Expert: David A. NewMyer - 1/15/2008

Question
How much schooling does it take to be a pilot?

What is the average pay?

How long do most people stay in the airforce?

How many people actually engage the enemy?

Why do most people go into the airforce?

What is a good airforce academy?

Do most people fly solo or with a partner?

What do you fly?

How can you get an aviation scholarship?

What is the best airplane you can think of?

Answer
Hi, Cody:

Thanks for your questions.  I will try to assist with as many as I am able to answer.....

1.  How much schooling does it take to be a pilot?  If you wish to be a commercial pilot (one who carries passengers for hire or for payment), then, you must fly a minimum of 250 flight hours (less if you are in an FAA-certified flight school).  Normally, this flight time can take from six months to two years to accumulate, depending on how you approach your training.

What is the average pay?  Beginning pay can be hourly pay from $8 to $20 an hour to be a flight instructor to $20,000 a year to $40,000 a year to be a first officer/co-pilot for a regional airline to up to $100,000 to be a regional airline captain up to $300,000 to fly as a captain at some of the larger, more established airlines.

How long do most people stay in the Air Force?

Most pilot candidates must stay in the Air Force for a minimum commitment of between 8 and 10 years.  That timeframe includes the training that they get and the minimum time that the Air Force wants you to stay on active duty to "pay them back" for the expense of the flight training that you receive.

How many people actually engage the enemy?

This is a tough one to answer....I would say that, if you are pilot, that depends on the type of aircraft that you fly.  If you fly an attack aircraft such as the F-16, then, you will be engaging the enemy quite often, at least in terms of ground attacks.  Air to air combat is quite rare, or, at least it has been in recent years.

Why do most people go into the Air Force?

Most go in for the education and training benefits.  The education benefits have to do with benefits that the military will pay for in terms of advanced degrees.  The training benefit is the excellent aviation training that you receive in the Air Force.

What is a good Air Force Academy?

There is only one Air Force Academy, and that is in Colorado Springs, Colorado.  If you mean, which is the best military aviation branch, that would depend on the type of flying you wish to do (Army aviation flies virtually all helicopters, for example; the Navy flies quite a bit from aircraft carriers stationed in the ocean; the Coast Guard flies in support of marine rescue missions;  the Marine Corps flies in support of their ground troops; the Air Force has a broad-based aviation mission that includes bombing, recon, air re-fueling, tactical air support, etc.

Do most people fly solo or with a partner?  

Your initial flight training (as you work on your Federal Aviation Administration Private Pilot Certificate) is done with an INSTRUCTOR....normally, up to 8 to 20 hours of flying...and then you will be allowed to fly solo.  You will fly solo for some flights after that and for others (such as all instrument flight training) you will fly with an instructor.

What do you fly?

Normally, in initial flight training you will fly a single engine piston aircraft such as a Cessna 152, Cessna 172, or a Cirrus aircraft or Piper Cherokee or Mooney or some other single engine aircraft.  After initial flight training, pilots normally aspire to fly bigger and faster aircraft....so, you will move up to multi-engine aircraft and, eventually to turbine (or jet) aircraft.

How can you get an aviation scholarship?

There are two good sources for aviation scholarship information:

www.uaa.aero  has a Collegiate Aviation Scholarship Listing

www.avscholars.com  has some good information on aviation financial aid and scholarships

What is the best airplane you can think of?

There are many wonderful aircraft out there!  On the commercial side, one of my favorite aircraft is the Boeing 707, which is a four engine jet aircraft that started flying in the late 1950s.  More recently, I am fond of the Boeing 757, which is a twin engine commercial jet aircraft that, in a way, resembles the 707....

If you wish to study aviation in college....

Go to www.uaa.aero and ask to order THE COLLEGIATE AVIATION GUIDE.  This guide lists the colleges and universities that offer aviation programs.  It costs around $25.

I hope that these answers help.  Best wishes to you,

David A. NewMyer, Ph.D., Professor and Chair
Aviation Management and Flight
Southern Illinois University Carbondale
http://www.aviation.siu.edu