747 pilot (parts 1 & 2)
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747 pilot (parts 1 & 2)
Hello,
I just want to know what is the youngest or average age a student pilot can become a 747 pilot. My username says it, I would love to become a 747 pilot. I am going to start flight school soon and was wondering when I complete the hole flight school when I could be a 747 pilot. Can it be any ages as long as you have the hours it requires or is it age?
I just want to know what is the youngest or average age a student pilot can become a 747 pilot. My username says it, I would love to become a 747 pilot. I am going to start flight school soon and was wondering when I complete the hole flight school when I could be a 747 pilot. Can it be any ages as long as you have the hours it requires or is it age?
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To sum it up, none can become a 747 pilot as a student pilot. That would mean that a FTO would carry out training flights on a 747, which is highly unlikely!
Now, to become a "true" 747 pilot. As suggested on the previous post, one has to find a hiring 747 only-equipped airline. When time comes to see the general requirements of such an airline (ex: Cargolux), you can find that among others you mostly need a full ATPL and a log book showing a few thousands hours spent on medium or heavy turboprops or jets.... In other words, it's very unlikely a 747 only-equipped airline hires a young 250-hour CPL-IR and offers him directly a right-hand seat on the beast.
-If that airline hires 2nd officers (cruise release pilots, ie a guy who will handle one of the forward seats on the flight deck at altitudes higher than 10000 or 20000 feet, only dealing with coms and nav allowing one of the "real" pilots to have a rest on ultra-long haul flights) it's possible for a young pilot to be hired on the 747.
-Otherwise as a young "fresh out of the box" pilot if you are lucky enough to join an airline having 747s (among others) in its fleet you'll mostly have to begin on smaller airliners, ATRs, Dash8s, A320s, B737s, F100s, etc, and after a while upgrade on wide-bodies (A330, MD11, B747, etc) when the conditions I told you about are met.
My own example: when 10 years ago I joined the airline I'm currently flying for, immediately beginning to fly "Classic" 747s, I was just leaving the Air Force with a full ATPL and with a 6000-hour logbook, including among others 1800 hours on the C130 Hercules and 1700 hours on the Mc Donnell Douglas DC8. Of course I would never have been hired provided I wasn't complying with the requirements as said above.
I hope to be clear enough...
Dom
Now, to become a "true" 747 pilot. As suggested on the previous post, one has to find a hiring 747 only-equipped airline. When time comes to see the general requirements of such an airline (ex: Cargolux), you can find that among others you mostly need a full ATPL and a log book showing a few thousands hours spent on medium or heavy turboprops or jets.... In other words, it's very unlikely a 747 only-equipped airline hires a young 250-hour CPL-IR and offers him directly a right-hand seat on the beast.
-If that airline hires 2nd officers (cruise release pilots, ie a guy who will handle one of the forward seats on the flight deck at altitudes higher than 10000 or 20000 feet, only dealing with coms and nav allowing one of the "real" pilots to have a rest on ultra-long haul flights) it's possible for a young pilot to be hired on the 747.
-Otherwise as a young "fresh out of the box" pilot if you are lucky enough to join an airline having 747s (among others) in its fleet you'll mostly have to begin on smaller airliners, ATRs, Dash8s, A320s, B737s, F100s, etc, and after a while upgrade on wide-bodies (A330, MD11, B747, etc) when the conditions I told you about are met.
My own example: when 10 years ago I joined the airline I'm currently flying for, immediately beginning to fly "Classic" 747s, I was just leaving the Air Force with a full ATPL and with a 6000-hour logbook, including among others 1800 hours on the C130 Hercules and 1700 hours on the Mc Donnell Douglas DC8. Of course I would never have been hired provided I wasn't complying with the requirements as said above.
I hope to be clear enough...
Dom
Beware what you wish for
Those 300 hour cadets are going to learn precious little in the next ten years if they stay on the 744. If they do 10 actual sectors (T/O and Lndg) per annum they will be considered lucky. 5000 hours and 50 landings in 5-7 years (working hard) won't qualify them for much, certainly not a 744 command and probably not even a 737 command. I doubt very much that they will be fully qualified as F/Os for quite some time.
You need to work up to the jumbo, earn a right of passage. They may be cock of the walk now but will be rueing the day (IMHO) they went straight onto the heavy metal.
S
You need to work up to the jumbo, earn a right of passage. They may be cock of the walk now but will be rueing the day (IMHO) they went straight onto the heavy metal.
S
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Nippon Cargo Airlines have recently employed Cadet Pilots with only 300 hours experience flying the -400!
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The shortest route to becoming a 747 pilot (First Officer) is to join an airline which operates this aircraft type, and offers a cadet training program. Singapore Airlines is one such company but gives preference to Singaporean nationals. Having said, they have hired non nationals in the past. There are others.
The cadet program will take a bit over two years to complete but if you are one of the higher achievers on the course you will end up in the right seat of a B-747. A command will take a lot longer.
You will need plenty of ambition, motivation and a large dose of luck to obtain a slot it but is achievable
Good luck in the process
The cadet program will take a bit over two years to complete but if you are one of the higher achievers on the course you will end up in the right seat of a B-747. A command will take a lot longer.
You will need plenty of ambition, motivation and a large dose of luck to obtain a slot it but is achievable
Good luck in the process
Last edited by Exaviator; 10th Nov 2010 at 03:12.
747forever
Sygzyz above is quite correct in his analysis. Goimg straight onto the Whale would one of the worst ways to learn the "game". 747 flying just does not have enough take-offs, approaches and landings to gain the experience for a command position. In airline flying, the 747 guys only get a few landings per month, some carriers have to send the IROs to the simulator to get landing currency! The sectors consist of hours and hours on autopilot. You need to gain the earlier experience first.
I was a C5 operations officer, our young guys just didn't get the training and judgment that the guys flying C130s or fighters first had. AND we flew local proficiency training flight just to do landings--I've done 63 C5 touch and goes in one week. In fact, the 130 and fighter types had the least problems checking out because of their background in making lots of flying-related decisions, lots of hands-on flying time, and a quicker checkout to command position.
I'm not trying to discourage you, flying the 747 is a worthy goal but not as your first plane. Think of the fun you'll miss out on.
John Deakin, a JAL captain probably has one of the highest total hours on 747 command time, having started early and upgraded quickly, but he had lots of hours in Vietnam and in small civil planes.
GF
Sygzyz above is quite correct in his analysis. Goimg straight onto the Whale would one of the worst ways to learn the "game". 747 flying just does not have enough take-offs, approaches and landings to gain the experience for a command position. In airline flying, the 747 guys only get a few landings per month, some carriers have to send the IROs to the simulator to get landing currency! The sectors consist of hours and hours on autopilot. You need to gain the earlier experience first.
I was a C5 operations officer, our young guys just didn't get the training and judgment that the guys flying C130s or fighters first had. AND we flew local proficiency training flight just to do landings--I've done 63 C5 touch and goes in one week. In fact, the 130 and fighter types had the least problems checking out because of their background in making lots of flying-related decisions, lots of hands-on flying time, and a quicker checkout to command position.
I'm not trying to discourage you, flying the 747 is a worthy goal but not as your first plane. Think of the fun you'll miss out on.
John Deakin, a JAL captain probably has one of the highest total hours on 747 command time, having started early and upgraded quickly, but he had lots of hours in Vietnam and in small civil planes.
GF
BTW, in my career I've flown 2 fighters (NAA F-100 and A-10, 1300 hours), 6 corporate jets (CE500, DA 10, NA-265, CL300,CL604/605, GLEX, 4500 hours), 2 jet transports (B727 and C5, 6000 hours), no bragging, just dreary facts. THE BEST PART WAS THE VARIETY OF FLYING, full stop. The fighter time was the most fun, the corporate jets had the best layovers and my first command time in the CE500 was fun and a great learn if experience, 8/10 of hour per landing.
GF
GF
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Thanks, the 747 is my goal. First plane what do you think I could or should fly? I know definitely the 737 but after that can I go for jumbo or do another smaller plane e.g 767?
p.s what age or how can I be a captain for the 737? Higher rank makes job offers (say for the 747) have a better chance of getting it.
p.s what age or how can I be a captain for the 737? Higher rank makes job offers (say for the 747) have a better chance of getting it.
Just about every airline in the world works on one thing SENIORITY! It is everything, seniority will dictate what plane you fly, what schedule, when you get a command, full stop.
GF
GF
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If I were you, I would worry more about completing your forthcoming course successfully and getting your first job.
Itf you are lucky enough to have a choice of company to start with, then choose one that flies 747's, and hope they still 6-8 years later.
[just about 7,000 hours on the B747-400 - right and left hand seat - a lovely aircraft to fly, so capable, graceful and rewarding]
Itf you are lucky enough to have a choice of company to start with, then choose one that flies 747's, and hope they still 6-8 years later.
[just about 7,000 hours on the B747-400 - right and left hand seat - a lovely aircraft to fly, so capable, graceful and rewarding]
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So say if I was a captain of a 737 then I go to a job offer on a 747 I could have a good chance of getting it? In that case I will have to be a 737 captain first.
I read some 747 job offers and it says FO requirements is 1000 hours and 300 hours on the 747. 1000 hours is great but 300 hours, does it count simulator cause I can`t find anything with zero hours on the plane. Im pretty sure its simulator but just asking
I read some 747 job offers and it says FO requirements is 1000 hours and 300 hours on the 747. 1000 hours is great but 300 hours, does it count simulator cause I can`t find anything with zero hours on the plane. Im pretty sure its simulator but just asking
Sim doesn't count, and pay attention to my comments on seniority. You will only get to a 747 when your seniority number allows you to bid on it. It will be an exceptional situation where you get a direct offer of a 747 seat. As Top Bunk said, worry about the immediate future and what job offers you get, then wait out the seniority system
GF
GF
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Sim does not count!? I checked all 747 job offers and it says 500 hours on type. How do I get a job on it that does require zero real non simulator hours on type? That is hard to find. Plus I know about the seniority, so no need to tell me about it.
No, sim time does not count, the 500 hours on type even sounds low. There are large numbers of pilots with considerable heavy jet time.
As several of us have said, the ONLY way to a 747 seat is to get the appropriate license, interview and be hired by a 747 operator, wait thru the seniority list to get a 747 bid, pass the course and become a 747 pilot. THERE ARE NO SHORTCUTS TO THIS PROCESS! You cannot get a CPL and jump into a 747, unless you can afford to buy one. In the US, Kalitta Air is probably the easiest 747 operator to get hired with--you won't get on without significant jet transport time, say 4000 hours.
Sorry to sound negative, but your posts indicate that you have little understanding of how airline pilot contracts work and how the business works.
GF
As several of us have said, the ONLY way to a 747 seat is to get the appropriate license, interview and be hired by a 747 operator, wait thru the seniority list to get a 747 bid, pass the course and become a 747 pilot. THERE ARE NO SHORTCUTS TO THIS PROCESS! You cannot get a CPL and jump into a 747, unless you can afford to buy one. In the US, Kalitta Air is probably the easiest 747 operator to get hired with--you won't get on without significant jet transport time, say 4000 hours.
Sorry to sound negative, but your posts indicate that you have little understanding of how airline pilot contracts work and how the business works.
GF
Last edited by galaxy flyer; 12th Nov 2010 at 02:15.
KLM used to have(and maybe still have as well as LH and Virgin) young pilots flying the big whale on the right seat...IIRC around the 90's i made i trip on a KLM 747 with the PIC around her medium 30's and the F/O on her 20's...Good luck 747Pilot
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