Prospective airline pilots can save $1000s by taking ATP test before August

Time is growing short for prospective airline pilots to take the written test for the Airline Transport Pilot license without taking a course that includes 10 hours of simulator training. As detailed in Examiner, on August 1 candidates for the written test will must have a graduation certificate from an approved course that will cost $15-20,000.

As Rick Durden pointed out on Avweb, the regulations as currently written provide a last chance for prospective airline pilots to take the ATP written without enrolling in the approved simulator course. As Durden points out, FAR 61.156, which spells out the requirements for the written test (“knowledge exam” in FAA parlance), does not contain any prerequisites for the test until after July 31, 2014. This means that a pilot who does not yet meet the requirements for the ATP can still take the test before August 1.

Once a candidate passes the written test, the results are good for two years. If the pilot met the flight experience and eligibility requirements within two years, he could take the checkride (“practical test”) and earn the ATP license without passing the FAA-approved simulator course. If the written test expires, the pilot must then pass the new ATP simulator course in order to retake the test.

The changes to the ATP are likely to exacerbate the pilot shortage that regional airlines are already experiencing. As the need for qualified pilots becomes more pronounced, Congress and the FAA are likely to issue regulatory changes to make it easier for pilots to qualify as ATPs. These changes are likely to be long in coming, however, and pilots who are close to meeting the requirements would be well advised to take the written test before August 1 if at all possible.

There are several traditional study methods for FAA knowledge exams. There are books available that familiarize test-takers with the questions in the FAA written test bank. There are also computer training courses that simulate taking the actual test on your own computer. Many vendors for these test prep services can be found on GlobalAir.com.

Given the short amount of time left to take the test, a classroom seminar might be the best solution. These courses often last one to two days and are essentially cram sessions for test-takers. ATP Flight School is one of several companies that offer one-day test preps at locations around the country. These “quickie” courses are perfect for busy professionals who don’t have a lot of time to study.

It is possible that the shortage of qualified pilots will force the FAA to change the regulations regarding the ATP, but there is no way of knowing how long those changes will take. In the meantime, a pilot who has already passed the ATP written may very well have an advantage in getting hired by the airlines.

Read the full article on Aviation Examiner

What to expect in turbine training

As airline hiring begins to ramp up, many pilots will be going to class on a turbine airplane for the first time. Training on a jet or turboprop airplane is unlike the previous flight school experiences that most pilots have had in their piston-engine general aviation careers.

Prospective turbine pilots might go to training at an airline’s training center or, if they will be flying a corporate airplane, at a commercial flight training facility such as Flight Safety International or SimCom. Airline new hires can expect to be in training for about two months before they have the chance to fly an airplane. Students at commercial training centers can cut the time to two to three weeks, depending on which airplane they will be flying. Even though this may seem like a long time, the massive amount of information that the student must learn within a few weeks has caused turbine training to be likened to drinking from a fire hose.

Airline training generally starts with indoctrination or “indoc” classes. Indoc is an introduction to the company and its corporate culture. These classes also include topics that are common to all of the airline’s fleets such as company operating rules and standard procedures. How to fill out weight-and-balance forms, do performance calculations, and read dispatch releases, are subjects that are often covered in indoc. Other regulatory information such as company hazardous materials (“haz mat”) and security policies may also be discussed.

After indoc, the class will split up into groups assigned to different airplanes for systems training. Commercial training classes begin with this phase of training. In systems training, the students will learn about the inner workings of their new airplane. Turbine airplanes are incredibly complex and have a variety of interrelated systems. Students can expect to cover general information about the aircraft and engines as well as in-depth studies of the hydraulic, pneumatic, fuel, and pressurization systems.

The systems class also includes training on how to recognize and handle malfunctions. This is commonly accomplished through identifying the failure and accomplishing the appropriate checklist. Systems training will teach the pilots how the failure affects the flight and how and why to deal with it.

Some problems, such as fires or engine failures, require immediate action. Typically, these types of problems are associated with memory items, short emergency checklists that must be committed to memory. The pilot first accomplishes the memory item and then continues to the appropriate checklist. Turbine students can get ahead of their training by memorizing these memory items before they go to class.

Aircraft limitations should also be committed to memory before going to class. The limitations are rules for the airplane that cannot be violated. Limitations include speed limits for aircraft operation and for extending the flaps and landing gear as well as maximum operating altitudes. Engine starter limits, such as how many start attempts are allowed, for the engines and APU (auxiliary power unit) are also common limitations. Not all of the limitations will make sense at first, but as the systems class progresses the reasoning behind the rules becomes apparent.

At the end of the systems class, the students will take a written test. In most cases, the test is multiple choice and features questions that have been covered during the class. There might also be questions about the memory items and limitations.

After successfully completing the systems training, the turbine students move to simulator training. The best preparation for “the sim” is to become familiar with the cockpit layout and “flows” and “callouts.” Students can become familiar with the cockpit though the use of cockpit posters that are normally issued with their study materials. If students know where switches and controls for different systems are located in the cockpit, flying the simulator is much easier.

Flows are brief lists of items to accomplish from memory in a defined order at different phases of flight. Typically, a pilot executes a flow and then follows up with a checklist to ensure that no items have been missed. There are usually flows for engine start, after start, taxi, before takeoff, after takeoff, and after landing. When students practice these flows using their cockpit posters, it helps them to build a muscle memory that will aid them in the cockpit.

Callouts are the scripted lines of each pilot for different phases of flight. Like lines in a play, each pilot has lines that must be said verbatim and at the appropriate time. No ad-libbing is allowed. By memorizing and practicing these lines in advance, the student can concentrate on the job of flying the simulator and not struggling to remember what to say.

For some airplanes, sim training actually starts in a wooden mockup of the cockpit. These mockups allow students to practice flows in a low stress environment and to become more familiar with switch placement. Instructors may also walk students through a typical flight profile with their checklists in these mockups.

Next, the students move to the simulator, a large box on moving legs that contains a reproduction of the aircraft’s cockpit. Computer screens replicate the outside view in great detail while the legs move to give the pilots the feel of a flying airplane.

Sim training starts with normal operations to let the pilots get the feel of the airplane and become more familiar with the cockpit and checklists. The first sessions will cover territory that is familiar to the student from other airplanes. They will learn to take off and land as well as practicing stalls and steep power turns, maneuvers that the students have performed since their earliest days as flight students.

The training quickly moves into the meat of the course, emergency procedures that cannot be safely or efficiently performed in a real jet. There are rejected takeoffs in which the pilot aborts a takeoff and stops on the runway. There are missed approaches where the pilot flies an instrument approach to minimums and “goes around” without landing. The students practice emergency descents to simulate a cabin depressurization at high altitude. However, the signature maneuver of turbine training is the dreaded “V1 cut.”

V1 is defined as takeoff decision speed. In essence, once the aircraft reaches V1, which is computed for each takeoff, the decision is made to continue even if a problem arises because there is insufficient runway remaining to safely stop. Therefore the V1 cut, simulating the failure of an engine at V1, represents the worst case scenario for a turbine pilot. At V1, the aircraft is slow and still must accelerate to a safe takeoff speed. This is defined as Vr, rotation speed, the speed at which it is safe for the pilot to pull back on the control wheel and allow the airplane to leave the runway. Compounding the problem of speed is the fact that an engine failure makes the aircraft hard to control. Since the engines are mounted off center, either on the wings or tail, the operating engine will push the aircraft to one side unless the pilot takes action.

The basic procedure for handling a V1 cut is the same in most airplanes. The pilot uses the rudder to maintain directional control on the runway while allowing the aircraft to continue to accelerate. When a safe takeoff speed is reached, the pilot allows the plane to fly and climbs out at V2, the turbine equivalent of Vyse, the best single-engine rate of climb speed. At a safe altitude, the pilot levels off and continues the acceleration. When a safe flying speed is reached, the pilots retract the flaps used in the takeoff and run the appropriate checklists. Pilots will practice in-flight engine restarts as well as landing with an engine inoperative. Turbine students will get plenty of practice at V1 cuts.

A few other miscellaneous maneuvers round out simulator training. Students will practice landing the airplane without flaps. If the company allows its pilots to circle-to-land from an instrument approach, this maneuver will also be practiced in the sim. Students may also do a LOFT (line oriented flight training) in which they practice a typical flight from start to finish… without engine failures.

The culmination of the entire training process is the checkride. The checkride is composed of an oral exam and a flight test. The oral exam can include anything covered in the training so far, from indoc to systems to flight maneuvers. It is almost certain to include the memory items and limitations that the student memorized earlier.

The flight test is conducted in the simulator and covers most of the maneuvers learned earlier. The flight test normally begins with stalls, steep turns and “unusual attitudes,” recoveries from extremely high or low pitch attitudes and steep banks. It will include practice precision and non-precision approaches with one and two engines. There will be missed approaches, rejected takeoffs, and, of course, the dreaded V1 cut.

After successful completion of the checkride, the student will finally get to fly a real airplane. The first flight that the recent training graduate makes will be with a load of paying passengers on his IOE (initial operating experience). The new turbine pilot will fly with a Check Airman for a predetermined time (often about 25 flight hours) before being released to fly with other line pilots.

Turbine training represents a large commitment in both time and effort for pilots, but it opens the door to a new world of high performance aviation for pilots who can complete it. The training can be made easier if the student has a good foundation of basic aviation skills and knowledge before the first day of class. The best preparation for the training is to study hard and memorize limitations, callouts, flows and memory items early.

Originally published on Examiner.com:

http://www.examiner.com/article/what-to-expect-jet-aircraft-training

How to learn to fly

Maybe you’ve always dreamed of learning to fly. Maybe you’d like to have an aviation career flying jets to distant corners of the world. Maybe you’d like to spend your retirement flying your own airplane on trips to visit tourist locations. Maybe your dream is simply to “slip the surly bonds of earth” and leave the world behind for a few hours. Whether you are a young person excited about the prospect of flying, a middle-aged career changer, or a senior chasing a lifelong dream, there is no time like the present to learn to fly.

There are two different tracks to becoming a licensed pilot. Prospective pilots can choose between a sport pilot or private pilot license. The sport pilot license requires less flight time and therefore less money, than the private pilot. However, since sport pilots have less training, there are more restrictions on their ability to fly.

Pilot licensing requirements are set forth in Part 61 of the Federal Aviation Regulations. The sport pilot license requires that the applicant be 17 years old (although students can solo at 16) and hold a U.S. driver’s license without health restrictions. The pilot must earn a minimum of 20 hours of flight time, pass a written test, and a practical test in the airplane, more commonly referred to as a check ride. Sport pilots are restricted to flying light sport aircraft and may not carry more than one passenger. They are not allowed to fly into airports with a control tower, above 10,000 feet, at night, or in instrument meteorological conditions (IMC), more commonly referred to as clouds and fog.

Private pilots are required to log at least 40 hours of flight time and must also be at least 17 years old. They must also pass a written test and check ride. Private pilots are not restricted to light sport aircraft, banned from towered airports and night flying, or limited to one passenger. Private pilots are limited to visual meteorological conditions (VMC) unless they have earned an instrument rating. Neither private pilots nor sport pilots are allowed to be paid for flying. That requires a commercial pilot license.

There are two different routes to earning either license. Most student pilots attend schools operated under FAR Part 61. These schools are informal and are found at many small airports around the country. They allow students to learn at their own pace and allow the instructor to have more flexibility with the syllabus.

The alternative is a school operated under FAR Part 141. These schools are typically larger flight academies, although some local schools also have approval from the FAA to operate under FAR 141. FAR 141 schools are more regimented, but allow students to earn their license with a slightly lower minimum number of flight hours.

In reality, either type of school is sufficient for most students. The important thing is to find a good flight instructor (CFI) with whom the student feels comfortable. A good instructor should have a good safety record and a record of training students successfully as well as a good rapport with the student. Don’t be afraid to ask for references from previous students.

Students who are considering an aviation career may want to consider attending one of the large professional aviation academies for subsequent training, but initially a local school should be sufficient for most pilots. Earning the private pilot license locally will allow the student to decide whether an aviation career is for them and will also likely be cheaper than attending a full-time school. The typical progression for professional pilots after the private license is the instrument rating, and then the commercial license and the multi-engine rating. After years of experience and 1,500 hours comes the airline transport pilot license (ATP), which allows the holder to fly as an airline pilot or captain of a private jet.

A common question is how much it costs to learn to fly. The answer varies depending on location, the aircraft used, and the learning ability of the student. In this era of high gas prices, the current price of fuel is a major factor. Often this cost is included in the total cost of aircraft rental. A sample listing of aircraft rental rates can be seen on the website of Lanier Flight Center, an Atlanta area flight school. Rental rates range from $124 per hour for a two-seat Cessna 162 Skycatcher to $143 per hour for a Cessna 172 Skyhawk. The Cirrus SR20 is a newer aircraft with more power and electronic flight displays, often called a “glass cockpit.” Air Ventures at Atlanta’s DeKalb-Peachtree airport rents these aircraft for $240 per hour. Many flight schools offer discounts for purchases of block time, for example, buying ten hours at once rather than paying for one hour at a time.

In addition to aircraft rental rates, the student must also pay the instructor for dual flight time, tuition for ground school, and a written test. Private pilot students must also get a flight physical by an FAA-approved Aviation Medical Examiner. Sport pilot medical requirements are met if the student holds a valid driver’s license. Local prices may vary, but All ATPs, a national chain of flight schools, offers the complete private pilot license for $9,995 as a 60 day course.

There are many free or low cost resources available to prospective pilots. The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association offers a free trial subscription to “Flight Training”, a magazine focused on student pilots. AOPA also sponsors Project Pilot, a program in which current pilots mentor new flight students. Additionally, a free Apple app for AOPA members offers online weather, airport and flight planning information. The Experimental Aircraft Association’s Young Eagles program offers free discovery flights to youths aged 8-17. The EAA also offers aviation camps and scholarships. Similarly, the Civil Air Patrol offers solo scholarships to some of its young cadet members. Many flight schools offer discovery flights to prospective pilots at special introductory rates.

The first step in learning to fly is to go to go talk to an instructor. Take an introductory flight to find out if flying is for you. Stop dreaming and start flying.

Read this article on Examiner.com:

http://www.examiner.com/user/2121156/content?page=1

New AOPA pilot app for Apple

The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association recently announced the release of a new Apple application for pilots.  The application, called FlyQ, is free to download and use for AOPA members.  The app uses DUAT, the FAA’s online weather source for pilots, to provide pilots with legal weather briefings and the ability to file flight plans.

The app consists of three main areas, which are tabbed across the bottom of the screen.  The first of these is the airports tab.  This uses the location feature of the iPhone or iPad to automatically bring up a list of nearby airports.  Along with airport data such as runway, fuel available, and frequencies is a small tab that tells whether each airport is VFR, marginal VFR, IFR, or low IFR at a glance.

When an airport is selected from the list, more detailed information is available.  This includes most of the pertinent information that you would find in the Airport Facility Directory such as all frequencies, the airport elevation, and a runway diagram are listed as well as other items such as satellite photos of the airport.  Recent weather reports and forecasts are also displayed.  This page also lists nearby navaids and airports.  Airport services from FBOs to ground transportation to restaurants and local attractions are also listed.

The weather tab automatically pulls up nearby weather reports and radar along with nice-to-know things like the expected high and low temperatures and general forecasts for the next week.  The radar can depict local, regional or national information.

Weather charts for the U.S. and Canada are available under the Gallery section.  This allows pilots to view useful graphic charts such as Freezing Levels, Icing Potential, and Turbulence charts quickly and easily.  The search function allows the pilot to type in another airport, such as the destination or alternate, to view the weather there.  Aviation weather reports and forecasts can be viewed in the standard coded format or in a plain English translation.

The plans section allows the user to log into their DUAT account to create flight plans and receive official weather briefings.  This requires creating both a pilot profile and an aircraft profile.  Many aircraft have default values that populate their profile, but the user should confirm the entries before relying on the flight plan data.  The ability to build a profile for almost any airplane, along with a variety of routing options such as jet airways, GPS direct, and optimizing for best winds means that even professional pilots of long range jets can use the app for most of their flight-planning needs.

There are some weaknesses with the FlyQ app.  The most obvious is that it is currently only available on Apple products.  AOPA does say that there is an Android version in the works, but there is no word on when it will be released.

Another is that the app is limited to the United States.  Canadian weather and airport data is accessible from the app, but the flight plan feature does not work for flights to Canadian airports.  Likewise, the user can look at Caribbean and Mexican airports and weather, but cannot file a flight plan to or from these destinations.

Finally, it was hard to figure out how to delete an old flight plan.  The FAQs suggested selecting the flight plan and then tapping on the action button, the box with an arrow coming out of it, in the upper left corner.  This brings up several options including emailing, printing or deleting the flight plan.  Unfortunately, this does not always work.

The AOPA FlyQ app is a good tool for any pilot with an iPad or iPhone.  For the most part it is very quick, easy to use, and works well.  As a free service of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, FlyQ could easily replace more expensive apps or programs.  With avgas and jet fuel prices so high, most pilots would probably be happy to save the money.  FlyQ is available in the Apple app store.

Read the rest of this article on Examiner.com:

http://www.examiner.com/review/aopa-releases-new-pilot-app-for-apple-products

U.S. exports pilots to the world

An economic analysis by the Wall St. Journal reports that large U.S. companies are adding jobs abroad much faster than in the U.S. According to the report, the number of workers employed by U.S. companies worldwide was up 7.7 percent from two years earlier. The domestic employment for the same period was up only 3.1 percent. Employment abroad increased by more than double that of domestic hiring. The same trend is evident in pilot hiring as well.

The United States has long been the destination of flight students from around the world. Lower taxes, cheaper fuel, and no aviation user fees make it attractive for prospective pilots from other parts of the world to come to the U.S. for training. In many cases, they then return to their home countries to earn their domestic licenses on the basis of training completed in the U.S. or FAA pilot licenses earned here. In other cases, such as those who attend foreign airline training courses at schools in the United States, they can even be issued a foreign license while training in the U.S.

Now the United States is exporting many of its home-grown pilots as well. The recession and stagnant economy have hit domestic aviation hard. Many companies have eliminated their corporate airplanes and flight departments amid criticism by members of the Obama Administration. Nearly all major U.S. airlines have been in bankruptcy since 2001 and most still have pilots on furlough.

Other than Southwest and Spirit, the only U.S. airlines that are currently hiring are regional feeder companies such as Express Jet and Go Jet. These companies operate regional jets under code share for legacy airlines like Delta and United. Regional airline jobs are entry level positions that are typically considered to be the airline equivalent of “burger-flipper” jobs.

Private aviation in the U.S. is similarly depressed. No statistics are available for unemployment numbers for pilots, but Aviation International News reported last week that revised figures for 2011 business jet sales were down 7.9 percent from 2010. This statistic explains the meager number of new pilot jobs at domestic companies.

There are a small number of openings in corporate flight departments and charter companies, but a survey of aviation job search websites such as Climbto350.com and BizJetJobs.com shows that approximately half of the pilot jobs listed are in foreign countries. In addition to the total number of job postings, most jobs listed for American companies are single openings. In contrast, job listings abroad often call for a large number of new hires. This often reflects a continuing need for expatriate pilots to staff growing foreign airlines and flight departments.

Many of the posted jobs are in the emerging market of China, where the government is easing regulations on aircraft ownership and operation. According to the Chinese consulate in Chicago, there are currently only 132 registered private aircraft in the People’s Republic, but that number is projected to grow to between 500 and 1,000 planes in the next five years. Small wonder then that U.S. aircraft manufacturers such as Cessna, Hawker Beechcraft, and Gulfstream are establishing ties to China.

In addition to jobs flying corporate jets, there are also many openings for pilots who are trained to fly airliners. Often these jobs are in China as well, although many are also found in the Middle East, India, and occasionally in Africa and Europe. There are many openings for pilots qualified on heavy airliners like the Airbus A320, the A340, the MD-11, the Boeing 767 and the 737. Frequently, there are also jobs listed for pilots of regional airliners such as the Canadair Regional Jet and the Embraer Regional Jet, as well as turboprop airliners like the Dash 8 and the Beech 1900.

In addition to a shortage of jobs in the United States, a loss of prestige for the pilot profession and concessions granted by unions during bankruptcy may also factor into the decisions of many pilots to look for work abroad. Most airline workers have lost their pensions while taking pay cuts on their current salaries as well. At the same time, many are required to work more hours each month as companies downsize.

The trend may continue. According to USA Today, Boeing forecasts a need for almost 500,000 pilots by 2029, an average of more than 23,000 per year. Only about 20 percent of these new jobs are forecast to be in North America, however. As many as 40 percent will be found in Asia and the Pacific Rim, where many of the openings are today.

There is one bright spot for pilots who are looking for aviation jobs in the United States, however. In 2007, the FAA increased the retirement age for airline pilots from age 60 to 65. Many of the senior airline pilots who benefitted from the extra five years of work are now nearing their mandatory final flights. Beginning this year, pilot retirements at the U.S. legacy airlines are set to dramatically increase in a cycle that may last for decades. This means that as long as the airlines are not downsizing due to a shrinking economy, they should be looking for a lot of pilots.

Read this article on Examiner.com:

http://www.examiner.com/article/u-s-exports-pilots-around-the-world

Getting Started in an Aviation Career

Presently, the United States is undergoing a shortage of airline pilots. For the first time since 9/11, virtually all companies, from flight schools to the majors, are hiring. If you have ever thought about becoming a professional pilot, the time is now.

If you would like to pursue an aviation career, the first step is to get a college degree. Most companies do not require a specific course of study, but do require a bachelor's degree. Since aviation is an inherently unstable industry, my recommendation is that you major in something other than aviation. If you have a physical problem or lose your job in an industry downturn, this will make it easier to transition to another career.

After earning your degree, you will need to obtain a commercial pilot license for multi-engine airplanes. A commercial license requires 250 flight hours and an instrument rating. Typically, students earn a private pilot license first, then an instrument rating, then a commercial license.

Aside from military training, there are two main routes to a commercial pilot license. The first option is to go to a local airport and find a flight school there. The second option is to enroll at a large training academy. There are advantages and disadvantages to both options.

Local flight schools, normally called FBO (fixed base operator) schools, are more convenient and less expensive. You don't have to move or take time off from work to attend. You can work on your own schedule and your own budget. FBO training also offers more real world experience than academy training. You will find different aircraft, different instructors with different perspectives, different weather, and different places. Most academies are located in Sun Belt areas like Florida or Arizona, so your exposure to bad weather is limited.

Disadvantages are that the training might not be oriented towards professional flying and the instructors are of unknown quality. Some FBO instructors are excellent and some are not. Some are retired jet pilots and some have never flown anything larger than a Cessna 172. Some are very professional and others are only building time to go to an airline. Speak to current students and find an instructor that is right for you.

Flight training academies are expensive and may require you to quit or take a leave of absence from your job, but they also have some important advantages. You can complete your training at an academy much faster than at an FBO. Zero time students can obtain a commercial license in as little as nine months. Because academy instructors are standardized, you can be sure that the quality of your training will be high, regardless of who you fly with. Many academies also have placement programs or offer interview opportunities for graduates.

Academy training is similar to airline training in many ways, and this can help you later in your career. Academies use checklists that are similar to those found in jet aircraft. Additionally, academies will expose you to flight simulators. Simulators are used extensively in the airline interview process and in airline training.

An additional consideration is that academy graduates often log more multi-engine time than FBO pilots. The normal progression for an FBO pilot is to earn a single-engine commercial license then add a multi-engine rating. In the academy where I taught, the normal syllabus called for a private multi-engine license first. The student then flew multi-engine airplanes while working on his instrument rating. Finally, they would add the commercial license. This means that academy students have many more multi-engine hours on their resumes. This looks good to prospective employers. Other than that, the license that you will receive from training at either school is the same.

My personal recommendation, based on instructing at FBOs and academies, is to start flying at an FBO. Earn your private license at an FBO and see if flying is for you. Continue to fly and build some cross-country flight time, which is a requirement for the instrument rating. If you continue to believe that an aviation career is for you, transfer to an academy when you have a private license and twenty to thirty hours of cross-country time. This will give you the advantage of more standardized training for your instrument and multi-engine training, while giving you the real world experience of FBO flying for the first part of your training. At the same time, you will save thousands of dollars.

Depending on the job market when you get your license, you may need to build flight time to be attractive to the airlines. If you are lucky, the airlines will be facing a pilot shortage and will hire you as soon as you get your license. If you are not lucky, you may spend years building time.

The most common way to build flight time is to earn a Certified Flight Instructor license and teach others to fly. This is not for everyone. To be a good instructor, you have to be a good communicator as well as being a good pilot. Others might find jobs flying freight in twin-engine piston airplanes or flying as a First Officer for a charter company. Forest fire patrol, aerial photography, traffic reporting, and flying on personal business are other ways to build flight time while earning money. Groups like the Civil Air Patrol and the US Coast Guard Auxiliary don't pay, but do allow you to build time at low cost. Opportunities to earn Pilot-in-Command (as opposed to Second-in-Command or First Officer) or multi-engine flight time look best on your resume.

When you get close to the minimum flight times found on the websites of your target airlines, start sending out resumes. Your first airline job will probably be with a regional airline flying turboprops or regional jets. These companies pay poorly for the first couple of years, but allow you to earn hundreds of hours of jet time each year. Job fairs, such as those put on by Air Inc. (jet-jobs.com) are are excellent ways to meet airline recruiters and get interviews.

Entry level jobs in aviation pay poorly and require long hours. Find professional pilot mentors to find out what the career is really like before you start the journey. If possible, save a large nest egg to pay for training and help you through the early years. Avoiding large debts early on can help minimize your stress level later.

Professional aviation is a fun career. The view from the office window is great and it definitely beats working for a living. Plan your career and make good choices and it will be a source of enjoyment for years to come.