Expert: D. Norkus - 11/8/2011

Question
sir, i want to know the series of course/documents i need to obtain to be a standard pilot
2.is it the moment i finish  cpl i can fly any type of commercial plane or i have to do some other courses.
3.if i finish my cpl course must i have to start as trainee pilot for some time before i can start flying by myself.
4.how is promotion done
5.what is the starting salary of cpl holder  
thank u sir.

Answer
As my profle states, I can only address such inquires from an American perspective. That said, since you are in Iceland I assume you may be considering coming to the United States to do your flight training.

1. i want to know the series of course/documents i need to obtain to be a standard pilot

I don't understand what you mean by a "standard pilot". A recreational private pilot? I can only address what American pilots need as other countries may have slightly different requirements
or certification process. In the USA you must have an aviation medical exam and certificate in addition to your required flight training (a minimum of 40 hours) and ground school. A written exam, oral exam and a flight test is also required for private pilot certification. This is also true for all additional pilot certificates or ratings.

This is the official FAA website with all the requirements and commonly asked questions you may want to know about American pilot certification- http://www.faa.gov/pilots/become/

This site also has very detailed breakdowns of the requirements for U.S. pilot certificates-
http://www.flightinfo.com

2.[once I finish the] cpl can fly any type of commercial plane or i have to do some other courses.

A commercial certificate only allows a pilot to fly for hire and receive compensation. It has no bearing on the aircraft being flown. If an aircraft requires specific training or a type certificate to be pilot in command or a crew member, then that will be additional training beyond the commercial pilot. For example, all airliners (Boeing, Airbus, Canadair, Embraer ect) require type specific aircraft training. A commercial pilot must first be rated on that aircraft before they can fly it. However they could fly any number of smaller aircraft in a commercial operation with no type specific training. Keep in mind, there are many operations that are 'commercial' not just the airlines.

3.if i finish my cpl course must i have to start as trainee pilot for some time before i can start flying by myself. Once you are approved for a solo while doing private pilot training, well before you begin any commercial pilot training, you can fly alone. It is a requirement for the Private Pilot to have 'solo time' or flights alone.

4.how is promotion done
You didn't say where, but I will assume at an airline. Almost all airlines promote to captain based on seniority or tenure. Once a pilot moves up to about halfway on the roster they can then take captain training and if they pass they will move from a senior forst officer to a junior captain.

5.what is the starting salary of cpl holder
I cannot answer this as it varies wildly based on the employer and kind of flying the pilot does. A new commercial pilot flying skydivers may make $5 a flight, a flight instructor may make $40 an hour or a commercial pilot at an airline may make $20,000USD/year. You need to be very specific when it comes to the job to get a realistic salary figure.

Check out this site for details on training and the airline career path in the USA, if this is where you intent to do your flying-
http://www.pilotcareer.info

Regards,
Ms. D. Norkus