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How to become a pilot step by step?

How do I go about being a commercial pilot?

  • I've never had any kind of training, either on flying or ground school. I have no information. The information I've been getting online looks like it is for someone who already has some form of training. Can you please tell me step by step on what I need to do, starting from scratch, to become a commercial pilot? Also which ground school pack can I buy to start learning from home? Thank you in advance.

  • Answer:

    1) You go to an aviation medical examiner (AME). if you pass the rather bacic medical exam that is required, the doc gives you a student pilot certificate. 2)You then enroll in a Private Pilot course, do your training and groundschool, then pass a written exam, oral review, and flight test with a government-appointed examiner. Any of the home-study ground school courses are fine. 3) You then enroll in courses for further training, going through the same written/oral/flight test for commercial pilot and instrument pilot. Then you get "add-on ratings", such as commercial pilot, multi-engine that requires additional training and an oral and flight test, but no written exam. 4) Then most people also go for the Certified Flight Instructor certificate, which can include instrument instructor and multi-engine instructor add-ons. Again, written tests, oral reviews, and flight tests are required. The first entry-level job most low time civilian pilots can qualify for is flight instructing, often at the same school where they learned to fly. 5) When you get enough flight time (minimum 1,500 hours) you can take the Airline Transport Pilot test (ATP). This license is required to be an airline captain, but most companies require you to have it before they'll interview you for a copilot position. Figure on taking 5 to 10 years to go from zero time to working for a major airline. The very best book you can read on the subject of becoming a Commercial Pilot and landing a successful career is "Flight Guide for Success", written by a sucessful female pilot. Get it. Best money you'll ever spend on flying. Go here: http://www.aviationcareercounseling.com/Flghtgd.htm Good luck and have fun. P.S. In the USA the cost is closer to $50,000 for all the training described, not $15,000 as said by someone else.

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There are private flight schools everywhere with a wide variety in quality of training, time, and costs. If you want more info, send me a message and I'll be glad to help. This is the flight school I went to: the site has detailed pricing info hillsboroaviation.com (Hillsboro Aviation Inc. in Hillsboro, OR) here is some great training material which I used both before and during my training. http://www.kingschools.com/FlightSim/

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Before investing into becoming a pilot check your medical standards at this site http://pilots-medical.com

Aero Doctor

If you have a "true" passion for flying, then you already accomplished the first step. You must be 17 or older to get your license (if your younger than that, you can still train). The best way to "learn" is hang out around a small airport in or near your town. I got my first job at the age of 14 at a local airport washing airplanes... that is how it started with me. Talk to instructors, pilots and aircraft owners - face to face. Ask if someone can take you up for a short flight (if you go to a flight school, ask for a "Discovery Flight" - that may cost $50 or so). If you want to learn from home, King DVD's are good... yes. However, I like the Sporty's DVD. (The King's are too corny for my taste). www.sportys.com Try reading books by Rod Machado or Dick Collins or Duane Cole. Once you start your training and get your Private Pilots License, keep flying - add ratings: Complex, High-Performance, etc. Get your Instrument Rating. Get your Commercial License (fly for hire). Lots of CFI's fly PIC (pilot in command) by flying with students... that is how they rack up the hours - become a CFI. All the while, your adding hours. The best way to be noticed by the "big boys" is to add instrument time and multi-engine time. If you have the money, add some turbine time too. Oh yeah, money... all that will probably cost a small fortune. I have not gone that route... someone else can answer that for you, but to get up to a commerical license "at least" $15,000. I will be honest here - pilot hiring is down in 2008. According to the November issue of Flight Training Magazine, the major and national airlines only hired 39 pilots, combined in the month of August. That is down from almost 1,000 hires this time last year. But don't fret - hiring, along with the housing, oil industry and ecomony always "roller coaster" up and down. I know that is a lot of information. My advice, is learn as much as you can - internet, talking to people, etc. Good luck and safe travels.

Pilot

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