Expert: D. Norkus - 1/28/2010

Question
Hi I am 14 years old and I have flown with my uncle he owns a small airport by my house so he takes me flying i'm a freshmen in high school and I wanted to see if you could answer my question

Questions
to be a pilot do I need 20/20 vision to be a commercial airline pilot?

Where is the best place to get flight traing?

Is the airforce a better way to go then a university?

Are there any things I can do to get more experiance of flying and with not much pay?

Thank you very much
Rishi Sharma

Answer
1) Do I need 20/20 vision to be a commercial airline pilot?

No, but it must be correctable to 20/20 via glasses or contacts to meet the requirements for a Class 1 medical.

http://flightphysical.com/Exam-Guide/Synopsis.htm

2) Where is the best place to get flight training?

The answer to this is as varied as there are students! The "best" place to get flight training for one person, may not be so for another. Some want their education and flight training from the same place. Others do not. For some, just because a school or university is "Big U." or has a certain reputation, they are the "best" by default. That is not true for everyone, regardless of what the school recruiters may tell you or try to sell you. (Take it all with a grain of salt!) The "best" for YOU can only be determined by YOU based on your personal needs/desires and budget after visiting the locations that fit your criteria and budget most. (The price difference can also be upwards of $50,000 depending on your chosen route.)

3) Is the Air Force a better way to go then a university?

Do not join the armed forces simply as a means to become an airline pilot. Do it if you really want to serve your country but don't think of it 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 even manage to get accepted into the service as a pilot candidate and then 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 exclusively 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 by Darby Aviation, a pilot career counseling service, 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 advanced than mainline aircraft.

4) Are there any things I can do to get more [flying experience] and with not much pay?

Until one has a commercial pilot certificate, you cannot be paid to fly no matter what the size of the aircraft or type of flying. Some things you should consider to gain some flight experience at your age would be joining the Aviation Explorer Scouts or the Civil Air Patrol. Both will get you into the world of aviation and the cost will be minimal. You may even find reduced cost flight training.

Aviation Exploring is a youth development program centered around aviation careers. Member benefits:
* Take orientation flights in military transports, helicopters, gliders, or single-engine general aviation aircraft
* Visit Air Force bases, aviation museums, air shows, or FAA facilities
* Learn to preflight an aircraft
* Take pilot training ground school classes

They also offer scholarships for those on the aviation career track.

http://www.aviationexploring.org/

The Civil Air Patrol offers cadets the chance to take orientation flights in powered and glider aircraft at no cost to them. Paired with an experienced CAP volunteer pilot, cadets help preflight the aircraft, observe takeoff procedures and while aloft actually manipulate the controls and perform basic flight maneuvers. The program also enables cadets to learn about meteorology, navigation and aircraft instrumentation and technology. CAP Cadets fly approximately 16,000 hours in powered aircraft and 7,000 sorties in gliders each year. CAP cadet info-

http://www.cap.gov/visitors/members/cadet_programs/

Regards,
Dottie