AboutMalcolm Dickinson Expertise Certified flight instructor and commercial pilot, rated in all categories of
aircraft. I specialize in primary instruction in airplanes and gliders;
gyroplanes; and transition instruction in Lake Amphibians (seaplanes). As a
search-and-rescue pilot with Civil Air Patrol and the Coast Guard Auxiliary,
I can offer information on joining and flying with those organizations.
Experience Experience:
As a pilot, earning ratings in all categories of aircraft, including rotorcraft and lighter-than-air.
As a flight instructor, instructing eight high-school aged Civil Air Patrol cadets
Question Hi, I've been interested in becoming an airline pilot for sometime now and I've finally decided that this is the career that I want. I already have my bachelor's in communication and am trying to find out what I need to do to become a pilot. I've been looking at different flight schools online, but I don't know which one would be the best one. Two of the schools that I came across are ATP Flight School and National Pilot Academy. Are these good schools and if not can you tell me what schools that would be the best. I've also heard that you need 1000 hours to get hired by an airline. Can you please let me know what I need to do, how many hours I need and the best way to go about this.
Thanks,
Mike
Answer Mike,
You may think you want to become an airline pilot, but before plunking down $15,000 or more at an all-at-once flight school, I think you should get involved in aviation first (get your private pilot certificate) and then decide whether you want to do that full time.
I am not familiar with the various all-at-once flight schools, but a friend-of-a-friend is at one of them now, and I'm sure he would be happy to tell you about it. Contact him at mikegofman@gmail.com
Here is a summary of what you need to do, to become an airline pilot. I hope it is helpful.
The first step is to get your private certificate. I suggest you do this locally, while KEEPING YOUR JOB :-) so that you can get a feel for aviation without spending a ton of money. Research the local flight schools, check out www.beapilot.com , and choose a flight school and instructor carefully. See my suggestions at my web site, www.av.mdickinson.com , on how to choose a flight school.
After earning your private certificate (this takes 6 months if you take 3 lessons a week, or a year if you take one lesson a week) then immediately go on to earn your instrument rating. You can do that with the same instructor and flight school.
Plan on spending around $5,000 for the private training and another $4,000 for the instrument training. These are very approximate guesses and it varies a lot depending on what part of the country you are in.
After earning your instrument rating, build up 250 hours of time (try to split the time with friends so you don't have to pay for all of it yourself) then get your commercial pilot certificate (you must be 18).
Then go right on to earn your certified flight instructor (CFI) certificate then start instructing at a local flight school... build up as many hours as you can. You won't make much money, but you'll be logging flight time without having to pay for it!
Once you have 500 hours, get your multiengine rating and start talking to local air taxi services and/or freight haulers about flying for them. You need to log multiengine time. Some pilots find the only way to get the multiengine time they need is to become a multiengine flight instructor
(CFI-MEI) and teach multiengine lessons.
Once you have 1,500 hours, you then take the test for your Airline Transport Pilot certificate. That's the last step and makes you qualified to become an airline pilot.
I think the regional airlines will normally hire someone only once he has 1,500 accident-free hours, with at least 250 in multiengine airplanes. So once you have the ATP certificate and at least 250 of multiengine time, apply to the regional airlines!
Do you know what the starting pay is for a co-pilot on a small regional airline? It's probably a LOT less than you are making now with your bachelor's degree... I think "under $20,000" but that may have chanced by now. Mike will have more up to date information, and he can probably give you a different opinion on the merits of all-at-once training vs. while-you-work training than I did.
Just remember - don't start your training for a given certificate unless you have all the necessary money in the bank. People often start on their private pilot training, get halfway through, then stop training when they run out of money.
