Expert: David A. NewMyer - 12/22/2011

Question
Hello,

I just want to know if a person is CPL holder not ATPL holder and has no flying experience. So is he eligible to get any sort of job as a co-pilot or any other?
Also what he should do next?

Regards

Answer
Hi, Ashu,

Thank you for your question via AllExperts, it is nice to hear from you.

First of all, as a Commercial Pilot License holder, you are certificated to fly for hire in the nation in which you were certificated.  Usually, to earn the CPL, you will have SOME flying experience/flight time.  In the USA, it is usually about 250 flight hours.

The key is to build your flight experience, using your CPL and, perhaps, with the addition of a Flight Instructor Certificate.  With the Flight Instructor Certificate, you can add to your flight experience by teaching others to fly.  

Additional ways to build your flight experience, depending on the local economy and what is available to you, is by working in one of the following flying jobs:

--Flying as a first officer or co-pilot for a smaller, regional airline flying smaller aircraft

--As a charter or for hire pilot working for an aircraft charter company (in some cases the individual companies may have an insurance restriction that does not allow you to do charter work until you have 500 or more total flight hours of experience).

--As a pilot flying for an aerial touring company (a company that has aircraft to take tourists to key tourist destinations in your nation)

--As a co-pilot flying for a corporate flight department (a company that owns its own aircraft for the purposes of flying its employees--some petroleum companies have their own aircraft, for example)

Again, it will depend on what is available in your local area.

I hope that this is helpful to you!

Sincerely,

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