A question many aspiring pilots ask is How do I become a pilot? Many still think you need special skills to begin pilot training. And that you have to be extremely smart and have senses no-one else has.
This couldn’t be further from the truth. Though many pilots are smart all of them are just normal humans with a passion for flying. If you just want to learn how to fly for fun then there really are no requirements besides being able to read, write, talk and pass a medical test.
This also applies to private and commercial pilots. In general you should have at least a high school diploma or equivalent and you will have an edge if you have advanced math and physics classes. The reason for this is the flight theory portion during ground school includes a lot of physics. Also basic math skills are used all the time in flying.
If you are aiming for the airlines some of them may even want you to have at least a two or four year degree from university or a two to four year diploma from an aviation college. Some airlines also look for pilots with military flying experience. Aviation career pilot training will explain all of this. Just keep reading.
“Anyone can learn how to fly, just some use more time and money then others.”
Aviation Career Pilot Training - Flying Clubs
Flying clubs typically graduate the most pilots. They can be found in most cities, with an airport, throughout the world. Not all of them offer training, but they all lease out airplanes for members to fly.
In Canada, the United States, Europe and Australia you can even find some flight clubs offering pilot training up to instrument rating and commercial pilot license (CPL).
If you are new to flying and not sure if this is the career path for you, take an intro flight with the local flying club and see if this is the right choice for you. The flight counts towards the training needed for the private/recreational license and will also prevent you from investing a lot of money on something you may not to be that interested in. An aviation career pilot training is definitely not for everyone, so make sure it is the right choice for you.
Aviation Career Pilot Training - Flight School
What is common for all flight schools?
All flight schools have a chief flight instructor. This is the person in charge of all flight training and can be compared to the principle of an ordinary school. Most often they are retired airline pilots or ex-military pilots with a genuine interest in flying and flight training and oodles of hours flying.
Under the chief flight instructor you find one or more assistant chief flight instructors. They are usually senior instructors or have a lot of teaching timein the cockpit. Like the chief flight instructor they perform check rides to ensure your level of instruction that you are receiving is adequate.
Under the CFI and the assistant CFI(s) you find all the flight instructors. The instructors do most of the teaching at the flight school. Depending on the instructor certificates held he or she will do most of the flight training with you, as well as teach ground school. Many instructors are fresh out of flight school and work as instructors to build flight time, before moving on to their first line job. Unfortunately some are not very interested in instructing, so always pay attention to your instructor’s behavior in the beginning and go to your assistant chief flight instructor or chief flight instructor if you experience no progression. Sometimes the problem is the instructor, not you.
Ground School, Distant Learning and Online School
There is a lot of reading involved to become a pilot. Ground school is normally held at the flight clubs or at the flight school. It is normally taught by either a flight instructor or by a retired pilot who is helping the local flight club.
Another approach to ground school is to do it by distant learning or online. Online ground schools are held in most major countries. All you do is pay a nominal fee to the provider and they give you access to their database and online presentations. Some will also provide practise exams to help you pass your theory exams. The benefit of this is that you can study at your own pace, anytime, anywhere.
Airline Preparation School
These are flight schools mainly working with simulator training or checking out pilots for airlines and bigger companies. The fleet often consists of large more advanced aircrafts used for type rating training and their main customers are airlines and companies training newly hired pilots or on staff pilots doing recurrence training. Most are airline owned. This is, typically, the culmination of your aviation career pilot training.
First Officer Program
These are usually small cargo or passenger companies offering time building on their aircrafts for cheap. You can buy bulks from 250-1000 hour flight time and the price varies around $20 an hour for second in command time on multi engine aircrafts. Many even get hired by the company afterwards. If you have the money and want to build multi engine time fast this can be a good alternative. Just remember that you also need to cover living expenses during the period, and you probably won’t have time for an extra job.
Another avenue of the First Officer Program is, in fact, with a major airline. Cathay Pacific, for example, offers a First Officer Program whereby if you meet the requirements, they will train you from scratch and then give you a job as a First Officer (once you have the necessary hours). This is one of the better ways to advance your aviation career pilot training. Take a look to see if one of your major airlines offers one of these programs.
Aviation Career Pilot Training - Military Flying
The big dream for many aspiring pilots is to become a military aviator. The seed is planted when kids watch Top Gun for the first time. It is no big secret that they are the top of the line flight students, getting the best training and flying the fastest, best, and most advanced aircrafts out there. Military pilots are the best of the best, and this is the main reason why they are so coveted by the major airlines.
Also flying for your country puts you on top of most job queues if you one day want to turn civilian again. Patriotism can be very rewarding.
As the different branches and countries have different qualifications and application procedures this is just a general introduction to military aviation.
To get in you should be between 17 ½ and 28 years, but these requirements vary from country to country. United Kingdom for instance have set their age limits from 17 ½ to 23, while others may not have a high limit. Canada, for example does not have an age limit. So long as you can pass the medical and can complete seven years of service once you have your wings, then you can be a military pilot. However the younger you are when getting in, the better it is. Even in training you pull a lot of G's.
You should have at least a high school diploma, and some countries even want you to have a college degree before applying. Today, most countries want you to have a university degree to be an officer, and in most countries you need to be an officer to be a pilot. In the US & UK some helicopter pilots come from the non commissioned ranks so you wouldn't need a university degree to apply. Studies in math and physics are also preferred. This may vary depending on country, branch and aircrafts to be flown.
Most countries prefer you don’t have any previous flight experience before applying. This is because military flying differs greatly from civil flying, and there is flying involved in the selection process. In short, they don't want a candidate who has developed bad habits from previous flying experience. They want to form you into a good military pilot, and the best way of doing this is starting with a fresh flight student.
So if you are already a commercial pilot or have lots of flight hours you may not even qualify to apply. Again this varies. In the Unites States for instance you find many civil trained pilots flying for the National Reserves. However these spots are popular and you need at least a college degree and some flight experience to get in.
The good side of military aviation career pilot training is definitely that you get to fly top of the line aircrafts. All flight training is paid for and if you one day wish to fly for the airlines you are more then qualified. The salaries are good and the job is pretty secure.
On the other side almost all countries have a binding time after completing military aviation career pilot training. This varies but is usually from 7-12 years of service; a long time if you don’t think the military is the best place for you to be. However, a military aviation career pilot training is well worth the time and effort that you have to put into it.