Need help on becoming a Commercial Pilot.

[Snoa-Tycho]

Hello. Just a bit of background information. I am 14, I am male, and I am a freshman in high school. After long thought, I have decided to set my sights on becoming a commercial airline pilot. Preferably for Delta or Southwest. As I understand it, you need to get your Private license first, which allows you to fly solo over 17 years of age. That's about $8000. Then you need your instrument rating, which tests how well you can fly in harsh conditions. That's another $8000. Then after about 1500 flight hours, you get your APT certificate. Which allows you to fly passengers for money and allows you to fly for hire. I have a few questions.
1. How competitive is the market for becoming a First Officer pilot?
2. If I were to start training in a year, when could I expect to get my APT cert?
3. What are some short cuts to getting your APT (Without turning to the Army)
4. Do I have to pay for renting the plane while getting my APT?
5. How long did it take YOU to go from your Instrument rating to your APT (Or how long do you estimate, if you don't have one)?
6. How enjoyable is the Commercial pilot career?
7. I was thinking that, on weekends and holidays, I can fill in flight hours by flying out of state, am I allowed to do this? I live in Florida, so it's a pretty narrow state that doesn't allow for much flying in circles without going over water.
8. How much, in all, will I end up paying before I can get my dream job of being a commercial pilot?

 

[BoeingBoy]

You left out some steps - getting the commercial license, getting the multiengine rating, and it wouldn't hurt to get the flight instructor license. That lets you get paid for flying, although not as pilot in command on turbine powered or over 12.5K max gross weight (that's where the ATP comes in).

1. How competitive is the market for becoming a First Officer pilot?

It varies depending on how much hiring is being done. The major airlines drive it - if they're hiring there's entry level jobs available from people moving up the ladder, when they are furloughing it can be hard to find a job except at the bottom of the barrel (flight instructing, hauling checks for a bank, etc). Keep in mind that you won't go from training straight to a 737or A320 right seat.

2. If I were to start training in a year, when could I expect to get my APT cert?

Depends on how often you fly. If it's a couple of hours a week, it'll take a long time. The quickest way is to go to one of the pilot schools that offers just flight instruction on a compressed schedule, but the more often you fly the higher the weekly/monthly cost.

3. What are some short cuts to getting your APT (Without turning to the Army)

Go to one of the pilot schools in a part of the country where the weather is generally good.

4. Do I have to pay for renting the plane while getting my APT?

Through the commercial license, generally yes. And don't forget the instructor gets paid for part of those hours too.

5. How long did it take YOU to go from your Instrument rating to your APT (Or how long do you estimate, if you don't have one)?

About 5 years - Embry-Riddle then working for a small freight outfit as a first officer.

6. How enjoyable is the Commercial pilot career?

Depends on what you end up doing. If you eventually end up with a major airline, it's not as good as it once was but it's not a bad way to make a living. There are other good jobs out there. But to get there you spend however long working for low wages, so you have to pay the dues whether you eventually get that dream job or not.

7. I was thinking that, on weekends and holidays, I can fill in flight hours by flying out of state, am I allowed to do this? I live in Florida, so it's a pretty narrow state that doesn't allow for much flying in circles without going over water.

When you start off, you'll do a couple of cross country flights on the way to getting the private. Those can either be in-state or up to Georgia/SC depending on where you're taking lessons. The private, instrument, and commercial are pretty structured so there aren't really any hours devoted to just cruising around sightseeing and building hours.

8. How much, in all, will I end up paying before I can get my dream job of being a commercial pilot?

I have no idea what the cost is today - I did it back in the '70's. I'm guessing something around $100/hour until you can get the commercial/multiengine but don't really know. Once you have your basic ratings, the "cost" is often long hours at low pay just to build time to qualify for that dream job. I'd recomment getting a degree - all the Major airlines have probably 100 applicants for each job opening and a degree is a way to put yourself in a smaller pool of applicants.

Be aware the if you do get that dream job, you could be furloughed if the economy turns sour. US Airways is probably the worst place to be for that - pilots hired in 1988/89 have spent at least half the time since being hired out on the street furloughed. Also be aware that maybe 1 in 10-100 get that dream job at a major airline. So plan on getting a degree (it can be in conjunction with flight instruction) and working some number of years building the hours to even qualify for attempting to get the ATP.

Jim

 

[EricLv2Fish]

I wouldn't discount the USAF. Military is a good way to get all the training and experience you need and see the world while your doing it. There is a price to pay....they own you for 4-8 years, but I would evaluate along with what Jim's recommendations. Alot of places have Jr. Air Force ROTC (Officer Training Program) programs that'll give you additional early prep.

 

[nycbusdriver]

... before I can get my dream job of being a commercial pilot?

It's good to have aspirations to a "dream job." In the case of becoming a commercial airline pilot, I have some suggestions that just might save you financial worries and personal difficulties once you find that dream job flying airliners.

Stay in school to get a skill/profession outside of aviation (call it your Life's Plan B.) I realize this may mean drawing out the time it takes to land the airline job, but being a pilot, airline or otherwise, is not the most reliable way to earn a living. As BoeingBoy mentioned, you may end up spending a lot of time early in your career on furlough (i.e. laid off.) The airline business is very cyclical, and whenever there is a downturn in the economy, a spike in fuel prices, or other bad news, the airlines always seem to feel the brunt of it. This usually gets translated to layoffs.

It would be wise to have a masters degree in an area outside of aviation, or even (as some airline pilots have,) a law degree or medical degree. One of the first lessons you will learn when you begin to fly is to always have a backup plan for inflight problems (an inflight Plan B.) APPLY THAT to your life, in general, especially if you choose to make aviation your primary career. Have a backup plan for the time if/when the airline job goes away.

I totally understand where you are coming from. Pilots like to fly airplanes. Period. There is no substitute. You have obviously been "bitten" by the "flying bug," so you will likely never be happy unless you go for it and attain that goal. But I cannot emphasize this enough: Have a good, solid backup plan for when the flying career has its inevitable downturns.

One more piece of advice, if I may. Any and all of this buildup to your airline career (and Life's Plan B) is infinitely more doable if you hold off marriage until you have your career goals within your grasp. If you feel you must get married beforehand, at least try to delay having children until the career plans are firmly in place. You may end up chasing jobs all over the country, or planet, before you get the experience level necessary for an airline career. Even as a very senior airline pilot, you will be absent from home a lot. Keep that in mind. As your family grows, you may find your Life's Plan B more enticing than flying airplanes if giving up aviation means you get to stay home with your loved ones, watch your children grow and be there for them.

Aviation is truly a bittersweet way to make a living. But, yes, there is nothing that substitutes for flying airplanes. I totally get where you are coming from. Best of luck, young man. Welcome to the club!

 

[PullUp]

dont do it. find something else. Pharmacists start at 95K with same education investment. And home at night.
Or, if you really want to fly, join the USAF or ANG/Reserve. Active duty flying pays better, better lifestyle.
Reserve/guard flying lets you do what you want and still fly jets.
Beats the airlines - they pay nothing and offer no perks worth anything now.

 

[autofixer]

dont do it. find something else. Pharmacists start at 95K with same education investment. And home at night.
Or, if you really want to fly, join the USAF or ANG/Reserve. Active duty flying pays better, better lifestyle.
Reserve/guard flying lets you do what you want and still fly jets.
Beats the airlines - they pay nothing and offer no perks worth anything now.

I did the Guard thing and it was great...until I actually got the airline job then it wasn't so great, I was having to work constantly between the two jobs. Full time Guard has to be the best job in the World. If I had it to do over again, I would have pursued that route.

A little over a year ago I was flying with new hires on the E190 and they were telling me they had anywhere from $80,000 to $120,000 in student loan debt; they were making about $37,000 per year (This was right before they were furloughed for the past year.). If these figures are true, it is hard to justify based on return on money, time, blood sweat and tears spent.

Come to think of it, get a Guard or Reserve slot and go to Pharmacy school, fly with the military on your days and evenings off. Sure, there will be the occasional deployment, but you know that going in.