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Flying may be a natural talent for birds, but it’s something you have to learn and work hard for as an earth-bound human. But the good news is that now it is easier than ever to fly. And you can your ratings in no time at all.

Consider the following factors when choosing a flight school:

1. PART 61 or PART 141

These are the two primary types of flight schools you are going to find.

Part 141 are schools approved by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to teach a curriculum based courses and allow you to earn your certificates in fewer hours.

Read the rest of this entry »

Every year my wife wants me to make a list of things that I want for Christmas. And every year I hem and haw over making the list until I can not put it off any longer.

It’s not that I don’t know what I want, I just procrastinate writing it down. Of course, there is never an end to the things that I want. It’s always a balance between things that I “want” and things that I “need.” I always want things that fit BOTH categories. My wife says that I tend err on the “practical” side when it comes to gift getting.

So what I’ve done in this entry is list a few of the things that I think are both “wants” and “needs” for the professional pilot. Some may be more “wants” than “needs” but that’s how it goes.

So if you know someone that is a professional pilot or wants to be a professional pilot. Here is a list of items that will get you started. And, if my list doesn’t quite fit, just visit MyPilotStore for some other ideas. They have also put together their top 100 items that I’m am sure you will find something.

9 Gifts for Pilots

1. LightSPEED Zulu Headset- The newest headset from LightSPEED is also the World’s Quietest ANR Headset. I am seeing this headset more and more on the flight deck and my first officers are saying that they think it’s the best headset they have ever worn.

2. Korchmar Senior Pilot Leather Case – Full Grain American Cowhide. 18.75 x 15.75 x 8.5 (Outer Dimensions). This thing is durable and looks GOOD! It will last you for ever and ages like a worn glove. It just gets better with use.

3. Torgoen T6 E6B/Zulu Time Watch – Black Leather, Silver Case, Orange Face- Attractive and functional swiss movement Torgoen watch combines Zulu time movement with E6B flight computer. It is a sporty watch with functionality added in. I love this watch!

4. Jeppesen Professional Logbook- Picture yourself at your airline interview. You have three seasoned pilots in front of you. They ask you for your logbook and you pull out your 50 page, rinky-dink logbook. What is that going to say about you? Don’t let that happen. Either get the Jeppesen Professional Logbook or download the Pro Pilot Logbook Softwareand start logging those hours…professionally!

5. Turbojet Systems Made Easy DVD – If you’re preparing for an airline interview and haven’t flown “heavy iron” lately, you really need this course! It is easy to carry with you wherever you go and gives you a super-solid foundation to ace that airline interview. Consider these videos as well: the Nolly Successful Simulator Training DVD and the Airline Interview Power DVD. You won’t regret it.

6. Garmin GPSMAP 96C (Americas)- This portable color GPS integrates full-featured GPS navigation with a Jeppesen database and comprehensive towers-and-obstacles database. If you fly for fun or as a CFI, this will help you stay clear of those TFRs, Prohibited Areas, and obstructions. With an easy-to-read screen and a long battery, you will keep yourself safe.

7. Jeppesen GFD Instrument/Commercial DVD Course- This is the best-selling Instrument/Commercial course on the market. Jeppesen has been on the cutting-edge of aviation since the beginning and they know how to pack tons of useful information into each and every video. This set contains 10 hours of informative and entertaining instructional video on three DVDs. There is no way you can’t pass your Instrument and/or Commercial checkride if you watch these videos. You might want to pick up these videos as well:

• Jeppesen GFD Private Pilot DVD Video Course
• Jeppesen GFD Flight Instructor DVD Video Course
• Jeppesen GFD Multi-Engine DVD Video Course

8. Deluxe Flight Simulator Bundle – MS Flight Sim X, Yoke, and Rudders- This bundle includes the Microsoft® Flight Simulator X Deluxe Edition, CH Yoke, and CH Rudder – everything you need to start flying at home! Besides being practical, this Bundle is just FUN! You would swear you were actually flying, and though you can’t log the time you fly, it will keep your skills sharp!

9. Aviation: A Filmed History (24 DVD Set) – 24 COMPLETE DVDS ! Approximately 1200 minutes (20 hours) of Video! Any pilot would love to have this set.

So there you have it. 9 ideas for your pilot. Remember, you can visit, MyPilotStore.com, for more great Christmas ideas! Ho, ho, ho!

Enjoy…an HO-HO-HO…

Jeffrey

Piper Cub

Are You Ready to Make Your Flying Dream Come True?

Now I have been an airplane lover since I was eight years old when my grandpa took me up in a Piper Cub. My love affair with aviation started that day and though I have had a lot of detours in my life, as you know, I ended up a captain at a regional airline flying the CRJ200.

Well today I was given I treat that I wouldn’t have expected if you told me it would happen. We landed in LAX on 25R, after nearly taking out a taxi light clearing the runway, which I didn’t, thank you very much, we started our taxi to the south complex. As we are approaching taxiway ‘C,’ we notice a lot of cars, people, and a helicopter hovering overhead. We thought someone had gotten hurt or something of that nature. Well, as we turned the corner, there sits the Quantas Airbus A380 which had just landed. Wow! — What an airplane! — This thing is HUGE! (Oh, and by the way, that is a SkyWest Brasilia in the background.)

We continue to the gate and deplane. Several passengers thank us for pointing the airplane out and then they are gone. After our “chores” are done, my first officer and I start talking about how do you get to the point in your life that you are the captain on a such a revolutionary, exciting airplane as the Airbus A380.

Click for larger image

We basically conclude that it is a little bit of luck but that it is mostly dedication, perseverance, and a desire to achieve that level of flying. No doubt there is a tremendous amount of sacrifice as well.

I have found that people that fly airplanes for a living got there because they focused intently on achieving it. If you read my “About Me” page, you will see that I loved flying for a long time but circumstances pulled me away from it for a long time too. Then one day fate pushed me back into it and I never looked back. Once I made the decision to fly, I was totally focused on achieving that goal. All or nothing as I remember it.

But how do you get there?

Well unless you have a parent or relative that has flown for the airlines, it can be as confusing as any other endeavor. A mentor or someone that has gone through the process is always helpful, but, as in my case, I had to search out the information and then act on it and that is what I did. I bought the book,
Professional Pilot Career Guide, which is a goldmine of practical tips on career opportunities, training, building flight time, and hiring practices. Another great resource, once you have your hours is Job Hunting for Pilots.

But I think the most important ingredient is “desire.” You have to stay focused, like a laser on want you want and then go after it!

So follow your dream and become a pilot, whether it is a recreational pilot or a professional pilot, but don’t stop till you get the certificate that you want. Pick up the books I mentioned then plot your course!

To Your Future Flying Success…

Jeffrey

P.S. Visit MyPilotStore for other great deals on aviation products!

Other articles you might be interested in:

• The Dreaded Airline Interview
• Five Things Every Pilot Needs to Know
• How To Become An Airline Pilot

…and that is the question…

Every week, sometimes every day, you fly with a different pilot. And every pilot has a different story about their journey on how they got their first “airline” job.

If you aren’t familiar with the steps required to get a job with an airline, I will briefly outline a few different ways you can go about it. Please, note, there are MANY different ways to get your certificates and ratings, so by no means is this THE way to get to be an airline pilot. Each pilot gets to be an airline pilot through different avenues and all are acceptable. It all depends on the pilot and basically their time and money constraints, as well as their ultimate objectives.

Quick note: To get some good ideas on how to fund your flying, Click Here! 

And if you are just getting started consider the Jeppesen Guided Flight Discovery (GFD) Private Pilot DVD Video Course - The New GFD Private Pilot Video Series on DVD contains 10 hours of dynamic content.

The first scenario is the way I did it.

Scenario 1:

1. Private Pilot (Beginner), Single-Engine Land
2. Private Pilot, Multi-Engine Land
3. Instrument Rating, Multi-Engine Land which allows me to fly instruments in a single-engine airplane
4. Commercial Pilot, Multi-Engine Land
5. Commercial Pilot, Single Engine Land (I added this certificate, because I intended to become a flight instructor.)
6. Certificated Flight Instructor (CFI)
7. Certificated Flight Instructor – Instruments (CFI-I)
8. Multi-Engine Instructor (MEI)
9. Airline Transport Certificate (ATP)

A school that I taught at before going to ExpressJet charges $45,000 for a complete package like this. Not a bad deal really. You walk out of there with a lot more multi-engine time than most pilots and if you are lucky, they will hire you as instructor once you complete your MEI and then you just build time in a multi-engine airplane as an instructor. 100 hours of multi-engine time and about 1000 hours total time are the basic minimums for most regional airlines these days but it varies.

Here is another scenario.

Scenario 2:

1. Private Pilot, Single-Engine Land
2. Instrument Rating, Single-Engine Land
3. Commercial Pilot, Single-Engine Land

At this point you could go find a pilot job flying pipeline or traffic watch or banner towing to build your hours, but most pilots become CFI’s and build their hours that way. It’s a start. Eventually though, if you plan on going into the airlines or corporate, you are going to need a Commercial Multi-Engine Rating with Instrument Privileges.

If you go this route though, a lot of pilots will skip the Private Pilot, Multi-Engine Rating with Instrument Privileges and go straight to Commercial Pilot, Multi-Engine Rating with Instrument Privileges. It is a little more demanding but it can save you a lot of money.

One of my best friends is doing it this way, which is very similar to the above paragraph.

Scenario 3:

1. Private Pilot, Single-Engine Land
2. Instrument Rating, Single-Engine Land
3. Commercial Pilot, Single-Engine Land
4. CFI
5. CFI-I
6. Commercial Pilot, Multi-Engine Land with Instrument Privileges
7. MEI
8. ATP

You can see that it is a little different, but this was the path that fit his financial and personal situation and it worked for him. He is having a tough time getting his multi-engine hours up, but any day now, he should have a corporate job flying a Cessna Citation Bravo.

Flight School or Fixed Base Operator?

This is another highly debated question, but I’ll tell you what no one told me. A Flight School or a FBO is just as good as your flight instructor. You have a bad flight instructor and you will waste really good money. If you have a GREAT flight instructor, you will save lots of money and get a good foundation for future flying. So the question: Flight School or FBO? Well again, what is your ultimate goal, financial constraints, and time requirements? A Flight School will get you through FAST but it’s going to cost you…a lot! An FBO is going to be less expensive in the long run BUT it will probably take you longer to get through the program because of the lack of structure and because, and let’s face it, personal responsibilities. “Life” gets in the way when you aren’t completely able to focus on your objective.

One thing that I would like to suggest is that you seriously consider an FBO before a Flight School like FlightSafety or Embry-Riddle. FlightSafety and Embry-Riddle are ridiculously expensive. They know pilots love to fly and they try to exploit it. I know, I went to FlightSafety and it cost a lot. Second, never, and I mean never believe anyone that tells you that you have to go to a Flight School to get a job at the airlines. It just isn’t true. Much like getting a University Bachelor’s Degree, it doesn’t matter where you get it from, you just have to get it. Your future employer is not going to care whether you went to Harvard or your local community college. What they want to know is that you have the degree. The same goes for your future airline employer. They don’t want to know “where” you earned your ratings and certificates. They just want to know that you have them.

I hope that helps.

Till next time…

Jeffrey

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