Expert: Malcolm Dickinson - 3/29/2006

Question
i'm flying a cessna and also bellhoppers. i want to know how easy it is to become a commercial airline pilot and what type of colleges are good for doing or becoming that.

Answer
Anthony,

To become an airline pilot, you need a bachelor's degree and an Airline Transport Pilot certificate.

Your flight training doesn't have anything to do with college. You can do it before, during, or after college. I did all my flight training after college - I started my flying lessons right after I graduated, in fact.

If you want you could go to Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Florida - a college just for people who want to be pilots. but since a pilot just needs to hold a bachelor degree, in any subject and from any college, I suggest going to the best possible college you can, even if it costs more money than your local college.

As far as the regional airlines, I think they will normally hire someone only once he has 1,500 accident-free hours, with at least 250 in multiengine airplanes.

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

then your instrument rating

then 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. BUT the air taxi svcs won't hire pilots who only have a few hours of multi time, so...

Many 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 1000 hours, and at least 250 of multiengine time, apply to the regional airlines

Once you have 1,500 hours, you then take the test for your Airline Transport Pilot certificate, and you can approach the regional airlines asking for a job!

Good luck! Write back if you have further questions.
Malcolm