|
Jimmbbo -> RE: Deciding to become a pilot? (7/9/2007 4:51:36 AM)
|
quote:
ORIGINAL: normgoyer
Hi Jim, you're preaching to the choir. One of my many current writing assignments is for Plane & Piklot where I do reviews of professional flying schools around the country. I also owned and operated four flying schools in SoCal for about 10 years. The demand for pilots has always been an up and down, good and bad time sort of employment. But at the very top of airlines desired applicants are military trained pilots, mainly because of the large amount of mult engine turbine time they have logged. Also the military has outstanding schools and it is possible to swap a few years of your life for logs filled with flight time.
The big problem has always been money for the young folks that want to become professional pilots must pay or their parents. A four year aviation college can cost up to 50 grand and more. Local flight schools like the ones our family ran now cost about 15 to 20 grand for needed certificates and ratings. But that is only the beginning, most airlines want to see some type of advancved degree or logbooks filled with qualifying time. In my opinion, a potential airline pilot should never rule out the military as an excellent source of a flying career. Norm
Hi, Norm,
Agree that airline hiring is extremely cyclical and those cycles are unpredictable, and would add that the trick is hitting the cycle right - I had one friend who was hired by UAL in the late 60's (upside of a hiring boom), and ran the wave all the way to his age-forced retirement as a senior 767 Check Airman. Have another friend who began his airline career in the early '70s (downside of the hiring boom) that had four furloughs and three airlines go bankrupt until he found himself flying First Officer on a Jetstream at age 48... "timing is everything"...
After 9/11, there were lotsa very experienced pilots chasing the few available airline jobs, and only within the last year or so has the market become "pilot friendly" again, to the point where one regional carrier is paying a $5k signing bonus for its newhires... It's anyone's guess how long this cycle will last, but four to six years seems to be about average.
I believe the military trains excellent pilots, and that it should be in the mix, but it also can tie your hands. If you're committed to a 4+ year military gig when the hiring starts, the "prime time" for hiring would likely pass you by. Additionally, the number of full time active duty pilot slots is fewer than during Vietnam or the Cold War, making access to such training more difficult and waiting for such a slot may not be in a pilot's best career interest. It is obviously easier if you are a reservist, but believe those pilot slots are filled by prior active duty and/or current airline pilots...
While all airlines "want" a list of accomplishments and education, what they actually hire is driven by the market, and if they are short of pilots, their "demands" adjust accordingly. While having a military flying background doesn't hurt, their demands for advanced degrees and military flight time has all but been eliminated. FWIW, I suspect we will see many carriers establish "ab initio" programs to solve the impending shortage (NWA developed such a program before 9/11 and UAL was investigating it).
Also agree that it ain't cheap to pay for the professional school route, but the quid pro quo is that if Dave really wants to fly for a living, he'll do what many before him have done... buckle down and make it happen. I'm sure you have seen a number of your grads go on to instructing, charter, find a job with a regional and move on to a national/major career.
Cheers!
Jim
|
|
|
|
