PA Airport Jobs & employment: How to become a Pilot

  • Added:
    Aug 31, 2013
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Piloting a small plane isa good start
Piloting a small plane isa good start
Photo by Candie_N (Welcome Spring)

Flying an airplane is fun but getting paid to do it even better! For some people, it is one of the awesome airport jobs in Philadelphia, PA. For some it's even the perfect job! Why? An office that travels, a view that's constantly changing and challenges that are exhilarating. Being a Pilot as a career can be glamorous, exciting and highly rewarding. Do you want to know how to become one? Unlike other airport jobs in Philadelphia, you can't just submit a resume and expect someone to call you back with a job offer. The application process takes a long time and much dedication. You need to be serious and committed. Work hard and follow steps below and who knows one day you will be a pilot as your PA airport dream job & employment.

1. Get a four-year college degree.

- It may not be required to have a college degree to fly for any of the regional airlines in the United States such as in Philadelphia, PA. But a four year college degree is required to fly for a major US airline. It is preferable to get a Bachelor of Science degree major in aviation. Aside from spending time to get a college degree, being a Pilot as an airport job would mean spending a lot of money as well. Airline pilot training is intense and expensive. A college degree helps to demonstrate to the airline that you will be capable of completing their education program.

2. Look around Philadelphia for a good flight school and flight instructor to begin working on your pilot certificate. The FAA minimum flight time is 40 hours, but the average is around 60. Schools with FAA oversight can be more desirable if you want a highly regimented training program.

3. Secure a first class medical certificate from a Federal Aviation Administration medical examiner. It is an advantage to get a first class medical first time you apply to be sure you will qualify for one before you will invest too much time, effort and money to get this airport job in Philadelphia.

4. Complete your certified flight instructor (CFI) rating and begin working at your flight school. Some flight schools offer you flight hours in exchange for instructing for them. This can be useful when you go on to your multi-engine rating.

5. Get experience. To work for a major airline, you will typically need 3,000 hours total flight time including at least 1,500 hours multi-engine, and at least 1000 hours as pilot in command (PIC) of turbine (jet) powered aircraft, preferably in scheduled airline flying and in type of aircraft. These numbers are estimates and will vary depending on the airline. Also, while these may be the minimums required to apply for a job at a major airline, they may be far from the actual competitive numbers and the actual experience of successful applicants may be considerably higher than the minimums.

Timing is everything. You could be the world's most qualified pilot, but if there are no openings for pilots when you enter the job market, a good job will be very hard to find. It's that simple. Unfortunately, timing is something we have almost no control over. There are no guarantees in the airline business. You won't know how your career went until you retire and can look back at it. Boom-to-bust cycles in the economy are magnified in the aviation industry.

Author's Profile

About Author:- Jonathan Weaver would like a drink after a hard day's work writing about airport jobs in Philadelphia PA and other major cities across North America on various social media platforms. A degree in language helps him understand the yearning of his stomach and his love of traveling allows him to sample a few dishes and drinks on the way.


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