Looking for direction
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 85
Likes: 0
From: London UK
You might want to try posting on the North American forum as well. Mostly Europeans here, and it is totally different in Europe.
He will probably have to pay for all his ratings, working his way up from a PPL to commercial and instructors rating. Then work as an instructor to get enough hours to join a commuter airline. From there you can work up to a major. Long road as Airlines don't sponsor young people through intensive courses as they do in Europe (esp. UK).
He will probably have to pay for all his ratings, working his way up from a PPL to commercial and instructors rating. Then work as an instructor to get enough hours to join a commuter airline. From there you can work up to a major. Long road as Airlines don't sponsor young people through intensive courses as they do in Europe (esp. UK).
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 632
Likes: 0
From: Florida, USA
Le Ann...hiya.
I always have to bite my lip when i hear this question - as I've never understood how anybody with no flight experience KNOWS that they want to be an airline pilot. I tend to find that it is an ideal...once heard it referred to (from an airline wannabe who had never flown) as "a cool job that pays a lot of money"....whilst that might be true (to some), it doesn't strike me as the best reason to attempt to follow the rocky road to the flight deck.
Anyway - apologies for my rambling - I'd be tempted to suggest that he starts with a trip to the local medical examiner. Double check that he will qualify for an FAA Class 1 medical, then consider which four year degree course he will be most suited to (assuming he desires a job with the major airlines at some point).
If you want to start this discussion by e-mail, send me your address through my pprune mailbox and I'll start a one to one.
Take note, though, that I can only offer an opinion - don't take it as fact. The only thing(s) that you should take into account are that I have no interest in any particular flight training company - certainly in Washington - and that I do have a great desire to see student pilots fulfill their dream.
I always have to bite my lip when i hear this question - as I've never understood how anybody with no flight experience KNOWS that they want to be an airline pilot. I tend to find that it is an ideal...once heard it referred to (from an airline wannabe who had never flown) as "a cool job that pays a lot of money"....whilst that might be true (to some), it doesn't strike me as the best reason to attempt to follow the rocky road to the flight deck.
Anyway - apologies for my rambling - I'd be tempted to suggest that he starts with a trip to the local medical examiner. Double check that he will qualify for an FAA Class 1 medical, then consider which four year degree course he will be most suited to (assuming he desires a job with the major airlines at some point).
If you want to start this discussion by e-mail, send me your address through my pprune mailbox and I'll start a one to one.
Take note, though, that I can only offer an opinion - don't take it as fact. The only thing(s) that you should take into account are that I have no interest in any particular flight training company - certainly in Washington - and that I do have a great desire to see student pilots fulfill their dream.
