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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.

Another downside is that you can expect to work on holidays, weekends, birthdays, and anniversaries, and since some flying assignments can come at any hour of the day, expect to be flying the aircraft while everyone else is asleep. I often have to be at the airport at 5 AM on the first day and return at midnight of the fourth day. That makes for a long trip. If you fly for a freight company like UPS or FedEX, you can expect to work on the backside of the clock for the rest of your flying career. If you’re on an international flight, you could even be crossing different time zones in a span of just 24 hours and possibly even miss whole days.

Like I said, it’s a lifestyle…a way of life. Personally I enjoy it. Working 9 to 5 for me isn’t fun. I enjoy the varying schedules and the travel.

Health and other Professional Requirements for Pilots

Physical fitness and your health go hand-in-hand in this industry. A career in flying requires that you maintain a healthy lifestyle and submit to a physical exam regularly.  Private Charter, Corporate, Commercial and flying for the military all have certain physical requirements that you must be able to meet.  Personally, since I am a captain at a regional airline and over 40, I have to get a First Class Physical every 6 months and an ECG every year. Not cheap! And the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is very serious about it too. During every physical, I have to submit to a battery of exams and explain every visit to the doctor in the last three years to the FAA.

Maintaining your medical is one of the most stressful things about flying. If you put all your eggs in one basket, i.e., you don’t have anything to back you up financially, thinking that their flying career will last forever, is not wise. If you fail a medical exam, you may be done flying for a very long time and possible forever. Short-term disability may help, but I wouldn’t rely on it.

Furthermore, depending on the type of certification you’re aiming for (Private Pilot, Commercial Pilot, Airline Transport Pilot (ATP) or Certificated Flight Instructor), there are certain age and educational requirements you’ll have to meet. To get hired by most regional airlines you have to be at least 21 years old. And recently, the FAA changed the airline pilot mandatory retirement age from 60 to 65, which is good news for the pilots that didn’t want to retire, but bad news for the rest of the airline cadre that were hoping to move up the ranks.

Experience in the airlines is based on flight hours. You will also have to have a certain number of flight hours in order to considered for many airline jobs. Most regional airlines, for example, prefer pilots who have completed at least 1,000+ hours of flight time, with a certain number of hours assigned to instrument flying, multi-engine experience (usually 100+), pilot-in-command time and cross-country time.

Choice of Flying Employers

If you choose flying as a career, working for an airline isn’t your only option.  There are many private individuals, families, and celebrities who require their own pilots. When I was furloughed from ExpressJet back in 2002, I picked up a flying gig for a food service executive who owned his own Cessna 414. It was a little extra money and it kept me in the left seat building time. My only regret was that I had to pay him back for training once I was hired by SkyWest. If I had to do it over again, when I signed our agreement, I would have had a clause in there that if I was hired elsewhere, that I wouldn’t have to pay back the training. It is the price of doing business. Some of the bigger corporations also need pilots to fly their company planes or helicopters. John Deere and Coca-Cola come to mind that have flight departments. If you join a flight training school or a travel company, you could even fly for their charter departments.  And don’t discount flying for an international carrier like Emirates or All Nippon Airways (ANA). These airlines hire pilots with FAA certifications and provide great benefits. There are lots of missionary and aid work out there too that required pilots. And of course, there’s always the possibility of a flying career with the military or government agencies. The list is really quite big. 

Just To Wrap It All Up

Flying as a career will has its difficulties, but for those who have made it their life’s work and mission, the rewards may far outweigh the disadvantages. A career in flying can take you places most people have never gone and will allow you to experience things that are unique and completely satisfying.

To Your Flying Success…

Jeffrey

Jeffrey is a captain at a regional airline and flies the CRJ200, CRJ700, and the CRJ900. He has over 4000 hours of flying experience in many different airplanes and is a Gold Seal certificated flight instructor (CFI) to his credit. He has recently written “The CRJ200 Quicknote Study Guide” that simplifies the systems of the CRJ200 into a easy-to-understand, downloadable eBook. Click here to get your copy today!

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