I'm thinking about becoming a pilot and I'm trying to learn more about different kinds of pilot jobs. I'm trying to find different kinds of professional pilots to talk to in order to learn more about the field. Are there any professional pilots on here that would be willing to have a call to talk about what the job is like?
Infermational interview with professional pilots
- Thread starter Sustra1
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drummer4468
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Many different branches in the world of professional piloting. From airline pilots, to banner flying, pipeline surveys, firefighting, corporate flying, part 91 flying(basically being paid to fly someone's personally owned plane), agricultural "cropdusting", land surveys, search & rescue, the list goes on and on.
I'm not yet a paid pilot myself, still finishing up my commercial license. But from what I understand they all have their ups and downs.
Airlines - you can make good money after a few years of service, but that's after lots of training and years of demanding schedules for less-than-spectacular pay.
Banner flying, sightseeing, etc - Can be decent money (often plus tips), but these jobs are most often temporary, part time, and seasonal
Ag flying - also very demanding as time is money, as well as the skill level required to maneuver the aircraft safely at very low altitudes
Charter or Part 91 - Hard to put a pin in any specifics for this one. Schedules can be demanding and/or unpredictable depending on how often your client(s) need to fly and where they are flying to. Really just boils down to the requirements of each specific job
Then there's always flight instructing. The majority of pilots pick up their CFI/CFII certificate and instruct for a while to build up hours and get more competitive in the aviation job market. Many also do scenic and/or charter flights, often for the same company they are instructing for.
Not sure how helpful all of that is, but it kept me occupied and at least bumped your thread lol. Lots of info can also be found via the search function.
Good luck!
I'm not yet a paid pilot myself, still finishing up my commercial license. But from what I understand they all have their ups and downs.
Airlines - you can make good money after a few years of service, but that's after lots of training and years of demanding schedules for less-than-spectacular pay.
Banner flying, sightseeing, etc - Can be decent money (often plus tips), but these jobs are most often temporary, part time, and seasonal
Ag flying - also very demanding as time is money, as well as the skill level required to maneuver the aircraft safely at very low altitudes
Charter or Part 91 - Hard to put a pin in any specifics for this one. Schedules can be demanding and/or unpredictable depending on how often your client(s) need to fly and where they are flying to. Really just boils down to the requirements of each specific job
Then there's always flight instructing. The majority of pilots pick up their CFI/CFII certificate and instruct for a while to build up hours and get more competitive in the aviation job market. Many also do scenic and/or charter flights, often for the same company they are instructing for.
Not sure how helpful all of that is, but it kept me occupied and at least bumped your thread lol. Lots of info can also be found via the search function.
Good luck!
@drummer4468 Thank you. This is helpful.
Kritchlow
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No real money until you either…
1) Break into the major airlines.
2) Get a *good* corporate job. This is extremely difficult, as many corporate operations somewhat ignore regulations. You may be at risk.
3) Fractional ownership. Can be lucrative, but may not be. Totally depends on who, and when.
Everything else is a stepping stone imo.
1) Break into the major airlines.
2) Get a *good* corporate job. This is extremely difficult, as many corporate operations somewhat ignore regulations. You may be at risk.
3) Fractional ownership. Can be lucrative, but may not be. Totally depends on who, and when.
Everything else is a stepping stone imo.
Maxnr
Line Up and Wait
Most working pilots get a FREE subscription from Professional Pilot Magazine. Covers every thing from ag to airline. A biggie for me is the annual salary survey. You may find a copy at an FBO. Otherwise, its $50 per year. propilotmag.com
Zeldman
Touchdown! Greaser!
I found bush Alaska flying very satisfying. As you get known in the villages, folks will depend on you to get their supplies in as well as other things such as searching for lost/overdue snow machiners and boaters, fire locations, game/fish spotting, moving hunters/fisherman, ice blockages and of course flying passengers. I really enjoyed being the first cargo plane into a village after a major storm has kept planes on the ground for several days and the shelves on the local store are empty. Also nothing more satisfying than to land in a village and have a elder Eskimo lean forward, pat me on the shoulder and say, ''goot pilot''...remembering that most of the elders have ridden in airplanes longer than I have been alive, so they have seen their share of good and not so good pilots.
I also found air ambulance very satisfying. Really don't get to know the passengers very well, but I did receive a number of comments from patients on how I eased their apprehensions on flying in a small plane by explaining what they were going to feel and hear during the flight. I really enjoyed getting the children to laugh. There is a down side. It really bothered me to find out a patient passed away, and a few died on the plane during the flight, although not officially until a doctor pronounces them dead. And that only happened a handful of times.
As drummer mentioned, there are many different branches of aviation. Just depends on what direction you want to go.
I also found air ambulance very satisfying. Really don't get to know the passengers very well, but I did receive a number of comments from patients on how I eased their apprehensions on flying in a small plane by explaining what they were going to feel and hear during the flight. I really enjoyed getting the children to laugh. There is a down side. It really bothered me to find out a patient passed away, and a few died on the plane during the flight, although not officially until a doctor pronounces them dead. And that only happened a handful of times.
As drummer mentioned, there are many different branches of aviation. Just depends on what direction you want to go.
Maxnr
Line Up and Wait
Sustra 1, I just had another idea. If you can't get into a cockpit at the moment, how about getting employed by an FBO. You know, passing gas, sweeping the lobby, washing aircraft. parking & towing. It puts you face to face with all sorts of pilots and puts you out there. Mention that you have an airman's certificate.
Kritchlow
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Passing gas..??
Tarheelpilot
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I’m guessing talking???
jordane93
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The regionals pay pretty well now. You could easily clear six figures third year at my regional and probably second year if you hustle. I think Mesa is really the only low paying regional at the moment right now
Maxnr
Line Up and Wait
I would not use that term with the ladies garden club, but I thought that I was chatting with airmen. Try to keep up. Its done with a big tank truck that has a hose & nozzle that fits into an airplane. Many of those drivers, btw turn out to have some level of a/c certification.
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Plenty of overseas contractor work that’s $200K + as well. A lot (James331) of pilots had not idea what you could make as a contractor. Everyone looks to the typical airline / corporate offerings but there’s a whole other world out there on the contractor side. Generally it’s a who you know type of operation to get your foot in the door though.
Kritchlow
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1) I believe you first must upgrade. I doubt, but not sure, you can do $100k at a regional as an FO.
2) I don’t consider six figures that begin with a “1” to be big money.
3) I don’t want to “hustle” to make $100k.
YMMV, as that’s just my opinion.
Kritchlow
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And here I thought it was a typo for “pumping gas”….???
Kritchlow
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Christ… I have friends who went to China to make the big bucks. After a week they were praying their contract would end.
jordane93
Touchdown! Greaser!
O yea. Especially if you have a heavy business jet type. You can do some really nice contract work for a pretty penny.
jordane93
Touchdown! Greaser!
I had some FOs make more than me. They’d fly with check airman, get bought off and pay protected and pick up another trip at 150-200%. What do you consider big money? 100K is easily liveable and more than enough in practically any state. I agree with your third point. I don’t try to work too hard!
Kritchlow
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Well, that is not commonly doable, and I think you know that. Possible, yes. The norm, no.
I stick by my three general ways to make good money. I will classify that as $150k+
Kritchlow
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Obviously you will be there soon. Perhaps not in your probie year, but likely in year two. You could be there already, as I’m not sure how your pay scale and Probation year worked during the covid mess.
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Velocity173
Well, I wasn’t referring to that market. There isn’t much need for PMCs in China. Doesn’t matter anyway, the places I’m referring to are far worse than China and not worth the money in my opinion. Just saying, there are ways to make money in less popular pilot avenues.
jordane93
Touchdown! Greaser!
I’m on year 2 pay and off of probation. Our probation is 400 hours or 1 year, whichever comes first. I was never furloughed and just moved to “unassigned” status but I was still technically an active pilot. I got off of probation having never touched an airplane and got full pay the whole time. In the end, it all worked out. Still the stress of not knowing if I was going to be furloughed or not was not fun mentally.
Kritchlow
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Trust me, you got a gift. I am happy for you, as I am an ALPA brother.
Zeldman
Touchdown! Greaser!
I remember when FO at a regional paid something like 8-900 a month. It was not uncommon to see 10 FOs sharing a 1 bedroom apartment and jump seating flights just to get the inflight meal.
WDD
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Vintage Snazzy (so my adult children say)
I hear Air America pays well.
In all seriousness, asking these questions / informational interviewing shows that you are MILES ahead of everyone else. Very wise.
In all seriousness, asking these questions / informational interviewing shows that you are MILES ahead of everyone else. Very wise.
jordane93
Touchdown! Greaser!
Yea a lot of them were on food stamps. Definitely not the case anymore.
WDD
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Vintage Snazzy (so my adult children say)
I remember a story that a regional airline asked its pilots not to wear their uniforms when in line for welfare/ assistance. Probably true.