How do I become a pilot?

Not all goals are the same. Do you want to fast track to the airlines? Do you want to fly EAA every summer? Do you want to take your friends and family sightseeing or on weekend getaways? Are you trying to get over a fear of flying?

Your goals are important to your training schedule and outcome. Because not all goals are the same, not all training is the same. I strive to individually tailor training to your goals and needs.

Many people, like myself, spent hours trying to figure out how to become a professional pilot. Everyone's journey begins with three important steps:

1. Get your medical license. Every pilot needs a medical. If you're goal is to be an airline pilot, you'll need a First-Class medical. So go ahead and get that.
2. Choose your flight school. Every flight school is different and none are perfect, including me! Picking the right flight school for you is the most important step in your training.
3. Hit the books! Studying is the best thing you can do for yourself. The cockpit is the worst classroom. The FAA provides free digital copies of both the Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge and the Airplane Flying Handbook. 

Time investment will depend on your goal. Many, like me, have a goal to get to the airlines. No matter the goal, everyone starts at the same spot, getting your Private Pilot License. Once you get this, you are a pilot! This can be done in as little as 3-4 weeks.

After that, timelines vary depending on where you want to take your pilot career. If your goal is getting to the airlines, training can be as little as three months, or it can be at your own pace. Your timeline depends on the time you’re able to dedicate to studying and training. If you can study/train four hours per day, you can be one of the three-month people!

There are four main pilot jobs: Airlines, Cargo, Corporate, and Instructing. I'll dive into each of those but here are other less common jobs:

Agriculture (crop-dusting)

Banner Towing 

Sightseeing Tours

Patrol (oil pipeline)

Skydiving

If you’re looking to start training, regardless of your goal, I recommend setting up a free 30-45 minute discovery call. Click here to get something set up!

If you’re serious about flight training but not ready to commit or simply looking to take a flight out of curiosity, I recommend doing a discovery flight.