Hey EVERYONE

[jayelleseven]

Hello everyone on here! :D I am a student, (senior in high school) in the USA (I know this site is UK based) and will be SO thankful for info, advice, hints, you know on basically, whether this career is worth it, worth the time, worth everything
I am REALLY interested in becoming a pilot, SPECIFICALLY an airline pilot and I know it takes many years of expierience to get hired by the big airlines. REALLY, i jus want any response that will PERSUADE me into choosing this as my career. Are there any airline pilots out there??? I would love to get 2 talk 2 you guys, please....
thanks for any help
:ok:

[Number Cruncher]

If you need persuasion, I’d forget it and go get a different career!

[Easy Glider]

Yeah, the arse has fallen out of this one.

[brownstar]

Jayelleseven

I would say that if you want to become a professional pilot then try speaking to someone at your local flying club or flying school.
Just turn up and see if there are any commercial pilots around or anyone that can put you in touch with an airline pilot. Speaking direct to someone over the phone is a good way to get some of your questions answered. Most pilots would be happy to spare you sometime as each of them started out with the same questions you are now asking. It's difficult for me to advise you on avaition as a career as there are lots of things to consider. The only advice I would say is speak to some airline pilots directly, look at your finances as it can be very expensive, and decide. Save your money and go for a trial lesson in a light aircraft to see if you like it.
What ever you decide to do, whether it is an aviation job or something else, if you put in the work you will be acheive your goal and don't let anyone tell you it's not possible.

[jayelleseven]

Yeah, thanks to Brownstar for his advice, :ok: I find it very good and will try it. Other people that replied 2 my post are right, if I need persuasion for getting involved in this career, then I should look elsewhere. I jus, find myself much too undecisive but I need to choose between my options quickly, yes... For ANYONE out there whose willing 2 reply, my post is about any info, help, or advice you guys could give me on pursuing this career, specifically an airline pilot profession. THANKS 2 everyone and anyone...;)

[chocolate bob]

jayelleseven, I have just started flying on line after trying for years to get a flying position.

I started by having a trial lesson to see if i enjoyed it but it made me feel a bit quesy!!
:(

I was convinced, however, that I wanted to fly so I kept plugging away, got a PPL,and now 7 years later here I am. I don't care what other people say but I am thoroughly enjoying myself. It's hard work but very rewarding.

I wish you the best of luck with what you finally choose to do but would highly recommend flying as a career! :ok:

C.B.

[Northern Highflyer]

Hi Jay

From my experience, and from reading the posts of others on this site over many months, I think that if you are totally committed, devoted, determined and obsessed with becoming a pilot, it still is not enough.....really.

You have to have it in your blood, you have to sleep, eat and drink flying and probably be slightly insane. Why else would I and many others be willing to sink ourselves into so much debt and put ourselves through such a tough regime of study, training, tests, exams, followed by even more tests and exams, just to get a job flying an aeroplane. Bear in mind that this will mean very early starts or very late finishes most days, including many weekends.

I have a steady monday to friday 9-5 job with every weekend off and for not bad pay, yet that is not enough for me. I am willing to do all the above and work those funny hours, and lose my cosy weekends off, all because flying is everything to me. It gives me a buzz like nothing else.

As the early posts said, if you need persuading, then maybe it isn't for you. If it isn't in your blood, then at some point you will get bored and walk away, probably having spent a lot of money. My advice is to search yourself and ask if it is what you really really want to do, or is it because you think it is glamorous and well paid. If the answer you come up with is the former then go for it. If it is the latter then I would look for another career.

Regards
NHF

[spudskier]

so you're thinking about being a pilot. Here's a good route to take to see if it's right. Goto a local FBO or aviation school, get an intro ride. during the intro ride, ask yourself... are you sick? is this fun? could I be comfortable in a plane this small for a couple of years? later when you get to be a professional, could I deal with bad weather, sometimes being away from home for a few days?

If you liked the checkride and want to start lessons... when you go to get your Medical/student certificate, ask to try for a first class medical certificate, it's what an airline pilot would need. If you can't pass the requirements (good hearing, heart, health, eyes - especially color blindness) there's no point in making this your career.... maybe a hobby if you can get a 3rd or 2nd class certificate. You can get a list of what's needed to pass from AOPA.org or from your local Aeromedical examiner.


After all this, make sure you're ready to commit MANY hours to studying and hard work. FLying IS fun, but it's a LOT harder than it looks, the private certificate proves you can fly (supposedly) but the instrument certificate is the weed out course of aviation. This is NOT easy!! I'm almost done with mine. It's overwhelming at first and you have to REALLY want it!

Besides taking up a LOT of time with studying and practice, flying lessons are obviously VERY expensive. They say the average US flying student at a typical university spends an average of $36,000 on top of regular tuition. This DOES NOT count academys and specialty schools like Embry-Riddle. Most students spend a total of between $60,000 and $80,000 there.

For myself, I want this BADLY, I can't picture myself doing anything other than flying for a career for as long as I can. I've passed my private, part of my commercial and am a month or so away from my Instrument. I mean I'm an aviation geek, I read magazines, web sites, watch Discovery Wings Channel :ok: I can't get enough... (it's not the only thing in my life, I'm not looking for a burn-out at age 23)

anyway, point is... BE SURE