How To Become An Airline Pilot
Becoming a pilot can seem like an impossible endeavor, especially when there’s so many conflicting voices on the topic.
This is the path that I as an airline pilot and flight school owner believe is best, but keep in mind there are other paths and other priorities that might warrant different choices.
Step one - Flight School
Step two -CFI
Step three - Regional Airline
Step four - Major Airline
There are two primary options when it comes to flight school, part 141 or 61. These two different parts are the regulations under which flight schools operate. 141 is generally associated with college and reduced ATP minimums, while part 61 is generally associated with fast track programs. For reasons you will see later in the article, I recommend part 61 to most American students.
Like choosing a college, choosing the right flight school can have a huge impact on your flight school experience. Before signing on the dotted line, I recommend taking a tour or discovery flight with at least 2 to 3 flight schools to get an idea of the competition in your local area.
Once you have chosen your flight school, you will need to figure out financing and make sure that you can pass a first class medical examination. These are the primary hurdles to becoming a pilot, money and health. Most schools offer some type of financing, something to look for is financing that offers a grace period or reduced payment period after graduation. The reason for this is that until you are at the regional airlines it can be difficult to make full loan payments on top of everything else and this will reduce your stress through the whole process.
At this point it is very important to look into aviation scholarships as well, there are many scholarships available and a lot of people don’t even apply! AOPA, EAA, Make-A-Pilot Foundation, and many others offer help to student pilots.
So you figured out financing and now you’re ready to get your medical. It is important to obtain a first class medical before you sign for financing because if you are unable to obtain a first class medical you cannot be an airline pilot. It is a fairly straightforward physical examination, but there is one very common misconception. You do not need perfect vision! As long as your vision is correctable with glasses/contacts you can pass.
You’ve chosen your school, you have financing, and you have obtained your first class medical, you can now attend flight school and earn your certificates! A helpful tip to succeed in flight school is to ask questions every day. When you’re studying write down questions and bring them to your CFI at the next flight or ground lesson. Also, studying with fellow classmates is extremely valuable, so make some friends and study together!
Once you graduate you will begin instructing at a flight school to build 1500 flight hours. Flight time varies as a CFI from 40-100 hrs per month depending on the school, your student load, airplane availability, and various other factors.
After building your 1500 hours you will move onto a regional airline! From here, there are two paths forward to the major airlines. First is to join a regional with a flow through agreement to a major airline. Envoy for example flows to American. This is a no-interview, seniority based flow that takes anywhere from 5-7 years usually. Second is to get a degree and apply directly to the major airlines. And I would recommend doing BOTH of these! This gives you security and you can use your flight certificates towards a large amount of college credit.
Many regional airline pilots have obtained their degree online while sitting in their hotel room on layovers. My personal recommendation is the A&M Central Texas online program, it costs $13k to finish your degree if you have tested out of the CLEP basics.
The reason I suggest to get the degree on the back-end is because even if you have a degree you will be at a regional airline for 2-3 years minimum, plenty of time to finish online. This way, instead of getting the degree first and then building seniority later, you start the clock on seniority and jet time and THEN finish the degree.
The airlines are all about seniority, and this path is what I believe to be the most efficient path to flying for the big boys!
So to reiterate:
Step one - Flight School
Step two -CFI to 1500 hrs
Step three - Regional Airline (degree online if desired)
Step four - Major Airline
There are other paths such as Embry Riddle or the military which are fine options as well, everyone has different priorities and it’s important to know what your priorities are regarding your aviation career. Do you want to fly fighter jets? Do you want a college experience? Do you want to get to the airlines at the youngest age possible? Do you want quality of life? Do you want to make $$$?
Thanks for reading!
Jack Parrish, CEO
