Expert: D. Norkus - 9/18/2005

Question
Hi. I think I want to be a pilot. How can I be sure commercial flight is for me?

Answer
Ryan

You should get at least your Private Pilot license, if not your instrument rating too, first and see how you like it. Once you have some flight training experience you will be better able to see for yourself if you really have the interest to do it professionally or just as a hobby. There are many people who dream about becoming a pilot as the profession has been so romanticized, but the realities involved in the career are often not what they expect.

Also, the sacrifices you (& your family/spouse if you have one) are going to have to make, financially & otherwise, cannot be underestimated. You really need to be educated on all that's involved to make such a career jump. If you decide to 'go for it', do so with no illusions about what is required. Flight training to become an airline pilot will cost you at least $40K for the required licenses & rating plus flight time rental to meet the minimum expperince needed for even the most entry level flying job. For some it's over $60K, depending on the route you go.

After flight training and getting that first time building job, then getting hired at the regioal airlines you can expect to have some pretty substantial loans to pay off (unless you are quite wealthy to begin with). New hire regional pilot pay is often about $18,000 and it may take over five years to see the $25K/mark. This is a factor you should consider and be prepared for if you want to jump into this career.  

Check out my page about pilot careers and the links at bottom for the 'big picture' of what getting into this career entails:

www.geocities.com/av8trxx99/FAQ.html

I also highly recommend the sites linked at the bottom of my page for further reading, espcially www.jetcareers.com

Good Luck