Author |
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Ronjon
Member
07-08-2004
| Sunday, September 18, 2005 - 1:44 pm
I'm thinking about taking lessons and getting a commercial pilot's license. I was wondering if anyone here is a commercial/airline pilot and would be able to talk about this subject?
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Spygirl
Board Administrator
04-23-2001
| Sunday, September 18, 2005 - 2:08 pm
Ronjon, my husband is a commercial pilot, so I can try to answer some of your questions. Please know, however, that my understanding of how it all works is rather crude and rudimentary. I can always ask him, though. From my understanding, you don't "get" a commercial pilot's license in the same manner in which you get a commercial driver's license. You have to log a certain number of hours, demonstrate certain skills, and then you have some options. Either through charter service or by being a flight instructor, you then log a crap load of flight hours. Only then you are eligible to apply for a commercial position with an airline. Depending on the airline you that interests you, will determine how many hours they require you to have since each one has different minimum requirements. I know they are in the thousands, however. One of my friend's husband was a private pilot for nearly 5 years or so to earn the number of hours he needed to be eligible for commercial flight. He started with the same company as my husband in February.
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Ronjon
Member
07-08-2004
| Monday, September 19, 2005 - 9:57 am
I was disturbed by a few posts on a pilot messageboard I recently visited. It said to "be ready to eat Top Ramen and Jello for years and hope your family like Top Ramen and Jello and likes to move a lot". This is not the training avenue that I'm looking for. I also found some information on a school called ATP (Airline Training Programs) which is owned and operated by a collaboration of professional airline pilots. To go from 0 flight time to a Private Pilots license with 85 hours of single engine time is $8000. The next step is their Airline Career Pilot program which consistes of the Certified Flight Instructor rating and 190 hours of multiengine time in a Citation jet. The cost of that program is $40,000. The next step is their Accelerated Airline Placement class which is a fast track to flying Regional jets and includes an additional 320 hours of flight time and costs an additional $33,000. I add all this up and it comes to $81,000 of training and I would still not be at a level to fly for any of the major airlines. I guess my question is - Is the cost of all this training proportional to a regional pilot's salary worth the overall investment? Does your husband know a more efficient and least expensive way to go through all of this?
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Escapee
Member
06-15-2004
| Monday, September 19, 2005 - 10:02 am
Got a local airport in your area? call them. My former boss got his commercial pilot's license, and no one went hungry. He logged in hours in his spare time, I think they have classes and intructors for that and you pay a fee that rents their time and eventually the planes. Once he had his license, he would go over on his lunch break and fly around the town, and get back in time to work. So it can't be all that hard, he was just a small business owner. Check it out.
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Ronjon
Member
07-08-2004
| Monday, September 19, 2005 - 11:14 am
Yes, but I'm looking at it as a career change where it seems your boss was doing it on the side or as a side business. $81,000 is a huge loan to pay off and if the job salary doesn't pay off then there is a big problem. I have to make sure I get this right the first time. There's no room for financial error.
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Spygirl
Board Administrator
04-23-2001
| Monday, September 19, 2005 - 12:17 pm
Escapee, your boss may have a license, but it is highly unlikely he can fly for a commercial airline (such as Delta, American, or United). There is a big difference. What Ron is asking about is a significantly more expensive endeavor. Ron, what you've outlined is pretty much what is available. Do you have a bachelor's degree already? If you get a 4-year degree from an "accredited" airline program (I think the term is "Part 141") then you would get your private and multi-engine rating and your CFI (flight instructor certification). From there, you are looking at many of the options you've listed above. There are many flight schools that contract with the major airlines to train pilots who don't have the required minimums. They are expensive - around $35,000. So, you're looking at the cost of a degree plus a flight school. If you don't do a degree, the options you've already outlined are pretty much it. As for commercial pay, it is definitely slim pickins' at first. The first year pilot makes less than a school teacher. In the second year, it almost doubles, depending on the airline. Cargo is another route that earns much more money. If you want the real money, corporate flying is definitely your best bet. If you can tolerate the hours and the constant on-call, it is a career change worth the cost of training. And, since you are not trying to meet the commercial requirements, you wouldn't need nearly the training. So, it takes less training, less financial investment, and you earn more money.
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Twinkie
Member
09-24-2002
| Monday, September 19, 2005 - 3:35 pm
This is interesting. Spy, when you say cargo are you talking about FedEx or DHL, etc? What kind of training, money output, and pay do they have compared to commercial airlines?
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Schoolmarm
Member
02-18-2001
| Monday, September 19, 2005 - 4:05 pm
Ron, Southern Illinois University has a great Aviation program. My cousin is a pilot for ComAir and lots of his buddies went there. He took his basic pilots license and flight instructor license and then worked for a fiberoptics network patrolling the lines in a tiny plane. Others work charter or cargo. You keep getting more hours and then more training and then you can get certified for different types of aircraft. He did his training in Florida....probably where Flyboy ( and the terrorists) went. You could always go into the Air Force. They "get jets" fast! I'm thinking of taking flying lessons, but it won't be a career change. I think that my cousin was "on call" for a while and then got seniority.....first officer then pilot. When you change types of planes, you start part of your seniority over. There are also recertification tests and courses that they have to take. Some on a simulator, some with a fly-along. The last time I visited my cousin, he was getting ready for his. I am intrigued by the aviation industry. Does Flyboy know any 40ish single pilots who like classical music? I think I need a matchmaker!
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Escapee
Member
06-15-2004
| Monday, September 19, 2005 - 4:06 pm
Yes, but that would be a good place to start to see if you enjoy flying.
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Juju2bigdog
Member
10-27-2000
| Monday, September 19, 2005 - 5:10 pm
Escapee, I think Marm already enjoys flying and is looking for some of the other benefits. 
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Spygirl
Board Administrator
04-23-2001
| Monday, September 19, 2005 - 8:42 pm
And those benefits are good Marm, this may be something we need to look into for you! I'll keep my eyes and ears open Twinkie, yes, when I say Cargo, I mean Fedex, DHL, etc. There is a lot more job security (do you think FedEx suffered after 9/11?), you can get a lot of flight hours, and the pay is higher.
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Schoolmarm
Member
02-18-2001
| Tuesday, September 20, 2005 - 6:52 am
And PILOTS can commute from ANYWHERE...(well after their first "on call" years).....perfect fit for an academic who is, well, stuck in university towns. I think that the flexible schedules for both careers seem really compatible. How's it working for you?
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Ronjon
Member
07-08-2004
| Friday, September 23, 2005 - 9:49 am
Thank you for the info, Spygirl. I can see the cost of learning to be an airline pilot is almost equivalent to going to medical school or law school. I'm afraid I'm past the age limit for joining the Air Force so that route is not an option. I would have to loan my life away to do this and if I got hold of a poor instructor, I would be upset. I heard they can make or break your career. Now I understand why so many career pilots start young.
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Taterheadtwo
Member
09-29-2005
| Thursday, October 20, 2005 - 8:13 pm
just a thought, see if you have a civil air patrol in your area, check it out, do some volunteer work, get to know the pilots( alot oof them do it for the flying hours) to shot for a better type pilot position them selves. but i had a freind, i moved 4 states away, but thats what he did, joined the civil air patrol, ( volunteer status) would go up as a observer to help look for lost are stranded hikers, etc.. then use the air patrol cesnas to use for his training, and to pilot for them , and he did that for 4 years as a pilot, then got a job at a freight compaby, and learned and got his qualifications for twin engine, all the way uf to a small jet engine i think, and ended up flying medical suplies cross country, said he was working for the hours for a couple of yrs to then try for a commercail airline position. so maybe look into the civil air patrol
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Herckleperckle
Member
11-20-2003
| Saturday, April 22, 2006 - 2:24 pm
I ran across the ad for a summer helicopter pilot intern today--for someone living near Cambridge, Mass. The employer is looking for a college student. Here's the link: Summer Internship
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