How To Start Your Pilot Career
You’re about to begin an incredible journey. . .
And I’m so excited for you! Figuring out how to become a pilot can feel like a daunting challenge. I get it and I’ve been there. I’ve learned a lot since I started flying in 2012, so let me break it down for you.
Getting Started
Step 1: Networking + Research. You’ve already started doing the first and most important step, networking and researching this career. Be an information sponge and reach out to everyone you know who’s a pilot. I’m talking friends, family, the pilots on your next flight, and people just like me, who share their life online.
If I’ve learned one lesson in my career it’s that aviation is all about who you know, not just what you know. As you start flight training, keep in close touch with all of your fellow students and instructors. You never know where they’ll end up and what advice they can give you along the way. Be very careful not to burn bridges, because this industry is small and you’ll find it shocking how often you’ll run into the same people throughout your career in unexpected places.
How young is too young?…. Well, that depends. In the United States, you can’t fly solo until you turn 16 and you can’t get your Private Pilot Certificate until you turn 17. Doing a lot of training well before this can result in wasted training costs. That said, if you’re young or have a kid that’s really excited about flying, try taking a lesson at a local flight school every few months to keep the dream alive! There’s nothing wrong with that.
How late is too late?…. NEVER! I’ve had friends change careers to become professional pilots well into their 50s and beyond. If this is a career you’ve always dreamed of, there’s no better time to start than right now. The joy you get from your career is self-determined, so don’t let young people like me make you feel like you’ve missed your chance.
Step 2: Discovery Flight. One of the first things you should do is take a lesson at a local flight school. Finding a local flight school is usually a quick Google search away or use this online tool by AOPA. Discovery flights are usually between $100-200 and you’ll have the chance to fly the airplane with an instructor on your very first flight! Honestly, I think everyone should do this at least once in their life. This isn’t a serious training event, but rather an introduction to the world of flight schools and flight training.
Step 3: Pilot Medical Certificate. Before you start serious training, you should visit a local Aviation Medical Examiner (AME) to receive a flight physical. If you’re planning to become a professional pilot, get a Class 2 or Class 1 Medical Certificate, which ensures you’re physically authorized to fly as a professional pilot. Unfortunately, there are a lot of things that can prevent you from holding a medical certificate (either temporarily or permanently). Some of the most common barriers are ADD, ADHD, some prescriptions, mental health diagnoses, color blindness, hearing problems, and substance abuse. In many cases, waivers are available but the process can be a long, expensive one. When you’re filling out your medical application form and speaking to an AME, I always recommend being cautious yet completely truthful. It’s better to handle issues that arise early on, rather than once you’ve invested heavily into your career. AOPA has an excellent set of resources and legal experts available to answer your questions here.
Long-Term Decisions
Step 4: Choose Your Flight School. You’ll have to choose between multiple flight training options, with the most common listed below:
Small, Local Flight Schools
Large, Branded Flight Training Academies
Collegiate Aviation Programs
Military Training with a Service Commitment
I’ve covered each flight training option in greater detail in this article. While you’ll find noticeable differences with each choice, you really can’t “do it wrong.” You have to pick the path that most closely aligns with your goals, the time you have available, financing, and where you want your career to take you.
Step 5: What’s Your Financial Plan? Come up with your financial plan and don’t start training until you have it written down. Almost everyone struggles to figure out how to pay for flight training. It’s important to have a game plan in place because starting, stopping, and restarting training will dramatically increase your training cost over time. I wrote this article to break down useful finance options.
I chose the college track to combine professional flight training with a degree. Here’s how it works:
Flight School and Beyond
Step 6: Start Training! “What licenses do I need to fly for an airline?” I get this question all the time. If you’re a new student, I wouldn’t get too bogged down by this yet because there are a LOT of steps to becoming an Airline Transport Pilot (ATP). Looking into all of them will leave you feeling overwhelmed and it just isn’t necessary. If you want a little preview, here are the basics of how you’ll get there:
Student Pilot Certificate: While you don’t need a Student Pilot Certificate to take flight lessons, you do need one to fly solo. You can submit an application for a Student Pilot Certificate up to 90 days before your 16th birthday for airplane training. The application will be processed and vetted by the TSA.
Private Pilot Certificate: Once you have this in hand, you can fly piston aircraft under 12,500 lbs, nearly anywhere in the country. You won’t be allowed to fly for compensation or hire. This is what you’ll start with 99% of the time.
Instrument Rating: Ready to fly in the clouds? You’ll need to get your instrument rating first. You’ll learn how to fly solely based on reference to instrumentation with no visibility outside.
Commercial Pilot Certificate: You can now fly for compensation or hire, but there are plenty of restrictions. Unless you’re hired and flying for a registered air carrier, you can’t just fly people from point to point for compensation. You’ll learn all about the regulations as you train for this certificate. This certificate will allow you to become a professional pilot for the first time!
Multi-Engine Rating: This rating allows you to fly, you guessed it, airplanes with more than one engine. Not every professional pilot has a multi-engine rating, but you’ll certainly need one if you want to become an airline pilot.
Time-Building: The race to log flight hours can be a long, complicated one. Becoming a flight instructor by getting your CFI/CFII certificates is the most common track and the first time you’ll be paid, instead of paying, to fly. This isn’t the only way to build hours, however. You can fly for a Part 135 Air Carrier, a Part 91-operated aircraft, tow banners, fly pipeline patrol, and more. I’ve made a video explaining 10 Jobs to Build Flight Time (video shown below).
Airline Transport Pilot’s Certificate: In the USA, to fly for a Part 121 Airline, you’ll need your ATP Certificate. You don’t usually take a checkride for this certificate on your own. You’ll get the ATP as a part of type rating training at your first airline. Depending on where you completed flight training, you’ll need to meet these minimum time requirements.
There’s no better time than right now to get started.
Hopefully, this helped clarify the basic steps you can take to kickstart your aviation career. Check out the other articles I’ve posted and if I haven’t answered your questions, feel free to get in touch. I’m rooting for you and hope to fly with you soon!
