I am often asked how to become an airline pilot. Each individual has their own motivations and part of the equation is to determine why and that will guide them. Money, lifestyle and the love of aviation are common reasons to become a pilot. I caution them that the industry is very volatile and stability is uncertain. One day the job market is great and they are hiring like crazy with good compensation and the next furloughs and bankruptcies are common. The effects of COVID are the latest example. I try to steer people away from incurring large debt and establishing a solid back up plan, that is learning a skill that does not depend on the airline industry.
With that being said there are several ways to get the ratings and certificates with the adage of “quick, good and cheap; pick two” applying to the journey. The military offers training that is good and cheap to the individual but comes with a time commitment. Explore all the branches including the guard and reserve. Aviation colleges and universities offer good training but the price is high. There are many options from community colleges to four-year institutions. UND, Liberty, Embry-Riddle. If this is the route one chooses; get a degree, rating or minor that allows non-flying opportunities. Aviation schools are a fast option but tend to have an equally high cost. Some of the big names are ATP, flight safety and others.
This is where we start to talk about the difference between part 61 and 141, the FAA regulations that govern pilot training. Part 61 has more flexibility but requires more hours. Part 141 is very structured, requires less hours but has some challenges. The fast routes tend to have relatively new instructors that are building their experience and may not be seasoned enough to deal with learning plateaus. Part 61 has tremendous variety and can range from a large flying club or school to a single airplane with a single instructor at an airport or grass strip. A recent additional route are ab-intro academies sponsored or run by the airlines. My knowledge of these programs is limited. European countries have used this model for years.
The path for civilian qualifications is student pilot, private pilot, instrument rating, commercial pilot and airline transport pilot. The instructor rating is generally part of the progression. At some point a multi-engine rating is required. The commercial rating is required before you can get paid for flying and the ATP rating is required to fly for the airlines. The ATP rating requires 1500 hours with some exceptions. The airlines will assist pilots with 1500 hours in completing the ATP rating.
I would advise people to sign up with AOPA, it is free for the first six months. Also explore the FAA website since it provides all the training standards and reference materials. Mutilple scholarships are available to the motivated. I learned through a military flying club and took several years before I had the required ratings.
I was blessed to be a member of the Wings of Carolina Flying Club. At the time we had about a dozen airplanes and around 300 members. When I initially had the hours for an airline job the pay was not lucrative enough to pry me away. Over ten years of teaching at the club I was able to help several people on their journey to airline pilot. It is possible to progress rapidly but, it requires a commitment from both the student and instructor(s). Three to five lessons a week with an understanding that weather cancellations mean ground school and/or simulator time to keep progressing. When the weather precluded other students from utilizing my time we could fill in the gaps. For example when a private student was scheduled for cross country work and the weather was below VFR we could work in an instrument lesson. Part of the beauty of the club is that a dedicated individual can learn from multiple sources. The love of aviation runs high at the club and it is easy to talk other instructors into substitute teaching when the primary instructor schedule does not align. Several of our club alumni spent time learning at maintenance night and other club events and now they wear airline uniforms.
One of the coolest thing about mixing with the people at the club is that not all of them became airline pilots. Some are NASA researchers, military aviators, air traffic controllers, dispatchers and AMTs. There are others that took other paths and design websites. The beauty of learning at the club is that there is no pressure to conform to a certain career path. But, if you want it we can work on it.
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