Any pilots out there?

Currently flight instructing. Building my hours to get to the airlines. Considering going corporate if an opportunity presents itself.

 

Your profile says Orlando, is that where you're instructing ?

 

So this is the newest thread I could find about flying, hopefully it can be revived. My apologies in advance for the long post. So I am seriously considering a career change. After high school I enlisted in the Navy and did 4 years (non-aviation, I was a supply guy), got out, went to auto tech school and I've been wrenching for close to 5 years now. The money is ok, but working on cars just doesn't do it for me anymore. Flying has always intrigued me, though the Navy DQ'd me from any aviation related jobs due to color vision deficiency. I'm considering pursuing flying as a career but I've got some questions.

What are the vision requirements for civilian pilots? Like I said the Navy wouldn't allow me in aviation because of color vision and I believe depth perception (though I'm certain the depth perception test was BS). Will this prevent me from flying in the civilian sector?

How do you choose a flight school? I've done a little research and most of the "schools" around here (SoCal, I.E.)seem to be mom and pop joints that don't seem very legit. Are their any well known schools I should look for?

What kind of time frame should I expect to complete all required training to be able to find a job flying?

What kind of money can I realistically expect to make starting out? After 5 years? As a pilot are you paid hourly/per flight/salary?

What are the different types of jobs for pilots? Airline/cargo/charter?

What kind of schedule do you guys have? Time spent flying/away from home/at home?

 

Seriously consider your career choice. You can expect to spend $75k-$120k on flight training and then instructing for a couple of years just to build up enough flight hours to be hireable (1200-1500 total time). Instructors generally make $20-$30 per flight hour and you wont be flying 8 hours per day.

Your first gig will likely be with a regional airline flying a CRJ/ERJ/Q400 or something similar for around $35k to start. You will likely sit reserve your first couple of months in a shithole waiting for one of the senior guys to call out sick or fatigued so you can go fly.

After a couple of years at the regionals you will have enough flight time to start applying other places, likely a part 135 charter operation flying a pos Lear 40 or Citation Excel or god forbid a G4 where the pay is better but do not expect any type of work schedule as most 135 operations are "on-demand" operations where the aircraft is managed for the aircraft owner and the management company gets to charter it out when the owner isn't using it. Basically, aside from the 13 hard days off mandated by the FAA every quarter, expect to be on call or sitting in a hotel in some place like Coatesville, PA where everything closes at 7pm. You'll most likely sit right seat pulling gear for the PIC until he either retires or gets fired and then if you're not a total goon and the chief pilot and D.O. like you, you may or may not be offered the left seat and captains pay. Don't expect to have a happy home life or maintain any type of stable relationship.

After 4 or 5 years of this, the airlines will look appealing and you'll be able to apply to a major (America, Delta, Unitednental, etc) and likely take a pay cut to sit in the right seat because you desire somewhat of a schedule and that's okay with you at this point in your career. 10 years down the road you'll be ready to upgrade and wear 4 stripes flying a bunch of cranky New Yorkers from JFK to south florida until that magical part 91 gig flying a G5 pops up and you're working 6-10 days a month makine around $250k annually and you're travelling to places like Dubai, Tahiti, or Rio with a 23 year old flight attendant that annoys the shit out of you.

Sound like something you want to do?

 

Use the search feature over at JetCareers.com and all your questions can be answered. Don't just join and cut and paste this post. People on that forum are from a wide variety of backgrounds and have discussed the road to a flying career several hundred times. Be sure to use the search feature... Do you have a college degree? Be sure to use the search feature... Are you looking to fly for an airline, corporate, agriculture, fire/EMS/leo... Be sure to use the search feature... All of these questions have been asked and answered before, so you will save yourself a ton of time if you use the search feature...

The great thing about aviation is that everything you need to know is published somewhere. Can I get a medical certificate with XYZ vision issues? - check this website: https://www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/avs/offices/aam/ame/guide/standards/

How much does a pilot earn? The airline scales are standardized and available here: http://www.airlinepilotcentral.com/

Payscales in the non-airline jobs can vary greatly between different employers. A guideline for non-airline compensation can be found on JetCareers if you search for salary survey.

This is my long road in a few sentences: Enlisted in the Navy as a mechanic, separated and used the GI Bill for an associates degree in aviation at a junior college which included from 0 to flight instructor. Then taught at said flight school for a several hundred maybe a thousand hours and began flying private/ corporate aircraft. Along the way also earned the FAA mechanic's certificate (A&P), BS degree in aviation, seaplane ratings and experience in a wide variety of aircraft. Currently flying a Challenger 300 for a charter company. My schedule is a rotation set up. On for a certain amount of days, then off, repeat. Similar to shift work at a police or fire station. I am roughly on duty for 16 days a month or 200 days a year, and off 165 days.

 

Excellent summary. Sidenote, are you in Palm City?

 

Yeah.

 

You in Stuart? At Witham?

 

Sort of. Just sent you a PM.

 

Thanks for the input guys... Research time.

 

I'll revive this one, another pilot here. Every pilot, myself included loves to fly. Just remember that if you choose to make it a career, flying for work is a whole different ball game than flying for fun. The paperwork, the training, the time away from home, the paperwork, the constant delays and travelling, the unpredictability, the paperwork, the difficulty in achieving and retaining any semblance of a reasonable social life. Oh, and the paperwork. But you do get to fly planes around (and get someone else to pay for it) so that's pretty friggin awesome. If you can get a rotational gig even better.. plenty of time to play around with the truck. Happy skies.

 

Flying is a good gig, it just takes a lot of work and dedication to get to a good job. Sitting in Cancun now, getting paid to surf the.

 

Become an Air Traffic Controller and buy an airplane to fly on your spare time! FAA is begging for Controllers. In todays world Center Controllers make more than most airline pilots. They still have a retirement. The FAA hasn’t gone into bankruptcy like the for profit airlines. This is an unfortunate reality I have seen in 40 years of aviation. I too once had dreams of a lofty major airline career.

Aviation is a tough career. I got lucky. Ranger Instructor to Army Flight School. Seven years flying OH-58s and UH-1s mostly as an IP. Then a rare selection for the fixed wing transition into RC-12s and C-12s. Retired and my timing was off, missing the major airline hiring cycle. Career with the FAA as a GA and Air Carrier Inspector. Saw about everything General Aviation, Air Carrier (121 flag), AG ops, helicopter ops, accident investgation, simulators, etc... One of the most excited things I was able to do was to fly with disabled pilots for issuence of medical Statements of Demonstrated Abilty (SODA). Yep, paraplegic pilots. Awesome experience. Retired now. Swapped the EMB-550 and G-4 to solo a John Deere Tractor.

Good luck with any career track you follow.

 

Heres my Ride! operating in the Canadian rockies is way to much fun.

 

Currently a dual rated flight instructor and flying the Hughes and Schweitzer 300c, Robinson R22, R44, Cessna R182, 172 and 150. Its been along fun and frustrating road
I can also fly the cessna 310 and will need to build time in works piper seneca II.

Borrowed the r22 and r44 pics from google.

 

Currently working for an OEM doing corporate transport flying a Citation X. In my relatively brief fifteen years in aviation I have been very fortunate to have fallen into a unique corner of the flying world working for a manufacturer. I will say that aviation can be a difficult path through and through but like anything it is what you make it. Attitude really does determine altitude. The people you work with and the people you work for really do make the biggest difference. You can chase money/types/schedule/seniority your whole career but if the people around you drag you down none of that stuff matters. Find the good people and you'll find you enjoy waking up and going to work.... even when its 4 AM. Tailwinds!

 

[RUD LIM A FAIL]

 

ATC here an love it, applied to be a WO when I was enlisted didnt have enough time on my contract would of had to re-up to get packet submitted didnt want to risk it.
I am a contract controller however money isnt FAA pay but love what we do an dont take work home with me. Literally get paid to lookout side an herd cats with student pilots all day.
I will be undertaking getting a private license when funds allow it.

 

Bringing this thread back from the dead.
2015 Middle TN State Aerospace grad. Been flying corporate since 2016. Currently a Phenom 300 captain for a fractional. Aviation is in a weird spot right now, but I have no regrets. Best job in the world IMHO.

 

Check out this thread for aviation stuff.

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/aviation-bs-and-photo-thread.418644/