By helping others, you help yourself
Most private pilots claim that their desire to fly has motivated them since they were children — that a favorite relative took them for their first flight and instilled in them the dream of learning to fly. Once in the left seat and with their private pilot certificate in hand, most pilots are content to fly recreationally and spice up their aviation lives by adding a new rating or two.
But for some, that love of flying becomes a passion, and pretty soon that same old desk job looks very dull. "I wonder if I could fly that?" they wonder as a 747 wings by the office window. So now the dream becomes a problem. A challenging problem, albeit a pleasant one. In order to get paid for flying, the aspiring pilot must build flight time, either while still working at that desk job or by boldly quitting — and concentrating on flying full time. But as every pilot knows, flying is expensive. How can you build time and not end up in the poorhouse?
Many of the pilots who man the telephones for AOPA's Pilot Information Center share your dream. Many are multiengine-rated pilots, CFIs, or ex-military. Not only can these experts answer your questions, they can empathize.
According to AOPA's Guide to Flying Careers, a wide range of options is available for pilots desiring to build flight time without breaking the bank. The first step is earning a commercial pilot certificate. Although the FAA requires 250 hours as a minimum to qualify for a commercial pilot certificate, the reality is that to be competitive in the hiring process for a flying job with an airline and to be well-qualified, you will need to acquire somewhere between 1,500 and 3,000 hours of flight time, with perhaps 200 to 500 hours in multiengine aircraft. "Flight instruction is the normal progression for pilots who want to build flight time," said John Collins, an AOPA aviation technical specialist and certificated flight instructor with instrument and multiengine instructor ratings.
Flight instruction is the first and most obvious way to build time. Two instructors for AvEd in Leesburg, Virginia, Justin Lewis and Jeff Broomall, are adamant that flight instruction is the best way to build flight time. "It's rewarding, and you end up learning as you teach," said Lewis, 23, a CFII who will join the U.S. Navy as an aviator this fall. "By teaching someone else, you learn backwards; what you're sharing with them, you're relearning. It makes you a better pilot."
Broomall, 30, a former Web development specialist for AOPA who is now a full-time CFI, hopes to work for the airlines. By instructing and sharing flying with students, he has amassed 1,350 hours. "The best way to build time is to instruct and, if you get lucky, find a student who owns his own airplane and wants to build time with you. I get extra flight time; the student gets more experience."
The downside to flight instruction is the pay. The scale is usually between $20 and $30 per hour for instruction given (and the FBO takes its percentage of that). On rainy days or when business is slow, a CFI may sit around the airport all day and not earn one penny. However, as in any profession, the time spent in what amounts to a paid internship has its benefits in the long run.
For an entry-level flight instructor, all that is required is a commercial pilot certificate with a second class medical and a flight instructor certificate. The flight instructor certificate requires about 10 to 20 hours of additional training beyond the commercial pilot requirements, with corresponding knowledge and flight tests. Instructing for an academic institution could require not only those credentials, but also an advanced academic degree. Teaching at an airline or other professional training organization might mandate a type rating and a minimum number of flight hours in a specific make and model of aircraft.
AOPA's Aviation Services department has prepared an informative package on aviation scholarships and loans to assist you in achieving your aviation goals.
There are many other ways to build flight time beyond instruction — such as charter flights or banner towing — and these options are discussed in detail in AOPA's Guide to Flying Careers. And flying careers are available beyond the airlines and the military. Pilots hoping to get paid for flying may also consider corporate flying, crop-dusting, or making instruction a full-time career. Mentoring other pilots is a rewarding experience (see " Better Than Ever," p. 107). "Ultimately, being around an airport and with other pilots is the best way to build an aviation career," said Collins.
As an AOPA member, you have access to the best resource anywhere for information and answers for pilots. The AOPA Pilot Information Center gives you direct access to specialists in every area of aviation. The center, 800/USA-AOPA (800/872-2672), is available to members from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Eastern time, Monday through Friday. Information is also available on the Web (www.aopa.org) .
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