Choosing Your Pilot Career
So you want to be a pilot? What kind of pilot? Are you a thrill-seeker and will only be happy if the flying is fast and versatile? Do you want to race airplanes or do aerobatics at an air show? Or do you want to drink your coffee and read the paper while cruising along in a predictable, managed flying environment?
Do you want to fight fires for the Forest Service for months straight in the summer and take all winter off to snowboard? Or do you want to work two weeks on and have two weeks of rach month off while flying on a corporate jet to the Bahamas to golf while waiting on your private passengers?
Do you want to chase down criminals in a highly dynamic environment and a highly dynamic helicopter, or do you want to fly straight and level chartering businesspeople in and out of New York City?
Do you want to get a college degree (sometimes required to be competitive at most major airlines) or is higher education not for you and you want to just get straight to work flying an agricultural aircraft for farmers?
As you can see, there’s a bit more to choosing a pilot career path than just deciding to be a pilot and beginning flight training. Think about the pilot jobs listed above. They are all very different. Between quality of life, salary, benefits, work schedules, risk level, workplace environment, pace, skill level, and job entry requirements, there are a lot of factors to consider when choosing a pilot career.
Consider also your own personality, skills, and needs, and if your personality will fit better with one of these job types better than another.
Choosing Your Aircraft
While your career choice may dictate the aircraft you want to fly, sometimes your aircraft choice will dictate your career. If you absolutely love helicopters and must fly one, you might look at medical jobs, helicopter tours, or the Coast Guard.
But there are more than just helicopters and airliners. The Pilots Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge outlines the following types of aircraft:
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- Airplane
- Glider
- Lighter- than -air (airship, balloon)
- Powered-Lift
- Powered-Parachute
- Rocket
- Rotorcraft (gyroplane, helicopter)
- Weight-Shift Control
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Most, but not all, of the pilot career opportunities will lie within the aircraft and rotorcraft classifications. But don’t discount that there may be opportunities for careers in the hot air balloon or blimp sectors.
Earning Your Pilot Certifications & Ratings
Once you’ve identified a career path, you can begin to look at the certificates and ratings you’ll need to get there. In general, most career pilots will need a commercial pilot license, whether that’s in a helicopter, balloon, or airplane. You’ll start with a student pilot certificate and work your way up to commercial and possible ATP certificates.
It’s important to note that there are pilot certificates (not licenses – that’s a term the common man uses but there’s no such thing in FAA language) and then there are ratings, which are basically privileges that are added on to an already-earned pilot certificate. You can’t just get an Instrument Rating, for example, without having a certificate to attach it to. In this regard, ratings come after you get the certificate. You can attach an Instrument Rating to a Private Pilot Certificate or a Commercial Pilot Certificate, for example.
Student Pilot Certificate
A student pilot certificate is required before you fly solo, and allows you to fly with a flight instructor or under the supervision of a flight instructor for solo flight. To obtain a student pilot certificate, you must be 16 years old and read, speak, write, and understand English.
Sport Pilot Certificate
The creation of the sport pilot certificate was a way to make flying more affordable for those who don’t want to invest all of the hours required to become a private pilot, and who want to fly locally in only light sport aircraft and with limitations. The sport pilot certificate also allows pilots to fly without the full aviation medical exam that is normally required - again with limitations.
Recreational Pilot Certificate
The recreational pilot certificate requires fewer hours to complete than the private pilot certificate, and has more restrictions, such as having to stay with 50 miles of the pilot’s home base. Before the Sport Pilot Certificate, it was a good option for hobby pilots but it’s an uncommon certificate today.
Private Pilot Certificate
To obtain a private pilot certificate, one must be 17 years of age, read, speak, write and understand English, pass a written exam, and complete at least 40 hours of flight training, although the average is more like 70 hours.
The private pilot certificate has fewer restrictions than the sport pilot or recreational pilot certificate, and is a prerequisite for further training, so most people who want a pilot career will start with a private pilot certificate. Private pilots can carry passengers but are not allowed to accept payment for flying services.
Commercial Pilot Certificate
The Commercial Pilot Certificate is an advanced pilot certificate that involves advanced study topics and more precise maneuvers training. The commercial pilot certificate also allows a pilot to fly for hire – they can be legally compensated to fly passengers or cargo.
Pilot Ratings
Pilot ratings are different from certificates. They require additional training and are attached to an already-earned certificate. The instrument rating and multi-engine ratings discussed below can be attached to either a private pilot certificate or a commercial pilot certificate.
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- Instrument Rating – A private pilot certificate is somewhat restrictive with regards to weather, allowing a pilot to fly in only visual meteorological conditions. An instrument rating (IR) allows a pilot to fly under less-than-favorable weather conditions (marginal or instrument meteorological conditions). An instrument rating allows a pilot to fly in fog or clouds, depending solely on aircraft instrumentation for navigation.
- Multi-Engine Rating – Anyone who wants to fly an aircraft with more than one engine is required to obtain a multi-engine rating, which include specific training for engine failures.
- Type Rating – Aircraft over 12,500 pounds, turbojet powered aircraft, and any other special aircraft that the FAA deems necessary all require a specific aircraft type rating. These are required for jets, airliners, and specialty aircraft that for obvious purposes require their own specific training.
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Flight Instructor
For most career pilots, the step after earning a commercial pilot certificate is the certified flight instructor certificate. Pilots will typically earn their commercial certificate with about 250 total hours. To get most entry-level commercial pilot jobs, however, more hours and experience are needed. One way to obtain those hours is to become a flight instructor.
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- Certified Flight Instructor (CFI): The CFI certificate is one of the most intensive and difficult certificates to earn. It’s extensive, covers every topic in training that exists, and enables you to teach student pilots and commercial pilots. Instrument flight training, however, requires an additional rating- the Certified Flight Instructor Instrument rating (CFII).
- Certified Flight Instructor Instrument (CFII): The CFI- Instrument rating allows an already-certificated instructor to teach instrument students.
- Multi-Engine Instructor (MEI): The MEI allows an already-certified instructor to teach multi-engine students in multi-engine aircraft. It’s a sought-after rating since hiring qualifications for many commercial jobs include a certain number of multi-engine hours.
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Airline Transport Pilot Certificate
If you want to become an airline pilot, the final pilot certificate you’ll get is the airline transport pilot certificate. All airlines require it, and some other commercial operators may require it, too. Except for additional type ratings for each aircraft you fly, the ATP certificate is highest and final certificate you’ll get.
To obtain an ATP, one must be 23 years old (20 years old for military members), have a commercial pilot certificate with an instrument rating, have 1500 hour of flight time (there are certain exceptions, take the ATP course and pass the FAA ATP knowledge test.
Choosing Your Flight School
Before choosing a flight school, it’s important to look at the different options and types of training environments. When it comes to pilot training, not every school is the same. The FAA has divided flight training schools and training centers into three main categories for flight training: Part 61 and Part 141 schools, which are initial training programs, and Part 142 flight training academies, which are mostly simulator-based, airline-focused training academies for advanced training.
The “parts” discussed here come from Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), titled “Aeronautics and Space” and are comprised of all of the Federal Aviation Regulations (FARs) surrounding pilot certification, airspace, and operating an aircraft.
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- FAR Part 61 is titled “Certification of Airmen”
- FAR Part 141 is titled “Pilot Schools”
- FAR Part 142 is titled “Training Centers”
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From your time as a student pilot through your commercial and CFI certificates, you’ll be primarily involved with either Part 61 or Part 141 schools.
Both types teach the same material, and each has advantages and disadvantages. You can think of Part 61 fight training as flexible, at-your-own pace training at your local airport. Part 141 schools are often larger, fast-paced programs with more structure and continuity.
Part 142 Flight Training Academies
Flight training academies are high-level simulator training academies that prepare airline pilots and corporate pilots for advanced training and aircraft type ratings. Airlines often have their own simulators, and as such, their own training academies. Other academies, such as FlightSafety International, have simulator training programs for a variety of aircraft from business jets to airliners. These training programs are highly regulated by the FAA.
Part 141 Flight Schools
Part 141 flight schools submit to a lengthy application process with the FAA to become certified as a Part 141 flight school. They are then approved by the FAA at a higher standard, and they are required to provide continuity, making sure aircraft and instructors are available to students. They have an FAA-approved standardized training program for each student, and must meet a certain pass rate.
Part 141 schools often have a hierarchy, with multiple instructors, a chief pilot, check airmen, dispatchers, training standards, and other support personnel. Students who train under a Part 141 program are allowed to complete certain certificates and ratings with fewer hour requirements based on the structured environment.
Disadvantages to Part 141 training include:
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- The direct costs can be higher than Part 61 training, although some of the program can be done in fewer hours, saving some of those costs.
- The pace is set for the student and often doesn’t allow for enough extra training time if a student falls behind.
- There’s little or no flexibility in when a student flies – some training programs expect you to fly when they schedule you.
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Part 61 Flight Schools
Part 61 flight schools are operating under the original flight school standards, which just outline the hours a student needs and the topics that need to be covered. It’s up to the instructor and the student to determine how and when it all gets accomplished. This can allow for more flexibility, especially for students who can’t accommodate a traditional full-time school schedule due to jobs, family, etc.
Disadvantages to Part 61 flight training include:
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- Lack of structure: While the same material is covered under Part 61 that’s covered under Part 141, the structure can vary wildly under Part 61. It’s up to each individual instructor how they want to structure their lesson plans
- Training delays: If the instructor is unavailable or the aircraft breaks down, there may be significant delays.
- Lack of continuity and standardization: Inside of a Part 61 school, each instructor may have a different syllabus, if they use one at all. A student who changes instructors may experience setbacks and frustration.
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If that’s not enough, it can get even more confusing when the same flight school offers both Part 141 and Part 61 training! This is either because they want the flexibility to market toward every type of student and/or only portions of their program were approved by the FAA for Part 141 training.
It’s important to know what type of student you are, as both of these programs have advantages and disadvantages. Either program can work for you, but one may be preferable to the other depending on your learning style, schedule, and need for structure.
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