Career insights: Why do you fly?

There’s a list of tasks—some based on experience, some on expertise—that have to be ticked off before a candidate’s qualified to test for the private pilot certificate. Likewise for the instrument rating, the commercial certificate, the multiengine rating, and other checkrides. But individuals have myriad motivations for wanting to master the sky, and those differences have consequences for their choices—and timing of curricula and recurrent training in between.

A few examples:

Do you hunger to fly for the airlines or major freight carriers? Stick-and-rudder skills are all well and good, and aerobatics are a luxury item. Focus on learning to handle automation and getting comfortable with technology. In particular, become adept at absorbing the details of new systems in a hurry—not just avionics, but powerplant, electrical, and hydraulic schemata.

Do you hunger to fly for the airlines? Focus on learning to handle automation and getting comfortable with technology.Do you want to show others the wonder of flight? If public outreach is your mission, work on the fine points of aircraft control, and in particular on smoothing out your takeoffs and landings. Nothing impresses a prospective pilot—or reassures a nervous passenger—as much as sliding the airplane off and back onto the runway while minimizing bumps, tilts, and attitude excursions in between. An educated sense of what makes gentle flying weather doesn’t hurt, either.

Are you drawn to public-benefit flying? If you see your pilot certificate as a ticket to help others, good for you. You’ll maximize your effectiveness by getting the instrument rating and maintaining a high degree of proficiency and currency. But bear in mind that the human passengers who call on organizations such as Angel Flight may not be comfortable in the clouds, so be prepared to make adjustments. (Rescued animals rarely get a vote.)

Has no pitch or bank attitude ever seemed steep enough? By all means pursue aerobatic training.

And if you really don’t want to do anything more than drift above the landscape on a beautiful day, the sport pilot certificate may be all you need. But don’t close your mind to developing additional skills if more challenging flight profiles ever begin whispering in your ear.

It’s your flying career—no one else’s—and your priorities that should govern how you pursue your continuing education. Doing it thoughtfully and prudently is the surest way to guarantee you’ll keep on having fun.