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How to become a Career Pilot
Fast tracking & learning optimization
How do you go from zero experience to becoming an airline pilot? The main requirement is 1,500 flight hours and the paths to getting there are many.
A retired F-16 pilot once told me "slow is smooth and smooth is fast." With this in mind, take time to consider your resources and abilities and set realistic goals for yourself.
Getting it done as soon as possible is an ambitious and wise goal. You will hear people claim they completed their training in as little as three months. Good for them! That may not be the best for every person. Learning optimization is far more important for the skill and safety of any pilot. I did part time training and I am proud of being on track to my ultimate goal of reaching the airlines.
The ideal track to the airlines can be laid out like this:
- Private Pilot License (PPL)
- Instrument Flight Rating (IFR)
- Commercial License Single Engine Land (CSEL)
- Certified Flight Instructor License (CFI)
- Instrument instructor Rating (CFII)
- Commercial License Multi-Engine Land add-on (CMEL)
- Multi-Engine Instructor add-on (MEI)
- Max out dual given time of 8 hours per day. If maxed out every day this is 5 months and 7 days of dual given to get from about 250 hours to 1500 hours for ATP.
- Get hired at regional airline.
If you could complete training in three months, as people claim, and max out your hours as a CFI, you're looking at 9 months from nothing to getting an airline job. That's berserk and highly unlikely to be THAT fast. I will tell you two years, one for training and another for flight instructing, is the realistic goal.
When it comes down to it, someone can squeak through the FAA's current pilot pipeline without acquiring basic skills to keep themselves and others safe. The training regiment prescribed by the FAA doesn’t always ensure a pilot has truly proficient stick and rudder skills. Optimizing learning to build upon a students foundation is more vital to safety than simply passing check rides. Sure you can argue that getting to the goal is still getting to the goal.
How to become a Career Pilot
Commercial Airline Pilot
The main requirement to pilot the airlines is reaching 1,500 flight hours. The best way to do this is becoming a CFI. Get paid to fly like me!
100 hours of instruction per month is making up 1300 hour difference in just over 12 months.
Cargo Pilot
Similar to airline pilots, cargo pilots need 1500 flight hours. The big difference between the jobs is that cargo pilots move goods, not people, often overnight or early morning.
Corporate/Charter Pilot
Once you receive your Commercial License, you can get hired as a commercial Pilot!
If only it were that easy. To fly corporate/charter, the best thing you can do for yourself is network. Join clubs, go to seminars, put yourself out there and make connections.
Flight Instructor
Being an independent Instructor is challenging and fulfilling. To become a CFI, you have to study and pass the hardest exam of your life. After that, getting students is the hardest part if you chose to be independent.
Rotor to fixed-wing
Rotor to fixed-wing
Were you a helicopter pilot in the armed forces and are looking to transition to a fixed wing career? No problem! The transition is easier than you might think.