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Any pilots out there?


Andre S

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Fixed Wing in particular, I am unsure whether I want to obtain a helicopter licence, I may, since jobs seem to be more readily available.

I want to become a pilot, and starting soon, when I get the necessary documents, I will be applying for a student licence, my two questions:

 

1. I always hear about problems with jobs since the market is saturated with pilots, have you ever had this problem in getting a job?

2. What can I expect for the medical? I know they do a blood test and ECG, do they do an actual physical exam of the body?

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Fixed Wing - Single Engine Land with High Performance/Retractable Gear endorsement.

Going on 20 years now, so a few things have changed I'm sure.

 

Never flew for a living, I was simply a childhood enthusiast who decided to get a license.

The hottest thing I ever flew was a Piper Navajo Chieftain and Cessna 310 twins.

Never got multi or instrument rated, didn't need to for my limited travels and $100 hamburgers.

 

A helicopter license will cost you dearly, fixed wing is pricey enough.

If you wanna swing choppers, get in touch with Silverbursted - he's the resident aviation pro.

 

Jobs are never what I would call "readily available" unless you go through a commercial academy.

They work with employers to get bragging rights with their placement numbers.

A common route is to gain enough hours to get an Instructor Rating, so you can build time.

Nobody will touch a low-hour commercial pilot with no experience due to insurance costs and liability.

 

Any job you do get will likely pay very little at first.

They count on your dreams and passion for flying to make you work for $25k a year.

If you incur debt to get licensed, you see where the problem with that is....

 

 

The medical includes a physical exam/dexterity and will cover cognizance, ears, eyes and such.

Cardio-vascular, blood pressure, breathing.

Pretty extensive questionaire, the more 'NO' boxes you check the easier it all goes.

It's really not that bad, just has to be "official" with all the paperwork right.

 

Another thing they look at is your driver's license.

A DUI will likely be cause for denial until a waiver is accepted.

Once licensed, drunk driving or any sort of drug conviction will ground you.

 

What part of the country are you planning to learn in?

Not staying in the Islands, are you?

Are you looking to just start flying at the local airport and pay as you go - or enroll in a school?

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Fixed Wing in particular' date=' I am unsure whether I want to obtain a helicopter licence, I may, since jobs seem to be more readily available.

I want to become a pilot, and starting soon, when I get the necessary documents, I will be applying for a student licence, my two questions:

 

1. I always hear about problems with jobs since the market is saturated with pilots, have you ever had this problem in getting a job?

2. What can I expect for the medical? I know they do a blood test and ECG, do they do an actual physical exam of the body?

 

[/quote']

Both. Your student license is your Class III medical. You will not need a Class II until after you get your license. The market for pilots is all over the place, depending where you are. If you want a real shot at making it as a Professional Pilot, I would highly recommend going to a Part 141 Flight School or Military. If you try and do it piece meal, it will take you a very long time, and you will probably go broke getting your Commercial ticket. Most people get their Private, then immediately get their Instrument then Instructor ratings. No company will hire you at the minimum hour level for a commercial pilot (about 80 hours) for insurance reasons (of course there are exceptions). So people usually spend several years as an instructor, just to build hours before they can apply for flying jobs. The Part 141 school will cost you $$$, but will take you all the way through an ATP. There are a couple of Universities that have flight programs, Embry Riddle and University of South Dakota. The Military is your best option for both cost and experience.

Hope that helps, PM me if you need more info.

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Fixed Wing - Single Engine Land with High Performance/Retractable Gear endorsement.

Going on 20 years now' date=' so a few things have changed I'm sure.

 

Never flew for a living, I was simply a childhood enthusiast who decided to get a license.

The hottest thing I ever flew was a Piper Navajo Chieftain and Cessna 310 twins.

Never got multi or instrument rated, didn't need to for my limited travels and $100 hamburgers.

 

A helicopter license will cost you [i']dearly[/i], fixed wing is pricey enough.

If you wanna swing choppers, get in touch with Silverbursted - he's the resident aviation pro.

 

Jobs are never what I would call "readily available" unless you go through a commercial academy.

They work with employers to get bragging rights with their placement numbers.

A common route is to gain enough hours to get an Instructor Rating, so you can build time.

Nobody will touch a low-hour commercial pilot with no experience due to insurance costs and liability.

 

Any job you do get will likely pay very little at first.

They count on your dreams and passion for flying to make you work for $25k a year.

If you incur debt to get licensed, you see where the problem with that is....

 

 

The medical includes a physical exam/dexterity and will cover cognizance, ears, eyes and such.

Cardio-vascular, blood pressure, breathing.

Pretty extensive questionaire, the more 'NO' boxes you check the easier it all goes.

It's really not that bad, just has to be "official" with all the paperwork right.

 

Another thing they look at is your driver's license.

A DUI will likely be cause for denial until a waiver is accepted.

Once licensed, drunk driving or any sort of drug conviction will ground you.

 

What part of the country are you planning to learn in?

Not staying in the Islands, are you?

Are you looking to just start flying at the local airport and pay as you go - or enroll in a school?

Thanks Neo, got great answers from you as well as Silver.

 

I don't mind low pay at first, the love of flying will get me through it, I've already flew a Cessna 172, not landing or take off, just some manoevres in flight.

 

Don't have a driver's license yet. Funny thing is here, you have to be 16 to get a student's pilot licence but 17 to start driving lessons course.lol

 

I will be obtaining the private licence locally, and then after that all courses will be done in either Florida or California. The local school, only does private flights.

 

I know they recommend to have another degree, so I planned before University, I would get my licences including instructor. During Uni I would be able to gain hours and after that, I could possibly get a job as a flight instructor, part time.

 

Unfortunately unless I go to the middle east, I will have to stay in the Caribbean, or become a citizen of the States or a European country, to get a job with those airlines.

 

One advantage of staying local, is the longest route is about 5 hours, to Canada.

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1. I always hear about problems with jobs since the market is saturated with pilots' date=' have you ever had this problem in getting a job?

2. What can I expect for the medical? I know they do a blood test and ECG, do they do an actual physical exam of the body?

 

[/quote']

 

1. Yes - it's a cut throat industry. If you can get a direct entry to an airline, DO IT. I suggest taking a look at the Cathay Pacific cadetship. They've just opened it up to worldwide applicants: http://www.cathaypacific.com/cpa/en_INTL/careers/flying/cadetpilot

 

Also consider the navy and airforce.

 

2. Expect an ECG, blood/urine test, Opthamologist exam (eye exam), and a bloody long questionnaire. If you can see and have no physical problems (a busted leg for example) you'll do fine.

 

Get your commercial medical straight away, there's no point doing a PPL then finding out that you can't fly commercially.

 

General aviation, whilst fun, pays **** - and it's not a guaranteed route to an airline. Not to mention single pilot instrument flying in GA is the hardest job out there and pays peanuts.

 

I instruct part time on the weekends for the love of it, and have a day job to live on.

 

Go the military, or cadetship route. Maybe you might be able to find a flying school that can offer you an interview at a partner airline upon completion.

 

edit - whatever you do, DO NOT do an aviation degree - biggest waste of time ever.

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Both. Your student license is your Class III medical. You will not need a Class II until after you get your license. The market for pilots is all over the place' date=' depending where you are. If you want a real shot at making it as a Professional Pilot, I would highly recommend going to a Part 141 Flight School or Military. If you try and do it piece meal, it will take you a very long time, and you will probably go broke getting your Commercial ticket. Most people get their Private, then immediately get their Instrument then Instructor ratings. No company will hire you at the minimum hour level for a commercial pilot (about 80 hours) for insurance reasons (of course there are exceptions). So people usually spend several years as an instructor, just to build hours before they can apply for flying jobs. The Part 141 school will cost you $$$, but will take you all the way through an ATP. There are a couple of Universities that have flight programs, Embry Riddle and University of South Dakota. The Military is your best option for both cost and experience.

Hope that helps, PM me if you need more info.[/quote']

 

Thanks Silver, I already checked Embry Riddle, they seem to be a great option. Unfortunately, military options here, are extremely limited, there is not much of an airforce to talk of. Very few choppers, mainly more civil Bell's.

 

An advantage of Embry Riddle, is that you can do the flight course as well as another course at the same time, which is beneficial, since many airlines seem to have preference for pilots that have degrees other than the pilot's licence.

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1. Yes - it's a cut throat industry. If you can get a direct entry to an airline' date=' DO IT. I suggest taking a look at the Cathay Pacific cadetship. They've just opened it up to worldwide applicants: http://www.cathaypacific.com/cpa/en_INTL/careers/flying/cadetpilot

 

Also consider the navy and airforce.

 

2. Expect an ECG, blood/urine test, Opthamologist exam (eye exam), and a bloody long questionnaire. If you can see and have no physical problems (a busted leg for example) you'll do fine.

 

Get your commercial medical straight away, there's no point doing a PPL then finding out that you can't fly commercially.

 

General aviation, whilst fun, pays **** - and it's not a guaranteed route to an airline. Not to mention single pilot instrument flying in GA is the hardest job out there and pays peanuts.

 

I instruct part time on the weekends for the love of it, and have a day job to live on.

 

Go the military, or cadetship route. Maybe you might be able to find a flying school that can offer you an interview at a partner airline upon completion.

[/quote']

 

As much I want to be a commercial pilot, I can't see the route being easy. For one, I don't want to spend too long working as a flight instructor to build hours. If this seems to be happening then I will most likely do as you have and instruct on weekends.

 

The first time I went up, the instructor was only 19.

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Seriously mate, apply for the Cathay cadetship. That way you'll be in the jumpseat of a 747 within 12 months.

 

edit: do you have or can you get a EURO passport? There's some good opportunities in the UK. Some airlines are hiring pilots straight out of school with 150 hours.

 

Another thing to think about is doing your fixed wing CPL first, then upgrade to a heli CPL. Price wise, it'll work out cheaper than doing a heli CPL from scratch (assuming you're a fast learner).

 

No company will hire you at the minimum hour level for a commercial pilot (about 80 hours) for insurance reasons (of course there are exceptions).

 

80 hours for a CPL? Here it's 150 minimum.

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Seriously mate' date=' apply for the Cathay cadetship. That way you'll be in the jumpseat of a 747 within 12 months.

 

edit: do you have or can you get a EURO passport? There's some good opportunities in the UK. Some airlines are hiring pilots straight out of school with 150 hours.[/quote']

 

Neither....not now at any rate.

I know that if I do heli training in Florida with a few specified schools, they are partnered with Bristow, so I can get a job with them either in the Caribbean or the North Sea. As of recently they were hiring, I haven't checked to see if this has changed.

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Where do you live? Other than the Gibson deprived Caribbean. I think you missed our point about the instructor rating; that rating does very little for you in the job market, it is a means to offset the cost of flying while you are getting your hours. The cadetship that McMurry was referring is the Part 141 stuff I was talking about. Several airlines have that kind of program, but I can't think of any helicopter schools that have a direct hire program.

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More pilots and planes in Alaska, per capita, than anywhere else in the country. Nearly everyone that is seeking work finds it, though, it does help greatly to have an AP cert as well. Guys that can fly and fix 'em, and enjoy both, tend to hang around a lot longer here.

 

Pay varies, from bush pilots, mail pilots, ATP certs, up to the big stuff. Until you get some serious time under your belt, or lock in with a good company, seasonal work can be short and hectic.

 

I've had my license for 20+ years, thought of making it a career, but the bulk of the work here is in the summer and our summers are too short not be able to have some away time from the job, imo. Lots of guys do it and love it though.

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