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What employment opportunities do pilots have?

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StageLeft

No Lifer
Obviously airline would be the peak of it - but what about somebody who has no flight hours whatsoever and then goes to get their license? What would be the general steps, cost, and time involved and what sort of job opportunities do they have? AFAIK to be a real airline pilot you need to accumulate a bunch of hours in smaller planes and work your way up but how does one do this and is it even a feasible career path in that you can reasonably expect to get employment?
 
i have a friend who is a pilot.

he got his liscence
then he got his instructors license
then he got his commercial license

now he is working on the next grade for his commercial and at the same time, making money as an instructor. that way he gets hours without the cost of the plane (student pays for plane).

he stays very busy doing this, but also needs to work part time at a school as a teachers' aide to get insurance and steady pay during the winter months.

he expects to start flying for a commercial airline fairly soon.

i am sure there are books and websites on the subject.
 
Cool. I'm looking into it a bit anyway. I know a guy who got his license a few years back and apparently it was many years of flying for very low wages as you build hours but I'm not entirely sure, cause that was only from him...
 
Get your private, get your instructors (CFI), become an instructor, use the money made instructing to get your instrument, get your instrument instructors license (CFII), become an instrument instructor, use the money to get your multi, get your multi instructor license (MEI or MEII), become a multi/multi instrument instructor, use the dough to get your commercial, get a job flying something for close to nothing (hopefully a jet of some sorts) untill you can get your airline transport pilot license
You'll rack an assload of hours up, which youll need.

(note: not garunteed successful) 🙂 This was my plan, anyway.
 
Originally posted by: crab453
Get your private, get your instructors (CFI), become an instructor, use the money made instructing to get your instrument, get your instrument instructors license (CFII), become an instrument instructor, use the money to get your multi, get your multi instructor license (MEI or MEII), become a multi/multi instrument instructor, use the dough to get your commercial, get a job flying something for close to nothing (hopefully a jet of some sorts) untill you can get your airline transport pilot license
You'll rack an assload of hours up, which youll need.

(note: not garunteed successful) 🙂 This was my plan, anyway.
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Thanks! What's the time frame on this? Why did you give up on this plan?

 
Originally posted by: Skoorb
Originally posted by: crab453
Get your private, get your instructors (CFI), become an instructor, use the money made instructing to get your instrument, get your instrument instructors license (CFII), become an instrument instructor, use the money to get your multi, get your multi instructor license (MEI or MEII), become a multi/multi instrument instructor, use the dough to get your commercial, get a job flying something for close to nothing (hopefully a jet of some sorts) untill you can get your airline transport pilot license
You'll rack an assload of hours up, which youll need.

(note: not garunteed successful) 🙂 This was my plan, anyway.
Click to expand...

Thanks! What's the time frame on this? Why did you give up on this plan?
Click to expand...

The time frame depends basically on how much you fly. I can't even guess.

I never continued because I broke my neck, which is a step I'd suggest leaving out 😉

 
Yeah I'd be sure not to do that one. When you say it's not guaranteed what sort of odds are we talking overall? The sort where 1/100 people who do their best to be an airline pilot eventually become one or 50%? Is it more than likely that the average joe on this path (I have a degree and I know that is required in some cases) will just end up instructing in some weird part of the country for $12/hour for the rest of their life?
 
Originally posted by: Skoorb
Yeah I'd be sure not to do that one. When you say it's not guaranteed what sort of odds are we talking overall? The sort where 1/100 people who do their best to be an airline pilot eventually become one or 50%? Is it more than likely that the average joe on this path (I have a degree and I know that is required in some cases) will just end up instructing in some weird part of the country for $12/hour for the rest of their life?
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Well if you have the time, a little money, and an understanding family you can get there definenly. Finding a job with the majors may be a pain, or you can get a deal like a friend of mine did. He only had a PPL, and received training, and an airline job for free. Mesa-Air paid for EVERYTHING. You can see requirements at their site. I'm not saying you'll have that luck, but you can find costs on there.

Check out PPRuNe. Post in those forums, they'd have better answers than I do, having not ever flying for an airline.
 
I've been wondering about this too- becoming a pilot has always intrigued me. I'm thinking more along the lines of business-jet or NetJet type stuff. I'm trying to start a computer company and become a CEO, so maybe 20 years from now I can fly my own Gulfstream to Munich for meetings. 🙂
 
Some other possibilities are charter pilot, corporate pilot, sightseeing flights, skydiving lesson pilot, aerial photography, banner towing, mile-high club flight services...

Use your imagination. An enterprising person will come up with some way to get people to pay for their hobby.

Personally, I'm not interested in being an airline transport pilot. Sure it's the big leagues with the big pay, but it's a glorified bus driver. BTW, there's a big difference between Commercial and ATP certificates.
 
You were looking for a change of career, right?

I've heard bad things about pilots, such as having the most screwed up working/sleeping hours possible (think of all the timezones!) and increased risk of cancer due to cosmic radiation.


Well, I would suggest construction/contracting industry. The pay is really good, the jobs are enjoyable and available, plus you get excercise too. But it depends on whether you like working with your hands or not. Its not a job for everyone.
 
I should mention that of the pilot jobs I listed, the only one that might make you a decent earning is corporate pilot.
 
Originally posted by: kgraeme
I should mention that of the pilot jobs I listed, the only one that might make you a decent earning is corporate pilot.
Click to expand...

One downside is, you're basically always on call. You need to rush to the airport pretty much at any minute.
 
Originally posted by: crab453
Get your private, get your instructors (CFI), become an instructor, use the money made instructing to get your instrument, get your instrument instructors license (CFII), become an instrument instructor, use the money to get your multi, get your multi instructor license (MEI or MEII), become a multi/multi instrument instructor, use the dough to get your commercial, get a job flying something for close to nothing (hopefully a jet of some sorts) untill you can get your airline transport pilot license
You'll rack an assload of hours up, which youll need.

(note: not garunteed successful) 🙂 This was my plan, anyway.
Click to expand...


alot of people do this, I'm the all computer/network admin for an air ambulance company. the pilots are either military, or do what crab said. most hope to some day fly for the big airlines.
just remember to get hours wherever you can.

goodluck
 
Originally posted by: crab453
Originally posted by: kgraeme
I should mention that of the pilot jobs I listed, the only one that might make you a decent earning is corporate pilot.
Click to expand...

One downside is, you're basically always on call. You need to rush to the airport pretty much at any minute.
Click to expand...

The bidness my mom works at has a corporate jet. Guy is the pilot and his wife is the co-pilot/steward. Fly down to Houston for 2 days, have an allotment of cash for spending and your hotel/meals taken care of. Doesn't sound too bad to me 🙂
 
The CFI plan is the most common, but keep in mind that it pays for crap. At least for the CFIs I've known. Think low 20s.
 
AFAIK to be a real airline pilot you need to accumulate a bunch of hours in smaller planes and work your way up but how does one do this and is it even a feasible career path in that you can reasonably expect to get employment?
Click to expand...
You are exactly right, you need lots of hours and there's no way to 'skip' a few rungs on that ladder unless you're military. A friend of the family has finally got a position as a 'real' commercial airliner pilot after spending about 15 years in the business. He started about 25 and became serious about being a professional pilot around the age of 28. He is now 44 years old and has only been an airline pilot for about 6 months. The only things that held him back were money and having no connections. This road is an expensive one, you can be sure of that.

He spent a few years flying transport of non-precious cargo (that means no passengers), working his way up, logging flight hours, and getting paid less than you can make at McDonald's in Boston. Then he spent a few years those American Eagle type commuter aircraft which carry 30 - 60 passengers. Long undesirable hours and low pay, this is the lowest man on the common ferrier totem pole. There were many times he wanted to bail and do something else, primarily because of the low pay. But he says it was all worth it now that he has finally gotten where he wanted to be.

As you may be aware, the flight training and instructor industry is hurting rather badly post 9/11. There currently is a surplus of flight instructors who have a whole lot more credentials and experience than you. It will remain that way for at least a few more years, so if you think there are positions just waiting to be filled in the instruction and training industry...guess again.
 
Originally posted by: tcsenter

As you may be aware, the flight training and instructor industry is hurting rather badly post 9/11. There currently is a surplus of flight instructors who have a whole lot more credentials and experience than you. It will remain that way for at least a few more years, so if you think there are positions just waiting to be filled in the instruction and training industry...guess again.
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Excellent point. A lot of schools went out of business because of the flight restrictions. Heck, I didn't feel like flying.
 
This is probably going to be very costly and take a while but if you stick with it I'm sure it'll be $ worth it $ in the end.
 
Originally posted by: kgraeme
Originally posted by: tcsenter

As you may be aware, the flight training and instructor industry is hurting rather badly post 9/11. There currently is a surplus of flight instructors who have a whole lot more credentials and experience than you. It will remain that way for at least a few more years, so if you think there are positions just waiting to be filled in the instruction and training industry...guess again.
Click to expand...

Excellent point. A lot of schools went out of business because of the flight restrictions. Heck, I didn't feel like flying.
Click to expand...

Mine did 🙁
 
I am also interested in getting my PPL, and possibly even become a CFI, if I can afford it. I don't want to go all the way to get a comercial airlines job. The biggest i would go would maybe be a small jet or something. In order to be a CFI, do you just go to a local airport and see if they are hiring, or do you buy or rent your own plane and teach in that. How is it that they don't make much money, I know it costs a lot to get your PPL, so where does all the money go? I am assuming a large chunk would go towards gas and other plane time and maintainence and what not. But about how much exactly goes to that stuff? Even if i did become a CFI, I would prolly have something else on the side, but i was just wondering.
 
Well I learned in a 152, which i'm guessing burns 8-9GPH, fuel (100LL) was about $2.15-$2.75/gal... That's about $20.80 per hour for fuel, instructor was $20/hr, insurance was $5/hr, a used (late seventies, early eighties) 152 is ~$20,000-$30,000, the school has bills, taxes, fees, etc. An hour in a 152 with an instructor was $75/hr at my school, that sounds about right too.
 
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