Becoming an airline pilot.

Becoming an Airline Pilot

• Thanks for responding so quickly.  I eventually want to fly for a major airline and what you have described has really enlightened me.  But also the reason I want to major in Aerospace Engineering is because in the event that I am unable to get a job as a pilot, I can still be around airplanes.  Because I speak Chinese, would this help me in an airline to become a captain who flies to china or asia?  And should I start training now or later? ------------------------- Followup To Question - I am currently a softmore in high school and I aspire to becoming an airline pilot. I am a straight A student and I am planning on going to college after high school and major in aerospace engineering. And after I graduate, the two year period I have before I can get my airline pilot license I plan to use to train.  Is this a good idea to go through all this trouble or should I do something else?  And also, I am already fluent in Chinese and learning Spanish, will this benefit me when searching for a job? Answer - Not sure I am clear on this "two year period you have to wait before you can get your airline pilot license". Do you mean from age 21 to age 23 as that is the minimum age required to get an "Airline Transport Pilot"/ATP license? Well, it doesn't quite work that way if that was what you were thinking and you do not need an ATP to get hired. Assuming you are in the United States, one can get hired on with a regional at age 21 with 1,000 flight hours and a Commercial license only. There are those who apply themselves, fly a lot and get hired right out of college. An "ATP" is not required as you must have 1,500 hours to qualify for that cetificate and an ATP is beyond most regional airlines "minimums" or bare minimum flight time requirements just to apply. If you have one, all the better but most do not when they apply with their first airline. (The company that hires you will pay for the ATP when you upgrade to captain as part of your "type rating" & upgrade checkride.) Why is it that you want to major in Aerospace Engineering? What is your back up plan if you lose your ability to fly (medical certificate) or are furloughed/laid off for a period of time? If you are so keen with languages, a degree in that would seem to suit you perfectly as you could use it in case you ever lost your job as a pilot- temporarily or permanently. Also, any degree where you will excel and get good grades will be a plus in your interview if you are a young pilot as well. Plan for the worst and hope for the best. If you are lucky if you ever get furloughed at all it will be for a short time. (I was for 26 months.) Some pilots have been furloughed for 5 years or more. Being fluent in Spanish & Chinese will only help if you plane on working for an airline in one of those countries, providing you could get the work permit. Check out these links for some more information as I think you need a bit more career background to help you make some informed decisions about which way to go: http://www.jetcareers.com http://www.geocities.com/av8trxx99/FAQ.html Hope this helps Dottie

• Answer:

  It is good that you have a back up plan with your degree! It is always smart to be have something to fall back on as the airline industry can sometimes be a very fickle business. Just ask the thousands of pilots still furloughed post 9/11. As far as the language skills go with US airlines, speaking Chinese will not help you get trips to China or Asia. If you were a flight attendant- yes, it would help but as a pilot no. Pilot schedules and trips are awarded solely by seniority or tenure with the company. International, long haul flying on widebody aircraft is the more senior flying. So, until you have enough tenure to bid and hold such trips, then you won't get them no matter what language you speak. English is the international language of aviation, so pilots are not required to have second lanugages to get hired as only English is spoken in the cockpit and for the most part with ATC to foreign flag airlines. The only way your language skill would really benefit you is if you applied to a Chinese airline. Supposedly, China will have a real shortage of pilots soon (try an internet search for China + pilot shortage), so if you can get their pilot certification based on your FAA certificates along with a Chinese work permit, that may be the answer to what you are seeking.