Career pathway for aviation.

[gingernut]

What exactly is the career pathway which leads to a career in aviation (flying)?

What are the options for a career in aviation, what are the routes required, and what exactly is involved.

Please treat me as a complete novice, who doesn't know an ATPL from an IR. My profession allows me to contribute to other parts of the forum, (medical and health), so please excuse my naivity and simplicity, but sometimes you've just gotta know the whole story from the beginning.

I do hold a ppl.

I realise such a simple question may require a complex answer, and if you could point me in the right direction, (eg a previous thread) I would be more than grateful.

I have tried performing a search using the search term "Career" but the results lacked specificity.

Cheers

[rich49]

Hiya gingernut,

Their are lots of careers in flying: Corporate, cargo, airline, airborne medical, police, flying instructor.... all require the pilot to hold a CPL (see below).
i am no expert, if you go to cabairs website or any other flying schools website they do a pretty good job of explaining the path. I will give it a go but someone may wish to correct me, I am not sure on some things like the limit weights:
PPL: Allows operation of single piston engined aircraft under (5200KG BOW???) in VFR. (You know this already as you hold a PPL?)

Night rating: Allows flight with passengers after sunset and before sunrise (ie at night)

IMC: extends the rights of a PPL to allow you to fly in IMC

IR: Instrument rating, allow flight in IFR. Airlines require the applicant to hold an IR in 99.9% of the case, an IR in terms of 'pecking order' negates the need to gain a night rating or IMC rating because it is inclusive of the training for these ratings.

Multi Rating: Allows the holder to fly multi engine piston aircraft upto (5800 KG ???)

CPL: Commercial Pilots Licence, allows the holder to be rewarded for his flying. The holder may be pilot in command of SINGLE pilot operational aircraft under the privilages of ratings held. (for example if you did not hold an IR you could only be paid to fly in VFR conditions) This is why airlines require at least CPL with IR/Multi.

fATPL: Frozen Airline Transport Licence, The holder may act as first officer on MULTI pilot opperational aircraft. Licence is issued on the completion of ground examinations

full ATPL: Once 1500 hours are gained the holder may act as pilot in command of MULTI pilot opperational aircraft.

For any aircraft above (1.3 Tonnes???) a specific type rating must be held on the aircraft in order to fly it (ie business jets and most airliners)

Airlines also require a Multi crew co-operation course and crew resource managment course. (usually taken alongside the CPL)

A class one medical must also be obtained.

As for how to gain these licences you need to take a look at your financial situation, look at the costs of the licences your going to need and work out a plan on how to achieve them all. Of course, getting the licences is just the start, you need to build up your hours, get experience....
Good luck!
Richard

[scroggs]

This might help: So You Want To Be A Pilot? (http://www.gapan.org/features/FOGPaper2.pdf)

[gingernut]

Rich49, thanks, I appreciate the info. I'm going to look for said links to obtain more detail.

Scroggs, thanks for the link, unfortunately it doesn't want to open on my machine. (Despite having the correct reader).

gingernut

[rich49]

Hiya gingernut,
go to www.gapan.org then at the bottom of the page click on 'so you want to be a pilot' then on the page that comes up, right click, select 'save target as' and then choose a location on your computer and it will download it into your computer rather than open it in another window. I use acrobat reader version 5 to open it and it works fine.