How Can I Become an Airline Pilot?

Question

I am 16 years old. I am thinking about this career but how do I start? Down the road, how can I work for the big companies and earn the big salaries. I think it would be fun flying a plane and the money for the mainline pilots is very good. Please be specific and not vague. What would my qualifications need to be etc.

Answer 1

test as soon as possible, certainly before going on cross country solo flights. Get certified as a Private Pilot--Airplane. Get whatever loans you need. Begin instruction for Commercial, then Instrument. Become a flight instructor so you can instruct during your college summer months. Go to a state college, and get a degree in anything other than aviation. Stay accident-free. Get an entry level pilot job. Pass the Airline Transport Pilot written examination. Get multiengine rated. Go into corporate or commuter air carrier flying. Upgrade to Captain

Answer 2

Visit local airports.  Buy the books needed for studying, and for passing the written examination.  Begin training.  Pass the written test as soon as possible, certainly before going on cross country solo flights.  Get certified as a Private Pilot--Airplane.  Get whatever loans you need.  Begin instruction for Commercial, then Instrument.  Become a flight instructor so you can instruct during your college summer months.  Go to a state college, and get a degree in anything other than aviation.  Stay accident-free.  Get an entry level pilot job.  Pass the Airline Transport Pilot written examination.  Get multiengine rated.  Go into corporate or commuter air carrier flying.  Upgrade to Captain, with your checkride sufficing for both Captain and ATP.  Transition to faster planes.  Become a check pilot.  Become a check airman if you want.  Transition to better airlines.  Fly at the airline of your choice.

Answer 3

work your but off. training is very expensive. you should just go to your local (small) airport. just go there and ask sombady the same question.

Answer 4

You mentioed money several times. DO NOT FLY FOR MONEY. Yes, they do make a lot, but pilots fly because it's their passion. They don't do it jsut for money. Honestly, if pilots got a crappy salary, I would still fly regardless. I think of the salary as a "bonus" - getting paid doing what you love.

16 years old huh. Well you should get started right away. I would have suggested starting at 15 but this is fine too. First you need to find a flight school visit these sites: http://www.beapilot.com and http://www.learntofly.com to search for schools in your area. There are two types: part 141 and part 61. 141 are generally better as far as quality goes, but from my experience, I think 61 schools have friendlier staffs. Visit all the schools in your area, check out the fleet, meet the staff, the environment you'll be training in - make sure you're comfortable with the school you chose regardless of what type it is. You can attend as often as you want, whether it's once a month, or three times a week. Whatever. After 6 months - 2 years ish of flying, you'll solo. You must be 16, and pass a third-class medical exam. When you're 17, you get your private  pilot certificate. You then get your instrument and multi-engine ratings. When you are 18, you get your commercial pilot, which requires 250 hours in fixed-wing, must be 18, and pass a second-class medical exam. You now need to go to college and get a four-year degree (DO NOT GET ONE AVIATION-RELATED). If you become a pilot and another 9/11 occurs, you'll get layed off and no airlines will be hiring. Having a degree in aviation won't help, so get one in another one of your interests i dunno such as electronics or whatever. Anything you would enjoy doing if being a pilot fails. Think smart, be prepared. When you get your 4-year degree, you can try getting hired by a regional airline to build up flight hours. Some pilots go into the military (do not, there is no telling what or if you will fly) and some become CFI's (certified flight instructors) or cargo pilots. When you become a captain of a regional and have enough hours, you can move up to the majors. Some majors require that you have your ATP which requires you to be 23, have 1500 fixed-wing hours, and pass a first-class medical exam. However, some don't. Some only require that to become captain, it depends on the airline. When you first get hired you start out as F/O and you may or may not be a reserve pilot at first, it depends on how many pilots they need. Once you have enough experience as a blockholder F/O, the airline will promote you to captain, again you may start out as reserve. And that's the top.

You need to have 20/40 vision. Now, don't freak out if u have seeing issues. If your vision is correctable with glasses or contacts, that's fine. Ummm....I think that's about it.

Answer 5

There are basicly two paths, both start out the same....

Step 1 Goto college for what ever you want.

Then you can take two paths

either join the military or you can do flight training at an airport near your home. You can goto college and learn to fly there but you wont have any other skills in case something happens so dont get a degree in aviation.