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Grim economic news for the airlines and political instability aside, there are careers to be launched in the aviation industry and jobs to be had. Most of the Web-based job search sites discussed last year ("Job Mining on the Web: Finding that opportunity on the Internet," March 2002 AOPA Flight Training) are still brimming with new opportunities. Granted, the major airlines continue to face moderate to severe turbulence, but other sectors of aviation are not nearly as grim. Challenging, yes, but not grim.

AOPA Flight Training recognizes that at least a part of our readership plans to pursue a career in aviation, and we regularly schedule articles aimed specifically at low-time pilots on the first steps of the career ladder. One of our editorial goals is to enlighten everyone about the vast possibilities offered by this industry - not merely to glorify the airline jobs. Whether it is starting a scenic air tour company, heading north to Alaska to fly the bush, or joining a Wyoming-based aerial firefighting operation, we have tried to show you how. If you are a new reader, visit the AOPA Flight Training online search engine and enter the keyword "careers."

Through the years, eager aviation career aspirants have communicated to us their questions and frustrations about flying as a career path. "How do I break into flying? Where are the best jobs? What kind of school should I attend? Where can I get cheap multiengine time? How can I afford to fly? What do the airlines look for? What should I have as a college major? How can I get to 1,000 hours?" These represent the most common questions that, candidly, have been advanced by career-focused flyers since the Wrights.

Where do I start?

Those who seek to earn a living at aviation must get in tune with their chosen field. Thus, although flight is the initial magnet that draws so many to aviation, it is wise to first evaluate opportunities throughout the spectrum to learn what's hot and what's not before making a full-fledged commitment to one goal. In business, this is called due diligence.

Case in point: Which sector of the aviation industry holds the most promise for future job opportunities? The information is out there.

The U.S. Department of Labor anticipates a need for 12,000 aircraft mechanics each year. Retirements will create an anticipated deficit of 4,000 to 5,000 mechanics per year. Issuance of new mechanic certificates dropped from 24,000 in 1991 to 8,000 in 2000. Enrollment in tech schools dropped 50 percent between 1991 and 1998.

You're probably saying, "Me? A mechanic? Get real. I want to fly, man!" Here's a clue: with an ability to both fly and maintain aircraft, a pilot will become indispensable to a corporate aircraft operator. When that Hawker is sitting in the hangar gathering dust for a couple of days because the big shots are not on their way to a meeting in Aspen, the pilot/mechanic can be performing routine inspections and maintenance. Talk about job security!

Future professionals should subscribe to industry publications and surf the Web to begin to "walk the walk and talk the talk." You'll also find AOPA's Flying Careers booklet interesting. (Download a copy or call 800/USA-AOPA to request one.) It is a handy, easy-to-read guide that reviews all of the primary flight careers, their opportunities, and their prerequisites.

What's next?

Most people aiming for a career on the flight deck of a jet rarely consider all of aviation's career options. They blindly state, "I just wanna fly!"

So if, after careful deliberation on all of the possibilities, you insist that flying is what you really want to do, then every future pro needs to set specific goals. These goals should be short-term and long-term. This process is the first order of business in building a career plan.

An example of a short-range goal: "I want to become a CFI for an FAR Part 141 flight academy in Arizona when I complete my training in September." With this kind of specificity, the new instructor can begin to research flight schools in the Phoenix area; build relationships with other instructors in Tucson; visit schools during summer break; and attend the next AOPA Air Safety Foundation CFI Refresher Course in Phoenix to begin forming a network. All of this can be accomplished well before completing flight instructor training and, with some luck and perseverence, a job could be waiting on graduation day.

For a long-range goal: "I would like to fly for Wal-Mart by the time I am 30." With this objective in mind, building a pilot portfolio that includes turbine time and corporate experience is essential. In the meantime, a college student may be able to pursue an internship with the company or grab a summer job at its Rogers, Arkansas, FBO to begin forming those important personal associations.

Airlines or corporate?

Of course, the majority of pilots are attracted to the industry by the allure and mystique of flying Boeing and Airbus equipment. Our flight schools, academies, and colleges all perpetuate that vision with four-color display ads that feature graduates clad in airline uniforms, each stating, "You can be like me!"

Airline flying has its rewards. But it's true that "Many are called. Few are chosen."

At the recent Great Lakes International Aviation Conference in Lansing, Michigan, participants were told that it may take up to nine years for the major airlines to recover fully when all furloughed pilots are called back to work. Sure, as readers learned here in January, regional and second-tier jet carriers like Jet Blue and Frontier are hiring. (See "Careers: What's goin' on?" January AOPA Flight Training.) Yet, only 5,845 pilots found new airline jobs in all of 2002 compared with 20,000 in 2000.

Every future professional airman and those who educate them must look beyond the FAR Part 121 carriers and even corporate flying as a possible job path. As a simple test, can you list at least 10 flying careers outside of airline and business jet flying?

Where are the flying jobs?

In 1986, there were three owners of fractionally held aircraft. By 1993, there were 110. From 2000 to 2001, the number of companies and individuals using fractional ownership grew by 28 percent, from 3,834 to 4,900 shares. The number of airplanes in fractional programs grew 19.3 percent in 2001, from 560 to 668. Members of the General Aviation Manufacturers Association report that approximately 17 percent of their total turbine deliveries last year went to fractional programs.

So, do you think that you might have a better chance at a flying career with NetJets or American? If you are bent on the airlines, you may find that a job commanding a regional jet will be the top rung on the career ladder. (The first may well be a few years flying twin turboprops on regional routes not served by jets.) Why will regional jets ultimately offer so much opportunity? Phenomenal growth. According to a just-released FAA study, regional airlines will experience the greatest growth with passenger totals climbing 5.6 percent annually, while larger airlines will grow only 3.5 percent annually. The regional growth will occur through arrangements with larger carriers, as well as the creation of more nontraditional point-to-point routings that use new regional jets.

Despite the current state of affairs, there is one indisputable fact: We are a mobile society, and air travel, whether commercial or private, is a vital component of our lives. Aviation has always had its ups and downs, and traffic will come back up. The time to prepare for a professional career is right now before the next surge in hiring. If you are not prepared with ratings and flight time by the next upward cycle, it may be too late.

The FAA has also predicted that by 2012 nearly 1 billion passengers will be traveling on airliners annually. What does this mean? It means more jobs for airport planners, fuelers, FAA inspectors, manufacturers' representatives, flight dispatchers, runway lighting companies, concrete contractors, jetway sales personnel, avionics technicians, parts suppliers, and on and on. Even if you are not aiming for an airline career, the airline industry represents the "tail that wags the dog" in aviation hiring. If airlines are healthy and hiring, then the domino effect is felt all the way down to flight instructors looking for their first paying jobs.

But right now, with hiring admittedly soft temporarily and thousands still on furlough, this wisdom is more valid than ever: before embarking on the long road to the cockpit as a paid professional airman, the astute person might consider wielding a double-edged career sword. Although flight is the main attraction, arming oneself with a second skill - whether an A certificate or a bachelor of science degree in business - is a prudent course of action.

Where should I go to start?

A common question we hear consistently is: "Gosh! Should I go to an aviation college, a flight academy, or get all my ratings at my local airport?" The answer is quite complicated and depends on age, personality, and financial situation.

If a questioner is between the ages of 18 and 24, earning a college degree and pilot certification simultaneously is suggested. Whether enrollment is in order at mega-schools like Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University or the University of North Dakota; midsize aviation colleges such as Ohio University, Jacksonville University, or Indiana State; or smaller institutions such as Northwestern Michigan College or Hesston College, depends on money available and individual preferences.

Anyone looking into college might want to consider a major in professional flight and a minor in business. A business background will always be helpful.

There is some benefit to earning all of the important certificates and ratings by the end of the sophomore year. This is why some of the two-year schools make great sense. At most of the large, four-year programs, ratings are spread over the entire four-year curriculum. Graduates of two-year programs at Northwestern Michigan; Hesston; Aims Community College in Greeley, Colorado; Colorado Northwestern Community College, and others can transfer to a four-year state university and build time as CFIs throughout their junior and senior years.

For a person with a college degree, or a mid-life career changer starting from zero, an aviation academy offers intense but quick programs to get up to speed. These outstanding organizations with names like Oxford Aviation Training in Tyler, Texas; FlightSafety International; Sierra; Delta Connection Academy; Spartan; and Gulfstream all can do the job.

It should be noted that many of the aforementioned academies have forged relationships with nearby colleges where an academy trainee can also obtain a degree while earning flight time and ratings.

But, if financial resources or circumstances dictate a stay-at-home training plan, then commit to a regimen at the local flight school that features two to three lessons weekly as a minimum. Additionally, earn a college degree online if one is not hanging on the wall.

Here's an important news flash about a college education. More than a few recruiters at major and regional airlines agree that a college degree is frosting on the cake. In a competitive hiring environment, a college-educated pilot will have an edge. However, the course of study is virtually immaterial. As a major airline vice president explained, what matters most are a well-rounded education and good grades. It is not the subject matter that impresses the airline. It is the long-term commitment to a goal - even if that goal is a degree in accounting. Previous professional flight experience is what rings the bell for employers of pilots.

If an aviation college is in the career plan, then investigate those that can truly assist in advancing your career. If you missed the December 2002 issue of AOPA Flight Training, be certain to review online the cover feature ("The College Conundrum: Choosing a school that's right for you") addressing this very point: Invest in schools that will invest in you.

We do hear from baby boomers and mid-life career changers who want to make the transition to the airlines. These folks should look closely at the handful of training outfits run by airlines. For the pilot aged 40 and over who cannot afford to build time hour by hour over a few years, such organizations will offer the best chance to live the dream in a relatively short amount of time. These include the Mesa Airlines Pilot Development Program, Delta Connection Academy, and Gulfstream International Flight Academy. In the case of Gulfstream, every enrollee in the program will be flying a Beech 1900D, guaranteed, as a Continental Express pilot for up to 250 hours.

I've got 250 hours. Now what?

"The gap" is that leap of time for a pilot with a commercial certificate and a minimum of 250 hours to the 1,000 hours of total time that is normally required for a career launch into the bigger leagues. As has been the custom for ages, a common method for bridging the gap is through flight instruction.

It is suggested to pilots willing to instruct that they first search out busy FAR Part 141 academies and colleges, preferably in the warm climes. Why? Instructors there fly often and build up time quickly.

If instructing is not your thing, then join the Civil Air Patrol; get a job flying traffic patrol; form a partnership with a few buddies and purchase an airplane. When the airplane is not flying, check out possibilities with local flight schools to place that machine into a leaseback program.

The flying industry's adherence to the "we need to see the twin time" hiring philosophy is a frustrating rite-of-passage for many would-be flight pros. Someday, perhaps 200 hours of actual IFR flying may be given as much weight as 200 hours in a Beechcraft Duchess or Piper Seminole. There is no greater challenge in aviation that demands finely honed skills and concentration than single-pilot IFR, even with just one engine out front.

There are essentially four ways to accumulate time in the multiengine logbook column. First, of course, is paying dues as a CFI at some flight school where multiengine training is available. Usually, the CFI-ME will only obtain that title after earning senior status at the school. If good fortune is with the pilot, that school might be associated with an FBO that happens to have an air taxi service sporting a Beech Baron or Piper Seneca.

Second, beg! Surprisingly, with some searching, you might discover a benevolent physician with a Cessna 310 who just might be willing to let you fly on a few weekend junkets to Key West.

Third, suck it up and pay for some time. Jobs can be had flying twins with as little as 50 hours. Some Grand Canyon scenic tour operators, nightly check runners, and even Great Lakes Airlines and Trans-States Airlines have hired pilots with less than triple-digit multi time.

Fourth, in that previous partnership scenario, buy a twin-engine Piper Apache rather than a Cessna Skyhawk..

What can I do right now?

Certainly times are tougher today than they were two years ago. Predictably, many pilots enrolled in flight schools are going to end up on the outside of the industry looking in. Why? They did not conduct the due diligence. They did not have a career plan and did not implement the plan early. They will become impatient and quit.

Here is what can be done today to build a road to success.

• If a collegian, apply for internships. Get any job, part-time or fulltime, in any facet of aviation. Fuel airplanes. Manage the front desk at an FBO on weekends.
• If attending a flight academy or university, strive for excellence in grades. Get involved with extracurricular aviation-oriented activities such as the Alpha Eta Rho fraternity and National Intercollegiate Flight Association competitions.
• Set a goal that answers the question, "Where do I want to be 30 days after completing my training?" and work toward achieving that objective.
• Plan to attend industry meetings and conventions where professionals congregate, such as the annual Women in Aviation International conference, the National Business Aviation Association convention, and professional-pilot hiring seminars.
• Build a network of at least 10 industry contacts in the next 90 days.
• Change your answering machine recording! Imagine that someone is phoning you to arrange an interview. You are out, and that potential employer hears the following on your machine: "Yo! Dude! Wasssup? I'm out doin' stuff. You know what to do! So, like, do it now! Geesh! What are you thinking?"

What are you thinking? Follow these steps as you proceed down the path to a professional piloting job, and you'll find that the journey just got a little easier.

Wayne Phillips is an airline transport pilot with a Boeing 737 type rating and is a designated pilot examiner in Colorado. He is a speaker for the AOPA Air Safety Foundation.