots available to the airlines than in decades past and the increase in the number of civilian trained pilots with previous jet and airline experience. Almost all the regionals now fly jets, many that go higher or are more advanced than mainline aircraft. Additionally, most pilots looking to move onto a major carrier will have several times over the amount of flight experience as a military aviator because of their regional job.

HOW TO GET STARTED:
1. Get your pilot certificates and ratings via a flying club or school at the local airport, a university aviation program. A newly certificated commercial pilot with instrument and multi-engine ratings usually has about 250 hours. This is not enough for the airlines*. (See note* at bottom) There are also programs like the ATP Career Track that get you certified then have you instruct for them and promise a preferred airline interview (At a cost of about $39K, which is the low end that you should expect to pay to get your licenses & ratings. Other schools are upwards of $80K).

2. Build up flight experience until about 1,000 flight hours. Most regional airlines require pilots to have at least 1,000 hours of flight time, with 100 of that being in multi-engine aircraft and a Commercial/Multi/Instrument certificate. (An Airline Transport Pilot certificate is not required until you make captain.) Common time building jobs are: banner towing, skydive pilot, pipeline patrol, traffic watch or flight instruction (with the additional Certified Flight Instructor rating)

3. Get a degree. You do not need a degree in aviation, but having a degree in any subject is a requirement to getting hired on at a major airline. The regionals aren't so picky. Many think they must have an aviation degree to have an edge but when or if you are ever furloughed during your career an aviation degree is useless.

4. Upon reaching the magic 1,000 hours begin applying! Hopefully you will get hired. Learn to live on a budget as regional airline pay is not very good. After building up about 2,000-3,000 hours and "paying your dues" at a regional you then qualify for a job with a major carrier.

5. Begin applying all over again.....

* There are some airline academy programs (Delta Connection Academy, Mesa Airlines Pilot Development, Flight Safety among others) that offer a "quick entry" scheme into the right seat of a regional airline. They are very costly and do not guarantee a job, but an interview only. If you pass their program and the airline interview, you could very well be hired as a First Officer at 300-400 hours. Some are very pro this method while others in the industry are not as they feel it's "buying a job". Some academy grads will face discrimination during their career because of this.

Check out:

http://www.jetcareers.com
http://www.geocities.com/av8trxx99/FAQ.html
http://www.flightinfo.com

Answer 8

I would check to see if there are any pilot schools nearby, where you live, or go see a recruiter for the Air Force. Most of the pilots that are flying major aircraft (American Eagle, Delta), has been in the military. Here's another idea what I would do: Go to your closest airport and talk to a pilot and ask questions. It's never too late to go see and ask.
Good Luck to you! I hope this helps.

Answer 9

Well: according to "AirCraft Pilots they study for the test
which an Ground School would offer to Students yes get
Instrumental Ratings also pass Visual Flight Rules plus
have Instructor with you befor going Solo "

Answer 10

You certaintly won't, and you must go to a technical school, which actually allows you to practice flying, depending on money, grades, and experience you could already be flying. I know a great technical school which teaches flying, and also gets a lot of federal money so you can fly, President Bush lands here eveytime he comes to Central Texas, and the military,and NASA is investing money in this school called Texas State Technical College, theres five of them in Texas,, but the one I went to was in Waco, it's a great school if you're really determined to become a pilot, I suggest looking up TSTC. Best wishes and find another school.