Expert: D. Norkus - 4/2/2009

Question
Hi,
Im a female junior in high school and I have to do a project talking about the career I want to do when I get older.  I would like to become a Commercial Pilot for an airline and I was wondering if I can ask you a couple questions about the actual job.

-How many hours per day and week on average would you work?
-What is the work atmosphere like?
-What is the dress code for a female pilot?
-What skills are needed for the job?
-How long on average does it take before I get a decent salary?
-Are women treated differently? Especially if they are also another race?
-What are some good colleges and training that I could go to?
-Is the military a good way to go? What branch?

Sorry its a lot, just answer what you can and if you can give me any other advice it would be greatly appreciated! :)

Thanks

Answer
Maricris

-How many hours per day and week on average would you work?

This varies quite a bit depending on what airline you fly for.
Some pilots do multiple flights in a day while other do international flights where the hours are very long.  More than one crew of pilots is assigned to flights that are longer than 8 hours. Up to 8 hours of flight time per day and 30 hours in 7 calendar days is permitted by FAA regulation.

Some pilots fly schedules with 4 days working and 3 off per week. Others might do 2 day trips back to back for the same work week but they are home or in their base for the night between the two. Others may do 'day trips' where they return to base or home every night. Note: base and home for a pilot may not be the same thing as many pilots do not live in the city where they are based (all their trips  will start and end in the same base city). I have had 4 days at work where I only flew 16 hours. That is not a very productive trip (and it didn't pay very much either.) Personally, I like to fly 4 day trips as I do not live in base and commute to another city to work. I often am scheduled for 13-15 days off per month, but it can be as few as 11. Days off between trips can be 1 or as many as 4 depending on the schedule.

Also, you will be at 'work' and away from home for many more hours than you are actually flying. Pilots are paid their hourly wage only for flight time, so time between flights or on overnights at hotels is paid at another rate called 'per diem' (usually $1-2/hr). It is supposed to help cover out of pocket expenses like food while on the road. Duty is the time period from when you show up at the airport to begin your day till you leave the airport at the end for the hotel (or home).

An example for me is my four day trip this week:

Day one- 7 hours 18 minutes of scheduled flight time with 11 hours 48 minutes on duty.

Day two- 4 hours 33 minutes of scheduled flight time with 6 hours, 14 minutes on duty.

Day three- 3 hours 47 minutes of scheduled flight time with 4 hours, 14 minutes on duty.

Day four- 2 hours 48 minutes of scheduled flight time with 10 hours 19 minutes on duty (includes a 4.5 hour airport wait and a "deadhead" or flight as a passenger to pickup an aircraft in another city.)

So this 4 days of 'work' will only pay just over 18 hours at my hourly rate, plus per diem for each of the 78 hours I was away.


-What is the work atmosphere like?
Literally it is a very small office with a great view. Being a pilot you work as a team with the other pilot, so you will be in a very small space with another person for long periods of time. You may or may not know this person before the flight. Sometimes you find you get along very well and others...well let's just say that you have met people you liked better. Either way, you must work together. Aside of the aircraft, you spend a lot of time in hotels. You get to be quite the traveler and must get used to the idea of living out of a suitcase. You see lots of new cities but you don't always have time to see anything. You may only have enough time to eat and sleep before leaving again the next day.

-What is the dress code for a female pilot?
The same as the males: uniform pants & blazer, pilot shirts and insignias, and hat depending on airline.
examples: http://www.mandhuniforms.com/

-What skills are needed for the job?
To be hired at a regional airline, at a minimum you must posses a commercial pilot certificate with instrument and multi-engine ratings plus at least a Second Class aviation medical certificate and flight experience required. An associates degree is often required but some do not have any degree requirement.

To be hired at a major airline, you must posses an Airline Transport Pilot/ATP certificate with instrument and multi-engine ratings plus First Class aviation medical certificate and the flight experience required. A bachelors degree in any subject is usually required.

I also think the ability to multi-task, study skills, and good communications skills as well as being a good listener help with job duties.


Here are some examples of airline pilot careers pages with requirements:
http://www.americaneaglecareers.com/Jobs/Pilots.html
http://www.southwest.com/careers/pilots.html


-How long on average does it take before I get a decent salary?
The amount of time it will takes depends on where you are hired and your career progression. If you are lucky enough to work at airlines where there is growth as well as pilot attrition, you will move up quickly and make more money sooner. If you are with an airline where your progression to captain is slower, it will take much longer. After a few years in such a situation you should be able to make $30,000/yr as a First Officer (co-pilot) but if you get a fast progression and make Captain quickly, you should be able to make $50K+ in a 4-5 years. Once you move on to a major you may have to take an initial paycut but overall they make more money in the long run. For more info on this topic, see my link at bottom.


-Are women treated differently? Especially if they are also another race?

No. Times have changed since the first females were hired with the airlines in the 1970's. Discrimination by gender, race or age is prohibited by law. The pilot unions and the airlines are very mindful of that.


-What are some good colleges and training that I could go to?

There are many aviation universities from which to pick if that is what you want. It isn't necessary to major in aviation to be a pilot though. Because of that, I don't recommend a specific school or program. Also, such an education can be upwards of $100,000 for a job that starts at $18,000. All schools have their benefits and drawbacks and each student is different, so it is a very personal choice. If you do choose to major in aviation, here is a list of schools to pick from:

http://www.uaa.aero/default.aspx?cid=LCwLnRMIhRg=

-Is the military a good way to go? What branch?
I would never suggest that anyone join the military simply as a means to become an airline pilot. If you simply want to fly for an airline, do not join the armed forces simply as a means to that end. Do it if you really want to serve your country but don't think of it simply as a way to get "free flight training" so you can become an airline pilot.

In all reality, it's not truly "free" and the openings for military aviators are fewer and more competitive than they have ever been. If you somehow manage to even get accepted into the service as a pilot candidate and make it through flight school, you will be committed for a decade or more. You could also get killed in the line of duty.

In decades past, the major airlines drew almost exculsively from the pool of military pilots leaving the service. Former military pilots dominated the hiring boards and they would recommend their friends who were getting out of the service and looking into airline careers. This big "squadron buddy" network was how the majority of pilots got hired.

That is not the case today. For several years now the airlines have been increasingly hiring pilots from a civilian background. According to statistics compiled from Air Inc about 65% of major airline new hires are civilian. This is partly the result of a smaller pool of military pilots available to the airlines than in decades past and the increase in the number of civilian trained pilots with previous jet and airline experience. Almost all the regionals now fly jets, many that go higher or are more technologically advanced than some mainline aircraft. Additionally, most regional pilots looking to move onto a major carrier may have several times over the amount of flight experience as a military aviator (fighter type) as they fly relatively short flights and log fewer hours annually by comparison.

For more information on common FAQs, visit my website. It also has many additional resources for more things you ought to know about the career: http://www.pilotcareer.info

Hope this helps,
Dottie