Wanna be an airline pilot?

[Fly320s]

Apparently, the airline industry is experiencing a pilot shortage, at least for the commuter/regional airlines.  So, if you've ever considered becoming a pilot now is a good time to do it.

From my former employer:

www.psaairlines.com/employment/otheropenings.asp?RecordID=52
To be considered, candidates must meet the following minimum qualifications:
Commercial, Instrument and Multi-engine rating
First Class Medical
FCC License
Valid Passport

Notice that there are no minimum flight time requirements.  Normally, airlines require at least some real experience (flight time) after receiving your ratings before they will consider hiring you.  Now all you need are your ratings fresh from the flight school.

Lots of flight schools can train you through commercial/instrument/multi-engine in 6 months.  Lay your money down today and fly a CRJ in January.

[stevelyn]

I wish I was about 10 years younger.

[S. Williamson]

I just wanna fix 'em, not fly 'em.

Just yet, anyway. 

[Tallpine]

I think I am about 30 years too late.

Sounds like it's easier to become an airline pilot today than it was to become a truck driver 30 years ago 

Yet another reason not to fly.

[Manedwolf]

I thought they usually picked up people fresh out of the Air Force?

Or is that low now because of all the people pulled back into service?

[Fly320s]

Yep, the military has their stop-loss measures in place to prevent the pilots, and other important personel, from leaving.  But the military has never been the largest supplier of pilots to the airlines.  Civilian aviation has much greater numbers; it just usually takes longer to get to the airlines via the civilian route.

Add that to the poor quality-of-life and low pay at the commuter airlines and you get an underwhelming demand to work there.

BTW, for those of you who may actually consider this airline business, the current mandatory retirement age is 60.  That will be changing soon to as high as 65 to align the US rules with the international rules.  So, if you are 35 right now, you could still easily get 20 years of flying in before you are kicked to the curb.

[RevDisk]

Apparently, the airline industry is experiencing a pilot shortage, at least for the commuter/regional airlines.  So, if you've ever considered becoming a pilot now is a good time to do it.

Lots of flight schools can train you through commercial/instrument/multi-engine in 6 months.  Lay your money down today and fly a CRJ in January.

I work at an avn production facility.  Need to check the current rules, but as of six months ago, they'd pay for ground school and half the flights.  Fixed and rotary.  I was thinking of getting my fixed first, then trying rotary.  Apparently rotary is not easy whatsoever.  Biggest problem is getting enough money together to actually pay for the training flights.  With the price of av gas these days, it might be a while.

That said, if I ever do get my rotary tickets punched, I might get to do a dozen hours a month as a backup test pilot.  I really wouldn't want to work for a small 'commuter' outfit.  The hours are long and not schedule friendly, pay isn't that great.  Some regionals are ok.  Smaller executive outfits aren't bad.  Pay is good, but the hours are still unfriendly and you generally need more hours under the belt.

[Fly320s]

Rev,

Getting your fixed-wing certificate first is a better way to go.  You'll save money and have the extra rating when your finished.

Your private license will cost about $4,, depending on where you live.

[Gewehr98]

No thanks.

It was bad enough that friends and family thought my Air Force service dress uniform looked like a bus driver's outfit.

To actually be one - no way.

[Parker Dean]

Actually, I should do this. Being a pilot would be about the closest thing I could imagine loving to do. Also it's not like I have other pressing engagements.

Downsides are the fear of change and the fact that if I started tomorrow I'd be 45 by the time I got a license.

[Stickjockey]

You know, I started down that road; even got the licenses and everything. Then I saw how y'all live. Two weeks (or more) out of every month out of suitcases, away from the family, oddball hours- they don't talk about Aviation Induced Divorce Syndrome for nothin'. Thanks 320's, but I'll pass.

[MechAg94]

This subject reminded me of this video.   

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n8L-ZZSc8JU

[Boomhauer]

No Way am I going to drive a bus. Sounds quite boring, letting the autopilot do all the work and sitting back...

My flight instructor just hired onto Comair a couple of months ago. I'll bet she's bored right now, sitting right seat and flipping the gear... lever.

I'd much rather do cropdusting or flight instructing myself. The closest I would get to be an airline pilot would to be a charter/biz jet pilot.

[Parker Dean]

Well, I don't look at "driving the bus" as the goal. It's merely a means to an end, much like being a mechanic gave me the skills, if not the money, to be moderately successful at keeping my own junkpiles running and driving. To me, cars are simple enough and I'm occasionally mystified at the trouble some have until I remember why I know more about 'em than the average bear.

In a similar vein, I look at "bus driving" as a reason to have a pilots license so that I could justify my own light aircraft. I've got this wacky idea of flying coast-to-coast in a biplane like somebody did in the early days. Yes, I know it would suck after the first couple of hours.

[Fly320s]

Yeah, the flying can be boring.  At least the cruise portion is.  But I do enjoy the departure and arrival procedures, except when there is snow or thunderstorms or a mechanical delay.

But, hey, there is no way that I would want to sit in a cubicle farm 8 hours a day trying to get someone's computer to load a PDF file.  To each his own and all that.

[Gewehr98]

I grok that.

Yeah, the flying can be boring.  At least the cruise portion is.  But I do enjoy the departure and arrival procedures, except when there is snow or thunderstorms or a mechanical delay.

No bus driver here.  But I did enjoy the IP inbound run at low level with the wingtips flapping, losing depth perception with an eyepatch over one eye (PLZT flash goggles were a blessing!), the crosswind landings with all 4 mains crabbed to an ungawdly skew, and trying to figure out what the flight kitchen put in our box lunches.   

[Boomhauer]

trying to figure out what the flight kitchen put in our box lunches

Which, is of course, the hardest part...

[AJ Dual]

But, hey, there is no way that I would want to sit in a cubicle farm 8 hours a day trying to get someone's computer to load a PDF file.  To each his own and all that.

This, more or less, is what I do for a living now.

If I didn't have two sets of twin daughters eleven months apart in age, two three year olds and two two year olds, or if there were some magical way I could be home every night, and make the same pay and bennies as I have now, (not that much...) I'd "drive a bus" in a heartbeat.

No worse than sitting in this cubicle, and the view has to be better.