How much does one become a pilot ? school and for how long?

Question

like to pilot commercial flights i heard they make 250 and hour how much does it cost to get schooled in that, can you have glasses thx for all the info on this

Answer 1

It is sometimes hard to get a complete and thorough understanding of the career path of a pilot from any one past question on answers. People usually give you only bits and pieces of the information you need, and even the most complete answer will still only be the tip of the iceberg. Plus, it is pretty hard to sift through 1000's of past questions to find the few where there is a thorough answer. I will attempt to answer your questions, but keep in mind that I fly helicopters and not airplanes, so I am not nearly as knowledgeable about that side of the industry.

I apologize for the long answer, but my main message to you is that you really need to do your homework before diving into this industry. There are so many things you need to know, and your training will be so much easier and more enjoyable if you do some legwork up front. Please investigate each option very thoroughly. No one on Answers can tell you everything you need to know, and every pilot out there has a unique perspective. Talk to many pilots, both civilian and military, talk to recruiters, visit flight schools, join online aviation forums, and do whatever else it takes to get the information you need from multiple sources. Prove to yourself that the path you have selected is the best one before you start.

Duration

How long it will take depends on how frequently you fly. I've seen some people complete all of their ratings (private, instrument, commercial, CFI, CFII) in as little as 8 months. I have also seen others take several years just to get their private.

How often you fly will depend on three things: your schedule, the flight school's schedule, and the availability of funds. Any one of those may cause you to get stuck, and to take longer. Do some research, and plan ahead carefully to minimize delays created by any of these.

Bear in mind that finishing your initial training will only be the first step on a long path. You will probably want to earn instructor and multi-engine ratings as well, and you will need to find some way to build flight time before you will be hired. It may take several years beyond training to become qualified for the type of flying job you really want.

Cost

As Ben Dere pointed out, you will probably be spending at least $40,000. Verify the total cost based on prices in your area. Don't forget to add in costs for books, supplies, medical certification, written tests, examiner fees, and any advanced ratings like instructor or multiengine.

Glasses

You can wear glasses as a US civilian pilot as long as they correct your vision to 20/20. I do recommend that people get their medical certificate before they sink a bunch of money into training, just in case. The flight school you choose can probably suggest a doctor in your area.

Pay

$250 per hour can be quite a misleading figure. It is probably best to get yearly figures rather than hourly ones. Your first instructing job will probably pay poorly, perhaps $15K - $20K per year. My understanding is that regional airline pilots don't make much more. The key to the high salary figures is experience. Just like Ben Dere said, it will take a long time working your way up until you earn the salary of a major airline captain. You should probably talk to some airplane pilots who have been through the career path to verify their pay scales for you.

Getting Started

Most flight schools offer introductory lessons to give you a taste of flight before you decide to complete flight training. They can also explain in detail the process of earning each certificate, and they can answer any further questions you may have.

I did a Google search for "flight school listings", so you might be able to find one that lists schools near you.

http://www.google.com/search?source=ig&h...

This one looked decent.

http://www.flightschoollist.com/

AOPA is also a good organization with information for aspiring pilots.

http://www.aopa.org/learntofly/index.htm...

Good luck!

Answer 2

I think this question comes up several times a day.  In fact, when you typed in the question, it showed you similar questions that you could have looked at.  Please look around a bit before asking.  You will learn a lot more than asking the same question that people are getting tired of answering.  I hope you take this advise the right way.  Good luck.

PS, how old are you?  Are you ready to pick a career right now?

Answer 3

All the answers are good answers, I have my own two cents to add.

First off, I would take the advice of the other answers and seriously research this field. It's not all fun and games like it was in pre-9/11 world. Pilots don't get paid as much as they used to and the airline economy hasn't recovered yet.

$250 is huge... I have a family member who has been with one airline for ten or fifteen years and he only makes half that per hour.. literally.

I will also mention (or reiterate if it's already been said) that in order to make senior ranks you have to do it within one airline. In other words, the highest-ranking pilot at an airline could leave that airline and get hired by another, but his former rank means nothing; he will still start at lowest rank at his new job.

Again $250/hr is a long long ways off in the distance for you. Flight instruction seems to be the way to go for anyone trying to get a job as a professional; and it's not glamourous and it pays c**p.

Just to get your private pilot's license will probably cost around ten grand (USD) and as little as a couple or a few months, but as long as a year or more. This all depends on how often you take lessons and how fast you catch on.

But that's only the beginning. You will need to be instrument rated, commercially rated, multi-engine rated, flight instructor rated, and airline transport pilot rated. Plan on several more tens of thousands of dollars and a few years' time to get that far. And to be airline transport pilot (ATP) rated, you must be 23 years of age.

You will likely carry debt for many years also.

But with all that said, the question that comes up is "is it worth it?"

It is worth every second and every penny. Flying is an amazing thing and once you start doing it you will wonder why you ever doubted it.

Granted, I am still only a private pilot but I don't plan to make a career out of it.

Answer 4

This is one of the most frequently asked questions on Yahoo!Answers.  Please use the "Search for questions" box at the top of the screen to look for previous answers to this question.

Also, you could try an internet search on "professional pilot training," or visit a local flight school and talk to an instructor.

Good luck.

Answer 5

Ditto the above. Very simply, It's like building pyramid. You start out at the bottom and you have to lay a lot of building blocks before you reach the top. You are going to invest around $40,000 USD in flight training , which will take around a year at an accelerated school to complete, and then you might start working at a salary of $15 to $20 per flight hour that will gradually increase with time and experience. Unless you are very lucky, it will probably take you 10-15 years before you will be earning the $250 per flight hour that you have heard about.