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I'm sorry I know this is off topic but I am a junior in high school planning on being a pilot when I Graduate for airlines like American Airlines or Jet Blue yeah Civil Avaition I have a few questions before I lock this decision In
1)How do you become a pilot for those airlines?
2)what college do you need?
3)how much do you make hourly and yearly in starting?
4)how long do you have to fly a day?
5)is there enough time for family?
6)how long are the vacations?
also I saw on payscale annually it says total pay $34,207-$258,688 when do you make the $258,688? I might have more questions I'm sorry for the bother I couldn't find anyone to job shadow
The only experience of flight i have now is from Flight simulator x
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MY CAREER PATH.... I need some help
#1
Aviationation 
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- Group: Members
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- Joined: 16-September 11
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Posted 16 September 2011 - 04:50 PM
MultiQuote
#2
Redbaronahp
- Junior Member
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- Group: Members
- Posts: 11
- Joined: 15-September 07
- Gender:Male
- Location:Memphis
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Aircraft Flown:ATR 72, ATR 42, C402, BE-58
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Flight Experience:121, 135, 91
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Ratings:ATP
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Current Position:Captain
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Total Time:4000+
Posted 24 September 2011 - 12:49 PM
I don't want to scare you off from aviation because I love flying, but it is honestly a very tough industry to get into and stay in. I know a lot of people that I went to flight school with that gave up on their dream because they realized it wasn't what they wanted or just too tough. For those of us with a real passion for flying we can't imagine doing anything else.
1)How do you become a pilot for those airlines? Fly a lot and work your way up in the industry one step at a time. Try to get to a major airline before 30 years old, but don't expect it.
2What college do you need? A 4 year degree in anything. An aviation degree is good, but you might not always want to fly or be able to fly medically. Have a back up plan and an alternate degree never hurts anything.
3)How much do you make hourly and yearly in starting? pennies. As a civilian pilot you can expect to spend $30,000-$50,000 out of pocket to get your licenses and build flight time. You'll need to get loans unless your family is rich.
4)How long do you have to fly a day? Generally, commercial flying is limited to 8 hours of flying a day, but that doesn't count all the time you are at airports. You could be at work as much as 16 hours a day with only 8 hours off, though that is rare.
5)Is there enough time for family? That highly depends on the company that you work for. At a major airline you might only work 15 days a month, but you will be away from home during that time. Expect to be gone roughly 50% of the time as a pilot. I know a senior FedEx pilot that does 1 international trip a month. It is an 11 day trip but with the cross country commute to and from work he is usually away from home 12 or 13 days. There are some non airline flying jobs where you'll be on call 24/7 and might be home 80% of the time. Or you could work for an airline like Allegiant, which does out and back trips which will have you at home most every day.
6)how long are the vacations? This depends on the company, your seniority, and how you bid. You can expect to get at least 10 days off a month. The specific airline might offer 1 or 2 weeks of actual vacation a year.
With anything in life you are never really locked into something. I flew with a 50 yr old pilot recently that was an accountant until he was 40 years old. Also, don't expect to make over $200,000 a year until you have been flying for over 20 years, and don't expect to make more than $30,000 in aviation for several years after your first flight lesson.
I hope this helps and good luck.
1)How do you become a pilot for those airlines? Fly a lot and work your way up in the industry one step at a time. Try to get to a major airline before 30 years old, but don't expect it.
2What college do you need? A 4 year degree in anything. An aviation degree is good, but you might not always want to fly or be able to fly medically. Have a back up plan and an alternate degree never hurts anything.
3)How much do you make hourly and yearly in starting? pennies. As a civilian pilot you can expect to spend $30,000-$50,000 out of pocket to get your licenses and build flight time. You'll need to get loans unless your family is rich.
4)How long do you have to fly a day? Generally, commercial flying is limited to 8 hours of flying a day, but that doesn't count all the time you are at airports. You could be at work as much as 16 hours a day with only 8 hours off, though that is rare.
5)Is there enough time for family? That highly depends on the company that you work for. At a major airline you might only work 15 days a month, but you will be away from home during that time. Expect to be gone roughly 50% of the time as a pilot. I know a senior FedEx pilot that does 1 international trip a month. It is an 11 day trip but with the cross country commute to and from work he is usually away from home 12 or 13 days. There are some non airline flying jobs where you'll be on call 24/7 and might be home 80% of the time. Or you could work for an airline like Allegiant, which does out and back trips which will have you at home most every day.
6)how long are the vacations? This depends on the company, your seniority, and how you bid. You can expect to get at least 10 days off a month. The specific airline might offer 1 or 2 weeks of actual vacation a year.
With anything in life you are never really locked into something. I flew with a 50 yr old pilot recently that was an accountant until he was 40 years old. Also, don't expect to make over $200,000 a year until you have been flying for over 20 years, and don't expect to make more than $30,000 in aviation for several years after your first flight lesson.
I hope this helps and good luck.
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