Types/Pay of Pilots?

Question

I have looked all over, and can't find quite the right job along the lines of a pilot. I am trying to find out what is the best type of pilot career you can get. The airlines are not my thing. The whole idea of being a pilot for me is not just pushing a button once you take off and sitting back. I want to have a job more along the lines of a bush pilot, but I don't want to be freezing my rear end off in northern Ontario or Alaska. What kind of flight career has good pay and more excitement than a 747? Thanks a whole bunch.

Answer 1

Flight Instructor.  Responsibilities include preparing students for knowledge and practical tests for different certificates and ratings. It can also include development of lesson plans and training techniques. Work day is irregular. It can include nights and weekends. Except for being qualified in the aircraft and a maximum of 8 hours of flight training given in the preceding 24 hours established by the FAA, there are no other limitations.

Part 135 Cargo Operations. Transportation of small to medium cargo within either one region for smaller operations or worldwide for major carriers. For smaller companies, work days are usually Monday-Friday sometimes including night shifts.

Part 135 Charter Operations. Transportation of passengers on demand on small propeller airplanes or business-class jets.

Part 121 Passenger Operations. All scheduled regional and major airlines fall into this category. This is the segment of aviation that we most frequently use as passengers while traveling. Hours of work and rest are strictly regulated by the FARs.

Part 91 Corporate Operations. Many large corporations own business jets. Pilots are employees of the company in this case. Flights are always on demand. Work schedule can be something like this: 4 days of travel around the country with 3 days off and other combinations up to 7 days on, 7 days off.

Agricultural Operations. Spraying fields with various chemicals. In many cases, the pilot is also the owner of the business.

Aerial Photography. Taking pictures of the earth’s surface for cartographical, real estate, or advertisement companies. As in the previous case, the pilot can also be a business owner.

Traffic/News Reporting. Taking reporters to particular events or places on the ground. It might be done with the help of both helicopters and airplanes.

Law enforcement. Adrenalin elevating aerial chases, of course, are included in this kind of flying as are more “boring” things such as transportation of cargo and people upon request of various government agencies, enforcing speed limits on the roads, etc. Both helicopters and airplanes are used.

Wildlife Services. Airplanes are indispensable in remote places for studying migrations of wild animals, for controlling their count, and for collecting scientific data about flora and fauna.

Aerial Firefighting. Dispensing fire-suppressing agents from the air when conventional ground-based fire fighting methods are ineffective.

Banner Towing. This is mostly a seasonal job in warmer months. It includes picking up and carrying a banner along a beach or a sports event for advertisement.

Sight-seeing Tour Operations. In some regions, these services are provided by flight schools, but in some others like Grand Canyon, there are companies doing nothing but aerial sight-seeing tours.

Bush Flying.  Transportation of people and cargo in remote places. This kind of flying requires high degree of proficiency because it is conducted in challenging conditions.

Factory Test Pilot. Testing new models of aircraft for manufacturers. Besides high pilot proficiency, it requires a bachelor’s degree or higher in engineering. The pilot tests aircraft in different flight modes and works closely with designers and engineers to improve the aircraft’s flying characteristics.

Aircraft Appraisal. Just like in real estate, buying and selling aircraft requires their appraisal considering year of manufacture, total time flown, installed equipment, and many other factors. Even though an aircraft appraiser is more a businessperson than a pilot,  serving customers demands a lot of travel.

Aircraft Mechanic. This is not a flying job, but it's included here, because currently, there is a shortage of qualified aircraft mechanics in the USA. Sometimes mechanics can work as pilots in the same company.

Answer 2

You could always try bush flying in Africa. Its alot of hands on flying and you'll be taking off and landing on very small strips, which makes it challenging and fun.

But you must remember that  flying in Africa is also very dangerous. In many cases you'll find yourself in tight airspaces with a large number of aircraft and ATC that knows little of what they're doing. In some countries you need to avoid rebel areas aswell. The weather in Africa can get horrible with regard to thunderstorms and squall lines and great care must be taken.

Also, living in Africa isn't great, you'll often have power and water cuts and things generally just take longer to get done. Dealing with the people can be frustrating at times aswell. The pay and housing differs from company to company, but you can find a decent salary from some of them.

The flying is spectacular though and I doubt you'll find many places in the world where you'll get the chance to challenge your skills like in Africa.

Answer 3

Consider aerial fire suppression. Not easy to get into but it pays pretty well and is more than a little exciting. The down side is that you're "on the road" 6 months or more per year. If you go helicopters, there's also police work, medevac and rescue, as well as fire fighting, and rotor wing pilots generally make better money than most non-major airline fixed wing pilots.

p.s. I've been employed as a pilot in 11 of the 16 occupations listed in the answer above.

Answer 4

Speaking from my own experience, aerial application (cropdusting) is a well paying occupation that offers much in the way of the kind of flying that keeps you on your toes.  It has its moments, but it also has its dull times.  The hours are long, usually sunrise to sundown, and can stretch to 15 or 20 days at a time without a day off.  It is seasonal, which means that you won't have any free time in the summer, but once you are established in the profession you can start earning enough money to carry you through the winter.  Be aware though, it is a very tough field to break into.  Insurance costs for low time pilots is very steep, and if you are fortunate enough to find an operator that will put you in a seat, you will pay a large portion (if not all) of your insurance premium until you reach roughly 500 hours or so of ag time.  Also, you will not be covered to apply herbicides as a low time pilot, so you will be restricted to insecticides and fungicides, or fertilizers if you work for an applicator that does dry fertilizer.  So being limited in that capacity will also make it more difficult to build hours.  Building hours like this takes patience.  Sort of like a dog begging for table scraps.  You basically have to just take what you can for the first few years, but once you get the hours, it can be very rewarding, flight wise and financially.  Obviously the work is located in rural, farm belt areas.  But this is what I do for a living, and its the only kind of flying that I ever want to do.  I agree 100% with you about that whole airline garbage.  They can keep those type of jobs, I want nothing to do with them.