Becoming a Commercial Pilot?

Question

My son is 10 and is interested in becoming a commercial pilot when he grows up. What steps should we take to help him along in the next 10 years? Any advice like courses he should be very proficent in? Summer programs?

Answer 1

enroll him in a cadet program?

aviation summer camps?

make sure he doesn't ruin his eyes by always reading or watching tv or staying at the computer

make sure he is doing ok in basic academic subjects like math and english, science helps too.

make sure he is active, get him to play lots of sports

hand, eye, and feet coordination helps quite a bit

it might could be a passing urge so the above steps are good enough for that.

if he does not lose interest, then consider more intensive things like, upon reaching 14-15, sign him up at a flight school and begin is official training to be a pilot. get him a few in-depth books about aircraft too. start saving up, or start asking him to save up for flight school and flight. it will get expensive. just look up some answers here relating to cost of flight school training.

obviously, also make sure he is clean, no crimes, no addictions, no mental or physical illnesses, because any of that could easily limit his job opportunities.

I would rather not expose him to games simulating flight yet. he might get the wrong ideas. gaming flight and real flight are totally different. it could help him learn the theory just so long as he knows that the flying isn't at all the same

maybe when he is in his teens, then I would go for a as realistic flight simulating game as possible. X-plane or a microsoft flight simulator ten or 11, god knows what version is going to be out by the time he's 14.

when he is slightly older, try www.liveatc.net, thats where you can hear real pilots and real air traffic controllers communicate in real time.

Answer 2

Alright...this one's a fun one.

First of all, let me warn you that you/he might have to spend a good amount of money. There are a few courses he can take:

1.) Learn from a local flight school.

a.) You'd be surprised how many flight schools there are around you. There are many airports scattered all over the country - it's just a matter of finding them. The best way to find a flight school is going to http://www.aopa.org/learntofly/, the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association "New Pilot" area. Current FAA regulations have not set a limit on the minimum age to begin flight training - your son may start whenever. The FAA has, however, set regulations on the age to be able to solo and aircraft and carry passengers. All pilots must be at least 16 to solo an aircraft and may not carry passengers, in addition to a few other regulations set locally by flight schools. At 17, students can earn their Private Pilot Certificates and fly  with passengers, but cannot get paid. An additional Commercial Pilot Certificate must be earned (in addition to Instrument and/or two-engine aircraft ratings) to be able to get paid for the flight services. This being said, I would recommend that your son, if you and he elect to start training early, starts flight training at a local flight school at 15 years old. This way, he has a year to learn everything before soloing at 16. Then, he'll have a year's worth of PIC - Pilot in Command - to be proud of, where he can then carry passengers at 17.

2.) Pilots may elect to stop local flight school training at the Private Pilot stage, or may not go this route at all. Some people prefer to get all ratings at an aviation college or academy. Some are listed below under "sources" for this answer.

3.) After getting a Commercial rating, pilots have to get an ATP - Airline Transport Pilot certificate - to be able to fly the big jets. This can be achieved by going to either an aviation college (University of North Dakota, Western Michigan University, Embry-Riddle University of Florida or Arizona, among others) or another flight school-like academy (FlightSafety Academy or the Delta Connection Academy, for instance).

The flow for becoming an airline pilot is as follows:

1. Student Pilot Certificate (16, no passengers, no pay)

2. Private Pilot Certificate (17, passengers, no pay)

3. Instrument Rating (allows pilots to fly in marginal weather and use radio and GPS equipment solely for navigation)(private pilots fly mostly visually, with some assistance from basic instruments)(17, passengers, no pay)

4. Multi-Engine Rating (allows pilots to fly multi-engine aircraft) (can be achieved before Instrument Rating)(17, passengers, no pay)

6. Commercial Certificate (allows pilots to be paid to fly)(17, passengers, pay)

5. Airline Transport Pilot Rating (allows pilots to fly a scheduled commercial airliner)

6. Type ratings in aircraft, usually given by airlines depending on what aircraft your son would fly. Pilots start in small regional airliners, including turboprops, then have opportunities to move up the ranks. Being a pilot is about seniority. The longer you are with an airline, the more priveledges you will have.

If you have any questions (I know this is confusing) feel free to e-mail me. [e-mail]

Answer 3

he can start flight school at the age of 14 in high school. some flight schools offer vacation programs. but he still has a long way to go before he starts flying.

Answer 4

If he is ten you have plenty of time, aviation colleges are a waste of $. He must be good at math, this he can start on now. IMHO he should start flying in high school at a local airport and get his private pilots license. College is for a real degree not aviation/airport management. Have him study and take the written exam at a quick weekend course. Get him a 1st Class aviation physical before he starts flying to make sure he is a candidate for the commercial pilots job. There are many steps to climb before a pilot can become a commercial airline pilot. I would be happy to answer any ?s you might have.

Captain American Airlines