The Current Market for Pilots

loftyleafedlindens

loftyleafedlindens

New Member
Hello all,

I'm currently thinking about a job as a pilot, and I've come here to get some information on how I would go about doing that.

I'm 28 years old and have a bachelor's in journalism. I have 2 flight hours at a small local flight school but I realize that I probably can't get a job going this route. I also have a wife and a 1 year old daughter.

Basically, what would you as pilots recommend that I do to get education and land a job? How do most pilots do it? Is there a huge surplus/shortage in the number of pilots that makes for bad job prospects?

I've been doing some research into ATP, it sounds like most folks who graduate are lucky to find instructor jobs let alone jobs at regional airlines. But then again I'm not entirely opposed to doing a school like that.

Thanks.
 
There's a lot of info here about getting into the professional pilot world, but as of right now, there is quite a demand for pilots.

In my opinion, stay away from schools like ATP, and stick with a trusted, reputable local flight school. You can still get everything done, and at the same time you can network and meet other pilots, while spending less. At the moment, there are plenty of CFI jobs out there, because the airlines are scooping up anyone with the required hours. One thing you should ask yourself now, is what kind of flying do you want to do? What's your goal? You don't need to know 100%, but having an idea is good. Do you want to fly corporate? Airline? Each path can have different routes.
 
Welcome to JC.
I echo the above advice. Go to a smaller school or club to get your private. It is about how you click with the CFI.

Keep coming onto JC. There are some great resources here.
 
Thanks for the replies!

So there is a threshold for hours that commercial pilots have to have before being hired?

It sounds to me like the main limiting factor is money - I've already paid quite a bit to get my first two flight hours.

If I'm short on cash, would ATP (or another school that allowed me to finance) be a good choice?
 
To answer the original question, the market for pilots is always over saturated. Getting a job after flight school will be tough, to put it mildly. Do your research before making the jump. There are a ton of great threads and resources on this site, USE THEM!
 
First, take advice here with a grain of salt as there can be some bitter people on here (just like any forum). But, there is also some great advice on here.

My best advice is don't get into too much debt during training, even if it takes longer. As a CFI you might make 25-30k and as a first year regional FO maybe 25k. The money will come with time, but don't overburden yourself with debt starting out.

Also, you will have no trouble finding a job if you are willing to move for it. So be prepared to move alot while you work up the ladder. As a single guy its never been an issue for me, but if you have a family it could be tough.
 
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Where are you located? That can help people here try to steer you in the right direction as well. Hopefully you can find someone on this forum that is local and can help you find a good school, good instructor, etc.

Best of luck to you and welcome to JC!
 
Im also in the little to no debt crowd, Do it for a little as you possibly can.

I went to ATP as did many other here, took out a huge loan and have a long way to go till its paid off. Keep it cheap had I gone to a local flight school I could have SAVED anywhere from 15-30 THOUSAND on my flight training. Its that big of a number. There will be many many jobs for pilots for the foreseeable future.

You can plan on getting 250-300 hours private thru CFI. You now need 1500 total hours to get an airline job as well a meet other requirements. Thats most likely going to be one of your biggest hurdles in this industry. Be willing to move to get those hours, be prepared to be poor. It's a long tough road, but it is what you make of it, and it can be very rewarding. I'd do it all over again if I had to.
 
skypilot6 said:
Im also in the little to no debt crowd, Do it for a little as you possibly can.

I went to ATP as did many other here, took out a huge loan and have a long way to go till its paid off. Keep it cheap had I gone to a local flight school I could have SAVED anywhere from 15-30 THOUSAND on my flight training. Its that big of a number. There will be many many jobs for pilots for the foreseeable future.

You can plan on getting 250-300 hours private thru CFI. You now need 1500 total hours to get an airline job as well a meet other requirements. Thats most likely going to be one of your biggest hurdles in this industry. Be willing to move to get those hours, be prepared to be poor. It's a long tough road, but it is what you make of it, and it can be very rewarding. I'd do it all over again if I had to.
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Good advice here! I also overpaid and went to a big flight school. In hindsight, I would find a local FBO that's willing to give you a good deal on block time. You don't need a brand new airplane decked out with fancy avionics to train in.

I don't know if you have a job right now, but may be a good idea to stick with it and do training at the same time.
 
In a nutshell... If you are considering taking on a massive amount of debt to pursue professional aviation, DON'T DO IT. You have a young family and you have to consider that first. The chances of you making more than 30K to 35K for the first 5 or so years of being a professional pilot are not great. So take a serious look at your finances and your "10 year plan" to see if it would even be feasible. Talk to your spouse. This is a career that takes a strong "special" kind of spouse and it is hard when you are starting out.

Get your private pilot rating, take your time, and enjoy the process. And as others have said keep visiting Jet Careers. There is a wealth of knowledge here and lots of helpful advice.
 
Also, consider that you will be away from your family a LOT. No birthdays, holidays, weekends, bachelor parties or anniversaries at home. Also, know that your days off will be spent commuting if you're at a regional and you don't live in base.

I love the job, but I'm not that into the lifestyle. If that makes sense.
 
I'm going to echo what a lot of people have already said, but here it goes anyways. I spent 4 years researching and finally diving into this profession. I had a decent amount of money in the bank to cover my expenses while training at ATP. I also realized it would be about 5 years before I made a "livable" wage with this career. I'm almost 3.5 years into this deal, and after some pretty substantial lifestyle changes, I've made it work and almost past first year regional FO pay.

I am single and honestly couldn't see myself doing it if I was tied to two other human beings. Not to rain on your parade, but I saw many people in your situation come through ATP and only one made it through. It's possible, but it's going to take an understanding and flexible wife- preferably one that makes good money as well. I would not suggest going into debt for this career because when sallie Mae comes knocking on the door asking for 700-800 dollars a month and your paychecks are 1500-2000 a month, the math doesn't add up when you have three mouths to feed. Like others have said, start out at a local school, see if you like it, and pay as you go. It might take you longer, but it is by far the more responsible way to do it with a family. I don't mean to come off as negative but there are a lot of tough questions you need to figure out and talk through with your wife before diving in. Good luck!
 
loftyleafedlindens said:
Thanks for the replies!

So there is a threshold for hours that commercial pilots have to have before being hired?

It sounds to me like the main limiting factor is money - I've already paid quite a bit to get my first two flight hours.

If I'm short on cash, would ATP (or another school that allowed me to finance) be a good choice?
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You need 1500 hours before you can go make 22k at a regional airline. Do the math. Its a horrible idea.

Oh and if you're married, forget about it. AIDS = aviation induced divorce syndrome.

It WILL happen. You will NOT be the shining exception.
 
I would recommend getting your private certificate at a local flight school. Make sure that you have the means, or save up to fly at least twice a week once you begin your training in earnest. Don't quit your current job until after you have earned your private certificate and you and your wife have decided this is what both of you want to do. By the time you have your private you will have a better idea of whether flying is for you, and whether or not you and your wife are willing to commit 60k+ on an investment that might take 10 years or more to see a return on if you stay committed to this career/lifestyle. Good luck.
 
I went through a school 20 years ago and nothing has changed. Young single guys with money and time make it through. Never saw any family people who even tried. I went to Comair academy in 1993 and dropped 25k. The CPI would peg that now at around 40-45 but that isn't the case. The big schools now will tap you for 60-100k. It's WAY more expensive now. When I got out 20 years ago regional FO's made 16-22k, THE SAME AS THEY DO NOW. Instructor pay in 1993 was 10 bucks an hour at the puppy mill, probably still the same.

Mostly young rich kids or guys with VA bennies who make it. I knew of several guys who financed Comair back in the day with unsecured credit(credit cards) and their plan was to declare bankruptcy when they got out. Be prepared to be and stay broke for a LONG time.
 
FedUp said:
Oh and if you're married, forget about it. AIDS = aviation induced divorce syndrome.
It WILL happen. You will NOT be the shining exception.
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cezzna said:
I went through a school 20 years ago and nothing has changed. Young single guys with money and time make it through. Never saw any family people who even tried.
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I saw plenty of married guys make it through ATP's program in 2004 and 2005. Out of the 11 I can think of off the top of my head, 8 are still married to the same person they were 10 years ago. Of those 8, 6 are flying for airlines or similar 135 departments.
 
I disagree with the whole "being a pilot means you should go ahead and just expect a divorce" thing... Not to derail the thread here too much but I came from a military family and my dad was gone for about half of my first 10 years of growing up. I saw my parents fight and argue from time to time but they never separated or divorced and were together for almost 30 years. If you marry the right person, then you shouldn't have a huge issue down the road.
 
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