How To: Research & Selection of Education/Training

Often times, those who dream of becoming professional pilots have done so since they were small.  As our lives take shape, you find yourself in senior year of high school or in your 30's, 40's, even 50's and wishing to chase your dreams.  The number one question I get asked is "I want to be an airline pilot, where do I start?"

As I tell everyone, whether they are about to graduate high school, nearing discharge from the military, or hoping to change careers late in life- education.  Becoming a professional pilot is much more than a few lessons in a plane; it's a lot of knowledge and training.  Seventy-five percent of this profession is knowledge, twenty-five percent flying.  Where and how you conduct your education and training can lead you to a much different outcome than another pilot.

Step 1- Find a School.

(CFI- Certificated Flight Instructor)

The FAA requires that all those wishing to gain a pilot certificate(s)/rating(s) to attend either a Part 61 flight school or Part 141 Flight Training Center.  The first thing you must ask yourself is which of these you want to attend.

Part 61-

Part 61 flight schools are, what I like to call, "mom and pop."  These are normally flight clubs or contact instructors with aircraft rentals that use at-will flight instructors to conduct flight training.  There is normally not a set training outline/syllabus, instructors are allowed to make up their own.  This type of training lacks a dedicated structure, but allows flight instructors to tailor lessons to the students needs.  This type of program also does NOT have FAA oversight or nor does it require FAA approval.

The Part 61 flight school is great for those whom already have a bachelors degree and just need flight training.  It also works well for those who will continue full-time employment while trying to achieve their goals.  For students who cannot manage their own education (self-study), this is NOT the program for you.  However, if you find yourself falling behind in Part 141, you may opt to attend a Part 61 program as long as the CFI understand your challenges.

Part 141-

The Part 141 Flight Training Center is an FAA approved flight school, with approved training outlines/syllabus, approved CFI's, approved Chief and Assistant Chief CFI's.  Part 141 FTC's are often in conjunction with Universities and Colleges that offer degree programs in the aviation industry.  These extremely structured flight centers are required by law to maintain a certain level of first time pass rates on all exams for courses in which they are approved to teach.

Depending on the Part 141 FTC, the pace of the training can be rapid, though very structured.  The entire training program is given to you, and there is no doubt what you need to study, where you need to be, and when you need to achieve certain benchmarks.

University/College-

Though regional airlines have removed the requirement for a four-year degree, the "majors" (Delta, AA, United, JetBlue, etc.) still very much "require" one.  I put "required" in quotes as though they may have removed it from their requirements, applications are scored using a point system.  Without the points from the degree (any four-year degree by the way), your chances of being hired at these major carriers are almost zero. Those pilots without degree's tend to select one of the very few regionals with "flow" programs, which lets them move to the major carrier using their seniority.  This can take nearly a decade, and you would be well behind your peers that started at the same time as you but had a degree.  It is always my recommendation to attend a university/college with a flight program if you do not already hold a degree.

Federal law requires that any applicant wishing to test and hold an "Airline Transport Pilot" certificate (the "license" you need to be an airline pilot) have at least 1,500 hours of flight time experience.  Now, there is a lot of other little items of experience you need, but the total flight time is the big one.  However, there is a way to reduce that... Get a degree from a FAA approved degree from an FAA approved university/college.  If that approved degree is an associates, you will only need 1,250 hours of flight time experience to get to the airlines.  A bachelors reduces that to 1,000.

A list of approved degrees/schools can be found at: https://www.faa.gov/pilots/training/atp/media/institutional_authority_list.pdf

Now, personally I recommend the following schools:

• California Aeronautical University (This is the fastest paced University in the nation, completing a bachelors and all your flight training in 2.75 years).
• Purdue
• UND
• OSU
• Kansas State
• Auburn University

I will leave off my list of those I do not recommend, but I will say the most known aviation university in the nation also cost the most in the nation.  Many of those students leave to go to one of the schools above.

Military Notice-

For those who served in the military and have a GI Bill, you need to pay special attention to this...

The military will ONLY pay for flight training in conjunction with a degree (with some exception).  So I would find a university on the list above (link) and see if they are approved to accept the GI Bill.  I can attest that CAU does accept the GI Bill and it covers almost all of their program.

Step 2- Apply

You will need to complete any application to the flight school, Flight Training Center, and/or University/College program.  Once accepted, its time to get ready for nothing but aviation!