Airline Pilot Questions?

Question

I want to be an airline pilot someday, and what GPA do i need to become an airline pilot? i currently have 3.2 GPA, and i want to go to Embry Riddle Aeronautical University, so please tell me everything that i need to know about this. Thanks in advance.

Answer 1

HI I'm Wayne. I want to be a Pilot aswell. You don't need GPA.

I know about planes alot, I can teach you some things if you want to that is. I want to work with British Airways and if there top staff then i would go to an Airline which has short staff.

I will send you a mail soon  cos i do it to everyone and it helps them.  How old are u?

Don't worry about age actually. C U soon

Answer 2

Train locally.  

Go to a state college or university.  

--Degree in anything.  

Avoid flight academies.

Answer 3

No offense to riddle grads, but Embry Riddle is a waste of money.  Go to your local state school and save money, as you'll need it to finance an airline pilot career.  Go get a degree in engineering, business, whatever, just don't get some useless degree in "Aviation Science" or something like that.  Airlines don't care what your degree is in, nor do they care about anything you did in college or what your GPA was.  All they care about is who you know.  That's what you need to concentrate on.

Unfortunately, in the airline field, all pilots are on the same level.  It doesn't matter if you failed your checkride 5 times or if you are the best pilot in the world.

Answer 4

When i'm older i want to be an airline pilot aswell but i joined the air cadets which is a club or teenagers who want to fly, shoot etc.

But the flying lessons there are a lot cheaper than normal flying lessons and you get to fly a glider and a plane with an engine

Answer 5

There's no required GPA to be pilot.  The GPA only matter for getting into the college.  Whatever the minimum GPA for Embry Riddle University is, you want at least that.  Then once you've gotten in, keep your grades up and excel at the material and lots of Airlines with want to hire you.

Answer 6

GPA is not important to the airlines, but having a college degree is. Unless you want to apply for their engineering program (top notch) Embry-Riddle will more or less take anyone who can afford to pay for their professional pilot program as long as they have a GPA above 2.0 and exhibit other good qualities. With a 3.0 or better you'll have no problem being accepted. They sometimes require remedial classes for those with sub-par math and english skills, but this is the case with any university.

By the way, I went to ERAU and cannot say that it has helped my flying career one bit. Fact is, the airlines do not care whether you have a degree in aviation or a degree in anthropology, as long as you have a degree and the required flying experience. In fact, some prefer anything BUT an aviation degree because it shows that you are a more "rounded" individual.  In addition, while the ERAU flight training program is ok, it is no better than most other flight training programs offered elsewhere for less money. The airlines do not give much weight to where you get your flight training since they hire very few (almost none) applicants right out of college.

If you do go to ERAU anyway, get a degree other than Aeronautical Science or Professional Aeronautics that can actually employ you if the flying career doesn't pan out or the airline industry is in a bad slump when you're ready to go job hunting. Over the past 23 years I've spent a good deal of time out of work as a pilot due to layoffs and airline failures and dearly wish I had a degree I could really use instead of my useless Aero Sci sheepskin that decorates my office wall.

Answer 7

Having good character as well as good grades are important.

Having a college degree is of course better than not having one. It does not have to be aviation related. However even though it took longer and I caught some lucky breaks along the way,

I am now an airline ( cargo ) pilot, and I do not have a fancy degree.

I have no personal knowledge but I have heard many bad things about Embry Riddle.

Do your homework on this, and good luck to you and all other aspiring pilots.

Answer 8

In addition to the good answers above I would highly recommend that you first you go out to the local airport.  Talk to some of the pilots or any of the airport "bums" hanging out and listen to what they have to say. Second, take a "discovery flight" You will go up with an instructor and get to do some flying and see if you even like flying. Third, get a 3rd class medical if you like flying to find out if you may have any disqualifications that down the road may keep you from pursuing your dream. This is just the tip of the ice berg. Here are a few sites to wet your appetite to the beginning of your dream.

This site will help you find an FAA approved doctor to get your medical if you decide to follow through

http://www.faa.gov/pilots/amelocator/

These are along the line of learning to fly

http://flighttraining.aopa.org/

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

http://www.aviation.com/flying/080520-le...

http://www.aviation.com/flying/080528-ch...

http://www.aviation.com/flying/080605-wa...

http://www.clearedtodream.org/

Happy flying.

Answer 9

you dont want to go to embry riddle. they are so rediculously expensive and its not worth it. if you want to become an airline pilot there are many ways to get there. i would say the best way is to get all of your ratings through your local airport and become an instructor and get paid to do that and load up on as many hours as possible. then go to a little airline and start as a navigator and gain hours like that and then they will move you up. once you become the pilot build as many hours and get to know as many people in the industry as possible. or you can go the military way do that for 10 years and fly cargo and stuff and then get out with all your hours and go see if someone will hire you.