I'd like to talk to with someone who flies for a living. My SNL is on the path to becoming a pilot and he and my daughter are at a crossroads and they have some decisions they need to make here soon. They were at our house yesterday and they were asking our advise. My SNL has his pilots license and he is currently completing his instrument qualifications.

Background information: SNL is a fireman & my daughter is a nurse. They have 2 kids both currently under age 4. Both set of grandparents are 10 minutes away. My SNL parents have suggested my SNL & daughter sell their house and move in with them so that they can save money to complete flight school.

I don't know the airline industry, I don't know how long it will take to complete flight school and get enough flight hours to be considered hirable. I'm looking for advise from anyone who can help me help my daughter and my SNL. What is the best path forward for the two of them.

If you are a pilot in the DFW area and can help, I'd be happy to buy you lunch and listen to what you have to say.

I can't speak to the pilot programs, know several though, odd flight schedules and lots of travel. Would be more difficult with kids unless wife was willing to stay home.


I wouldn't advise them selling a home though if the current mortgage is comfortable for them to make. Real Estate isn't gonna get cheaper down the road and its probably the best investment they have right now. Moving in with the Son's parents is always a terrible idea. Thats a quick way to trap yourself without an easy escape

you will work for peanuts until you get enough hours to fly the big jets.

I would post your question also on the TFF OT as there are several professional pilots there.

Pilothawk and A777Pilot both are retired pilots.

Don on here also, is a retired pilot.

Need 1500 hours before you can even be hired on as a airline pilotz. Will need dual engine, jet rating, instrument, basically all the ratings he can get.

Once you get the 1500 hours, an airline is likely to pick you up as a regional carrier co-pilot. Work your way to first officer on the smaller regional stuff then will go to major airlines and work way back up the line.

The pay is abysmal to start once you get the 1500 hours and hired on the airlines. Not to mention the 1500 hours is all paid put of pocket as well, unless you get a job working as a flight instructor or commercial pilot somewhere. It isnt an easy path nor cheap one. It is a good career once you get there.

I have a family of pilots and a nephew going thru the process. He is in year 3 of the process and has somewhere between half and 2/3 of the required hours i think. I know he isnt over 1000 hours and not sure if he is quite at 750 yet. Has been living at home since his flight instructor job has been so sporadic due to weather. He has recently been offered an assistant flight chief job at the school he works for so that comes with a more steady pay rate (so he says) and he is finally looking to move out of his parents house at age 26. He is single. It isnt an easy road with wife and kid, unless wife has a decent job and can support them.

I dunno. Several of my son's friends from high school went through the Southeastern University professional pilot program. They all started off at American Eagle before going on to American. A first officer for American Eagle starts at $90/hour and averages $140/hour. That's not awful.

American Eagle

To the kind-hearted parents who are willing to let 4 family members move in...

Bless them Father for they know not what they do.

It would not take long for the harmony to dissolve!
Here's to making "smart decisions"!

...+++

I went down this path until 911 then changed paths. My FIL, Uncle, 3 of best friends are w/Major’s.

From start to finish, You can get on with a regional in a year, but you better be dedicated and treat it like a 50hr week job. The biggest barrier is building hours and twin time, Cheapest way is flight instructing but you are at a desk all day for free waiting for students. Best thing now is amount of Sim time you can accrue

There are many days I wished I kept flying,

thats in air with max of 1400 hrs a year. Starting pay has gotten much better, the path to majors is also a lot quicker now

If american eagle or equivalents are paying over 100k annually, the. Something has drastically changed. The “used to” going rate was about a third of that starting offf ranging up to less than that for a first officer. Usually were not approaching 6 figures until several years in with the majors and that is a long way from starting woth the regional carriers.

I know times have changed and there is a shortage of pilots, but my nephew has not talked of that kind of potential coin for a long time in the airline industry. He isnt there yet, not even close. He could have done it differently for sure, but the path doesnt alter the pay once there.

^ This right here. My nephew works for United, going on his 12th year. He started making good money around year 7 or 8.

Used to be years ago if you are ugly you wont get hired as a pilot. Not kidding

How long does it take if you train through one of our military services? I had a high school friend that did that years ago and she went right to the major airlines. Been retired for a few years now so I’m sure training time might be different than it was 50 years ago.

Yeah, I'm sure flight training has evolved over 50 years.

One of my friends has his pilot license and is currently gaining hours. His dad is a commercial pilot and he says there's going to be a pilot shortage here soon and they're actually about to force him to retire. Wouldn't surprise me if they're paying well out the gate. The problem is the $ you're going to have to pay to get the hours etc.

Don't go the private aircraft pilot route. Firm I was with had several planes. The owners schedule is your schedule. Great if you are single since you get to travel where the owner goes, but ALL of our pilots were divorced.

JR

The current requirement for an ATP license (airline transport pilot) is 1500 flight hours minimum.

Going thru the military it will depends on your branch of service and type of aircraft chosen. My understandiing is most military pilots will be able to get out with enough or real close to the minimum IF they serve only one “re-up” after their initial training/specialization/first tour. About 250-400 hours a year is pretty close to most military pilots once trained.

GPS, I hope you get to talk to the right person soon. So far,it's mostly second-hand information, people trying to be helpful. I'll join the crowd with some outdated information. I was an Army helicopter pilot during Viet Nam. Lots of my friends hoped to get on with the airlines after their service, but it was very hard to compete with Air Force heavy aircraft pilots with lots of time and ratings. A few folks I knew did make it, but only after years of instructing student pilots, washing and fueling planes, and acquiring additional ratings, making very little money along the way. Even for the Air Force, Marine, and Navy pilots it was tough because so many were getting out of the service and the airline industry was relatively stable. Back then, except for the Army, military pilots had to be college graduates, go through 8-12 months of training and put in 4-6 years active duty after.

Today, large numbers of airline pilots are reaching, or have reached, mandatory retirement age and there is an increased demand for pilots. That most likely means reduced requirements and higher pay. The minimum FAA requirements are still there, but a smaller pool of qualified candidates should mean a higher likelihood of being considered. It's still a long, hard, expensive journey.

There are three primary pilot ratings: private pilot-35 flight hours plus ground school, friends and family, no pay; Commercial pilot-250 hours+, can fly for pay; Airline transport pilot-1500 hours+, required to be in command of a commercial airline. There are also instrument, multi-engine and various other type ratings.

Calling blkt2. Tell the stories from when you were an elite military fighter pilot.

Yep.

Stick with the fireman gig, EZ money and good benefits.

Thanks, I have a meeting later today with someone.

He has been made persona non grata.