Expert: D. Norkus - 9/24/2006

Question
Hey Dottie

i have a bunch of questions i'm a JR in high school, for the past year or two i've been thinking to myself what do i want to do and i finally decided that i want to pilot, and i really wanted to find out what the easyest quickest ways were
I was considering the military joining the airforce or navy to fly but how long would that take, for the military i was wondering how hard it would be to get a spot piloting, and how many years of military service i would need to fly there as well as how long it would take in in the service before i could start flying
If i were to go the civillian route how much would it cost and how long would it take to be able to apply at a Airline, and what would be my chances of getting a job there considering how there are still some pilots out of a job because of 9/11
also i was wondering if you could tell me or give me a link of what the minimum requirements are to get hired as a pilot from and airline, how much schooling flying hours things like that

and  also i was wondering again i go to a tech school will that effect my chances of getting into any schools that i may need to go to to get the degree's required to get hired by airliners

thank you beforehand for all your help, and i know your not a miitary specialist so if you don't know the answers to the first half of my questions thats ok

Answer
If you simply want to fly for an airline, do not look to join the military as a means to that end. Do it if you 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, then make it through flight school (the wash out rate is high), you will be committed for a dedade or more. You could also get killed in the line of duty. To get specific answer about military pilot careers, try the forums at Military.com-

http://forums.military.com/eve

In decades past, the major airlines drew almost exculsively from former military pilots. Former military pilots either dominated the hiring boards or 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 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. Additionally, msny pilots looking to move onto a major carrier will have several times over the amount of flight experience as a military aviator because of their regional job.

To find out about the civilian pilot career progression and costs, flight time requirements ect, see my website about flight training and airline pilot careers at-

http://www.geocities.com/av8trxx99/FAQ.html

I also have many, many links at bottom that are pretty much required reading if you want to get into this career so check them out too.

Hope this helps.
Dottie