Moderators: richierich, ua900, PanAm_DC10, hOMSaR

 
noahwesselby
Topic Author
Posts: 5
Joined: Wed Dec 30, 2020 10:12 am

How do I become an airline pilot

Sat Mar 12, 2022 9:00 pm

I’m a 13 year old who really wants to be a pilot but I have not got a clue about how to get there other than doing a atpl course. I have decent grades at school and I do flight simulation as a hobby. I’m in a stuck position where I have not got a clue where to go next…..
Some help please
 
Woodreau
Posts: 2482
Joined: Mon Sep 24, 2001 6:44 am

Re: How do I become an airline pilot

Wed Mar 16, 2022 8:56 am

Are you in Europe, Asia, North America or South America?

It depends.

If you are in the UNited States, you can see about doing an intro flight at a local flight school at an airport to see if you like it.

13 is still young, but in general to become an airline pilot in the US you generally need a bachelors degree, academic major doesn’t matter, an ATP certificate and a minimum of 1500 hours.

https://clearedtodream.org/

The website is centered on a US perspective.

The process is different if you are in Europe or anywhere that is not the United States.
 
ACDC8
Posts: 9693
Joined: Thu Mar 10, 2005 6:56 pm

Re: How do I become an airline pilot

Wed Mar 16, 2022 8:08 pm

Buy a brown leather jacket, some RayBans and start chewing some Beemans and you're all set :biggrin:

Joking aside, as pointed out above, it depends on where you are located. For example, here in Canada (which is very similar to the US) you start off with your private license and then move on to your commercial and various ratings such as IFR, multi-engine, instructor, etc. After you acquire your CPL, you can fly for compensation (get paid) so you need to build your hours by working as an instructor or for a small outfit flying small cargo aircraft or float planes as examples. Once you build your hours, you work on your ATPL rating and start applying at the airlines when you've accumulated the required ratings and hours. Several colleges offer set programs that take 2 to 4 years that combine your CPL rating with a college degree. If you do it on your own, you could go from zero hours to a CPL in about a years time if you go hard at it. Save your money though, because it gets darn expensive. When you've got your CPL, be prepared to move and work for low wages - go where the work is and stay focused on the goal. Realistically, it can take years and a lot of money/hours to get from zero to the right seat of an airliner.

As far as college degrees go, I can't really comment on that - personally, I don't understand the obsession we in North America have with them, I can't comment on the US side of things, but out of all the airline pilot friends I have, not one has a college degree. Not that I'm trying to discourage you from getting a college degree, I just don't understand the logic behind them.

If you're in Europe, many airlines have programs where you apply and they will train your. Lufthansa for example, you can apply to their program with no experience, they'll send you to Arizona for basic training and then back to Germany for advanced training - all paid for. With these types of programs, you can expect to be in the right seat of an airliner within about 2 years and with far fewer hours than in North America.

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 13 guests

Popular Searches On Airliners.net

Top Photos of Last:   24 Hours  •  48 Hours  •  7 Days  •  30 Days  •  180 Days  •  365 Days  •  All Time

Military Aircraft Every type from fighters to helicopters from air forces around the globe

Classic Airliners Props and jets from the good old days

Flight Decks Views from inside the cockpit

Aircraft Cabins Passenger cabin shots showing seat arrangements as well as cargo aircraft interior

Cargo Aircraft Pictures of great freighter aircraft

Government Aircraft Aircraft flying government officials

Helicopters Our large helicopter section. Both military and civil versions

Blimps / Airships Everything from the Goodyear blimp to the Zeppelin

Night Photos Beautiful shots taken while the sun is below the horizon

Accidents Accident, incident and crash related photos

Air to Air Photos taken by airborne photographers of airborne aircraft

Special Paint Schemes Aircraft painted in beautiful and original liveries

Airport Overviews Airport overviews from the air or ground

Tails and Winglets Tail and Winglet closeups with beautiful airline logos