Young pilot needs advice

[Timebuilder]

Another perspective on timing:

Private, Instrument, Multi, Commercial.

2 1/2 years, while working a full time job.



CFI (using three different flight instructors)

another six months, done leisurely


CFII, MEI, as a working instructor, and charter on the side

another year


four months after being laid off (post 9/11)

Learjet SIC job


If I was under forty, and wanted a 121 job? Who knows.


The point is, you can move along quickly up until you work as an instructor at your school. At that point, the market for flight instructors to move into entry level charter/cargo/regional flying will determine how far and how fast you will progress. After that, it becomes a matter of networking, your record as a pilot, meeting the minimums required, and any hiring preferences the employer might have.

 

[dogg]

Man you guys are jaded:

Adam you are at a perfect time in the cycle to be getting your career underway. First there is no rush. So stay away from all the schools that are offering to get you all your ratings right now for 40,000.00 . You have a few of things to do. 1) get ratings 2) get a four year degree 3) build experience and accumulate flight time.

Ratings are important but before you run out and get all of them consider focusing on getting your cfii. That of course requires that you get com/inst ratings. Next think about a college degree that is not aviation related that can provide you with a good income. When you come up with a degree, find out if you can take core classes at your community college for a couple of years. During that 2-3 year period complete your cfii and start instructing.

Remember time is on your side, so don't worry about rushing through college.
The goal is to get out of college with a money making degree and 1000-1500 hours.

If you can accomplish all of this by age 23 you will be golden. And here is why. In 5 years the aviation business will be crawling back up. Most of the furloughed pilots will either be back at work or working in a different field. Regional airlines will be starting to retire pilots for the first time in their history. At 24 you will be hired at a regional into a jet and by 29 or 30 you will be working for a major airline. And look at it this way, at 30 you will have a 30 year career with your chosen major. That is almost too long, so press on be smart, don't get in a rush and you will do just fine.

Oh yea, don't pay a whole lot of attention to all the doom and gloom on this board. Pilots are experts at everything. And if you wait 1 second too long to ask them they will tell you anyway.
Remember, the things they all say on this board are just the limitations in their lives and have nothing to do with you.............

 

[Timebuilder]

Dogg has capsulized a lot of what we are saying to you.

However, don't be too quick to dismiss the caveats and observations of the experienced pilots here. Only time and your own experience will bear out the value of what you find written here.

There are a great many changes going on in this industry, and my prediction is that the traditional airline job that many have enjoyed, and will soon retire from, is a shrinking commodity. This is due to the stongest force on the planet: the Market Force. We have had many discussions about this, but all our words are mute in the face of the market.

We can make many educated guesses about where the business of aviation will be in 15 years, but one thing is certain: it won't be the same as it was in 2000. There are changes in the labor pool, the willingness to join in traditional airline union membership, the business structure of sucessful operators, the size and type of aircraft used, and the flight of the business customer from major airlines. None of this means that you can't have a satisfying career at a major airline. It DOES mean that you may find that you may prefer a job at some other operation instead of a "major" airline.

You can be optimistic about the chances of having a great career in aviation, if you apply yourself. This business has gone through MANY changes. These changes are different, but the business itself will always be there to fulfill the need to travel.

 

[adam_jorgensen]

Thanks again everybody for your great advice. I guess this could be a start to "networking" before I find some real life pilots to talk to other than on the internet all the time. I hope networking on the net counts somewhat. At my age now, how could I network? I really want to get a job at our airport. Applied 8 months ago, haven't herd anything. I think I'm probably too young to work there yet. I probably have to be 18 so I will try again when I turn 18. I could be a ramp rat. I would love to do that and I would meet allot of pilots. That in itself is a second dream, to work for our airport being a ramp rat! Other than that, the closets I'm at to a job to do with airplanes is volunteering at our aviation museum cleaning vintage airplanes and a gorgeous DC-3 from the sixties although, I don't think too many pilots would wonder through unless they persevered their skeletons from the time the planes ran!

I'm not leaving out the military as an option but I will most likely not go, I just don't think I would enjoy the life style. If I were to go, I would might do it after I went to collage to get a 4 year degree or could you do that through the military? KC-10 Driver, could you give me a little more details on being a reserve unit in the military? It sounds a little more appealing. Its just that I'm not that rough type military person. I'm very disciplined, but at the same time, sorta a bit of a sissy. I wouldn't last a day there.

I don't want to concentrate on getting to my goal in a certain time period. I just hope its not like I'm waiting and waiting many years for my big break at something I tried so hard at. I know how that feels already. Not a day goes by that I would wish the airport would call me back. I followed up like 6 times on that reminding the personal manager that I'm still very interested even after 8 months of applying there. I don't know if I will ever get in with them. If I can't even get in with an airport to begin with, how will I ever get it in with the airports planes to begin with? I'm the kind of person who doesn't like to sit around on his butt all day wondering if he should accomplish something. I know how sitting on a fence not making decisions has ruined peoples lives that I know so I want to avoid that at all costs.

 

[bobbysamd]

One more piece of advice . . . .

. . . . which, it appears, you don't need, but I'll offer it anyway.

Pilots make a great number of career (and life-changing) decisions based on incomplete information, rumor, opinion, and, last but not least, speculation. There is precious little objective information upon which to rely.

For example, as you progress in your career you will hear that "X" carrier is hiring. "X" carrier would be a good move for you, but for stories you hear about poor management, poor wages, unreasonable training, pilot pushing (an old term meaning pilots being threatened with dismissal if they don't fly a particular trip in marginal weather). You have to consider the source. Maybe the source of that information is someone disaffected with the company (and there is no shortage of pilots who are disaffected with their company(ies) ). In reality, the place may be alright. The long and short of it is ask the same question to several people and see if you can draw a consensus of opinion. Chances are, that consensus will be close to the truth.

There are few people with absolutely identical experiences on this board. Everyone's experience is different in some way. That's what makes this board a great resource to all kinds of pilots.

Once again, best of luck with your plans. You are at the perfect age to begin preparing for a piloting career.

 

[TurboS7]

Adam,
I remember when I was a junior in high school I had to decide between playing baseball and flying. I choose flying and I can remember all the baseball guys gathering around me in class after I "buzzed" ( I just flew over a 500 feet, it was a country high school) in my little Luscombe. I have had my ups and downs in this industry but I was doing what I loved. Living in Canada I would try to get a job in the bush, great place to learn pilot judgement and whatever else. Don't stick yourself up at the military, I wish I had gone that route but I didn't. I sure had the eyes, 20/10, and I still have that excellent vision, a wonderful blessing. Choose carefully the woman that you marry, aviation demands a lot of time away from home. When you do marry make your wife as independent as possible, give her her own car and checkbook. Make her manager of the household, she will do well and be a wonderful asset. PM me if you want more info. I will be happy to give you any advise that I can offer.

 

[KC-10 Driver]

Adam,

On the military section of this board, there is a lot of discussion regarding military reserve and National Guard hiring. Unfortunately for you, it all seems to be geared towards the U.S. military. I don't recall seeing any information on the Canadian military. And, personally, I know nothing about joining the Canadian military reserve.

However, there is a pilot in my reserve squadron who used to be a navigator in the Canadian A.F. (she has dual citizenship). So, the next time I see her, I will ask her what she knows about flying in the Canadian Defense Force Reserve. It will probably be a couple of weeks at least before I have a chance to speak with her. I will PM you if she has any useful information to pass on.

In the meantime, you should go to the website www.pprune.com and enter the Military forum. There is also a Canada forum on the site. In either forum, you might get some good advice.

The PPRuNe (Professional Pilots RUmour NEtwork) site is geared more towards flying outside of the U.S. Most of the members on that board are from the Commonwealth nations, including Canada.

Again, good luck. I will PM you if I get any useful info from my squadron mate.

 

[KC-10 Driver]

I spoke today with my ex-Canadian military friend.

She told me that the Canadian military does not have reserve units like we do here in the U.S. Almost all Canadian reservists are ex-active duty, and they serve on a "contract" basis within an active duty unit.

So, unfortunately, it looks like using the military reserves to get flight training would not be an option for you in Canada.

Good luck with your continued flight training. Keep plugging along, and you will reach your goals.