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So you want to be a pilot? 

Well flying is an exciting career choice, full of possibilities in terms of training and growth. It’s also a challenging job that demands discipline and excellence. Unfortunately, flying has never been a stable job because the aviation industry is continuously in a state of flux which often results in almost the daily closure of airlines, furloughs, and a reduction in flight departments. But, if your heart is set on having a full-time airline or flying career, here are some of the most important things you will have to consider:

The Pilot Lifestyle

A flying career isn’t just about doing it as a job. It is also about being able to adapt to a certain lifestyle.  A professional pilot, such as those who work for the airlines (e.g., Southwest, United, etc.), fractionals (e.g., NetJets) or freight companies (e.g., Atlas), often spend a lot of time away from their homes and families. You could be gone for two days and up to 12 days (or more) depending on the company you work for and your schedule. In some cases, you may leave the United States and not return for two weeks. The upside of this is that when you are home, you are home. Some pilots really enjoy the fact that they work for two weeks, then have two weeks off. Personally, I enjoy four-day trips then four days off.

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Recently I partnered with

PilotWorkshops.com

and it is probably one of the most valuable aviation websites that you will ever visit if you are a serious pilot!

First of all, this website isn’t like any other aviation website out there that you might have visited looking for flying information. This website contains aviation training material that was put together by some of THE most respected pilots and flight instructors in aviation today.

Click here to see more now

Look at who some of the contributors are:

• Rod Machado
• Doug Stewart
• Bob Nardiello
• Bob Martens
• …and the list goes on…

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When I was a new pilot flying around Florida building time, I was doing a VFR flight from Daytona Beach to Vero Beach, Florida. I was young and cocky and I thought, “Hey, I don’t need a flight plan,” and set off on my way. That was that a big mistake! It should have been an easy trip. It is practically a straight line from Daytona Beach to Vero Beach along the coast line. Though nothing terrible happened, I did get disorientated a little when I was above the clouds (where it was cooler) and had to ask for help from a controller to get me on my way. I decided right then that I would ALWAYS have a flight plan with me so that I never got myself in that situation again. I decided that I would be absolutely certain about my location at all times, have an alternate airport along my route that I knew I could fly to if the weather went bad even on a VFR day or if I need fuel or was having engine trouble.

So we will talk about a these things in today’s entry so you will be more ready than me and I think you will find it useful and if nothing else, a good reminder.

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