What is the state of the aviation industry, and what should I do?
Shawn Pratt - Vice President/Chief Flight Instructor
"What is the state of the aviation industry, and what should I do?" This question has been posed to me numerous times from prospective pilots ranging from students in our high school programs to older adults looking for a change in profession. I typically begin my answer with: "The aviation industry is predictably....cyclic". Regardless of the industry state, this is the time to get started with flight instruction and building flight time. You want to have your pilot certificates and ratings along with ample flight time so that you can take full advantage of opportunities that will be available to you.
Let's first get a general idea of what is needed to become a professional pilot. My definition of "professional pilot" refers to getting paid to fly - professionally. It does not single out just pilots for the major airlines. Rather this definition includes pilots providing services for flight instruction, charter, corporate, air cargo, air tour, agricultural, regional airlines, national and international airlines, and many other flying careers. The first step to any of these careers (as it is with all careers) is getting the training you need.
The Training Process
In a very general sense, future pilots get their initial flight training accomplished via either military or civilian pilot training programs. Civilian programs typically start with earning a "Private Pilot Certificate". Upon completion, you then train for and receive advanced pilot "ratings" such as the "Instrument Rating", which allows you to fly in the clouds, and the "Multi-engine Rating", which trains you to fly in airplanes with more than one engine. Now you can fly lots of different airplanes in varying weather conditions - unfortunately, you cannot get paid for it! So, next you would get your "Commercial Pilot Certificate", which now allows you to fly and get paid. So, can you get a job now? Not yet.
Getting Your First Job
Now that you have obtained all of your initial flight training, you will have accrued approximately 200 - 250 hours of flight time. This is important because your "experience" is measured not only in "total flight time", but also the "type of flight time" you have accrued. This is what hiring managers look at first - prior to any degrees or college/academy marketing agreements.
Flight Instruction as a career has no minimum "total flight time" hour requirement. However, it does require that you get training to learn how to teach people to fly. You will train to become a "Certified Flight Instructor", and possibly an "Instrument Flight Instructor" and "Multi-engine Flight Instructor".
Regional Airlines historically have required an applicant to have at least 1,500 hours of total flight time along with a Commercial Pilot Certificate, Instrument Rating and Multi-engine Rating for employment as a pilot. During 2008, we witnessed a number of airlines dropping the minimum total time requirement as low as 200 hours, but this isn't the norm.
Charter flying such as "bush flying" and some corporate operations, have two different requirements. If flights remain in good flying weather (not in the clouds), pilots can be hired at 500-hours. If the weather is not good, the requirement is 1,200 hours of total flight time for pilots. The 1,200-hour requirement is preferred when hiring as it allows the operation the freedom to run flights in varying weather.
Major Airlines require that applicants have substantial flight experience, are goal-oriented, and posses the highest levels of professionalism. At this level, applicants typically are required to have a baccalaureate degree, prior airline experience in charter or regional airlines, and approximately 3,000 hours of total time.