How can a B777 first officer be so young?
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Stockholm - Sweden
Age: 33
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You are still able to fly as an F/O for an airline without a ATPL. Many F/O's has CPL/ME/IR and a so called frozen ATPL (only written the theoretical exams). ATPL is only needed when taking the step to command in the left seat, so when time is ready and the company wants the F/O to step up the pilot takes the checkride (as long as he/she has the hours/age).
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Only an ocean away
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Bloody hell 747forever, long haul is not your lifestyle!! School is your lifestyle and you'd be better off concentrating on that and then concentrating on your ATPL exams and flight training before declaring 'long haul is my lifestyle'! For the vast majority of wannabes and new pilots unemployment is their lifestyle. Choices come with experience and experience takes time. Apply to whatever you can, fly whatever you can and when you have 5,000 or 6,000 hours under your belt, then, and only then, can you start trying to dictate what your lifestyle is.
As a quick side note, I'd very much like long haul to be my lifestyle too, but three and a half years into my career I consider myself extremely lucky to be flying medium turboprops on short domestic and international flights. To get this job I have moved over 4,000 miles away from home and invested heavily. It took contacts and a great deal of time and luck. I have just under 1,500 hours, I am still years away from being able to dictate what I fly, where I fly and the lifestyle I live. Having been married for just over two weeks now I'd even just love the chance to see my wife more than once every 6 weeks, but this career requires sacrifices.
As a quick side note, I'd very much like long haul to be my lifestyle too, but three and a half years into my career I consider myself extremely lucky to be flying medium turboprops on short domestic and international flights. To get this job I have moved over 4,000 miles away from home and invested heavily. It took contacts and a great deal of time and luck. I have just under 1,500 hours, I am still years away from being able to dictate what I fly, where I fly and the lifestyle I live. Having been married for just over two weeks now I'd even just love the chance to see my wife more than once every 6 weeks, but this career requires sacrifices.
Join Date: Apr 2008
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Well if youre only 14, then you have plenty of time to find out answers to all of your questions, rather than wanting to know how you can get onto a 747 by the time you are 18 or whatever! By the way we are taking it easy on you.
Join Date: Feb 2010
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@ 747 Forever
When you are determined to be a pilot you should fly whatever comes on your way.Let it be a Cessna, a 767 or a F-16. And like the other guy said there will be a stage when you will have 1000s of hours and you can find yourself on a 747 Flight deck that day. you are still young I understand that, even I was like you when I was around your age I always wanted to fly big Aircrafts that fly very long distances, Now, I am doing that! But I didn't achieve that when I was 18, there are stages you need to go through. Sometimes you can reach that level very very fast but on the other end it is going to take hell of a time. And Long Haul Flight is not for everyone. I know over 10 B777/B747 pilots that I worked with left to fly B737, A320 and even ATRs(no joke). So its not everyone's thing to be on long hauls. The average hours for most of my flights is around 8 to 10 hrs. If you are single no problems but if you are married with kids and they are not willing to travel with you all the time then its a big problem. Its tougher than what many people thinks.
When you are determined to be a pilot you should fly whatever comes on your way.Let it be a Cessna, a 767 or a F-16. And like the other guy said there will be a stage when you will have 1000s of hours and you can find yourself on a 747 Flight deck that day. you are still young I understand that, even I was like you when I was around your age I always wanted to fly big Aircrafts that fly very long distances, Now, I am doing that! But I didn't achieve that when I was 18, there are stages you need to go through. Sometimes you can reach that level very very fast but on the other end it is going to take hell of a time. And Long Haul Flight is not for everyone. I know over 10 B777/B747 pilots that I worked with left to fly B737, A320 and even ATRs(no joke). So its not everyone's thing to be on long hauls. The average hours for most of my flights is around 8 to 10 hrs. If you are single no problems but if you are married with kids and they are not willing to travel with you all the time then its a big problem. Its tougher than what many people thinks.
