Expert: D. Norkus - 1/23/2006

Question
Hi thanks alot in advance, you would realy be helping me out if you could answer my question.
do i need any qalifications to start for PPL licence and what qualifications do i need to start my Commercial licnce course? also (i know its a long journey to become an airline pilot but)is it easy to get a job once fully trained?

Answer
Steven,

Other than money or a loan for funding the only thing you would really need to begin flight training is a medical certificate. While you can take your first few lessons without it, you should have it as soon as you can so you can be sure you are medically fit to pursue flight training. It would help you if you also had done some ground school studies before beginning flight lessons but some jump in with a few intro flights first so it's OK if you do as well.

Read the PPL requirements here- http://flightinfo.com/learntofly.htm

And the commercial here-
http://flightinfo.com/commercial.htm

The average PPL completes their training in close to 80 hours, not the FAA minimum of 40. A commercial pilot applicant can take that flight test with a minimum of 250 hours (unless they went to a "PArt 141" school then it's 190.)  You will need around 120-30 hours of flight time built up on your own to begin working on the commercial maneuvers at approx 200-210 hours. You do NOT want to spend a lot of money drawing out your lessons over time or your training will end up costing you twice the price as you repeat so much!

Once you have completed flight training and have a commercial license (at about 250 hours) you need to build up another 750 hours to get to the amount of experience most regional airlines expect of their applicants (1,000 hours with 100 being multi-engine). Getting a job is very relative. Sometimes the industry is booming and sometimes it is not. Aviation is extremely cyclical. The opportunities when you have the experience may be better or worse than they are now. No one can predict what it's going to be like with any accuracy. I know of several people who have gotten out of this business due to the ups & downs and poor pay in a post 9/11 world.

Check out my page on flight training and airline careers for more FAQs and links to informative websites:

www.geocities.com/av8trxx99/FAQ.html

Hope this helps,
Dottie