the process to reach the airlines

[767]

I am still not 100% sure about the whole process of getting the first job with an airline. I know that the first thing is flight training and achieving ratings. the next step is to build hours. and then the next step is ______??? (fill in the blanks) how does an individual fully qualify to fly with the major airlines? do the airlines train you or do you have to take special courses for certain types of a/c? PLease answer my question, as I am still researching this career.

[Miss Mae]

I won't sugar coat it...the road to the airlines is very long.

The first step is to get your Private Pilot License
then night rating and Commercial Pilot License
you will also need a multi engine rating and instrument rating

After that it all depends on how you want to build hours.

2 common methods are:

-Flight Instructing (which you require another rating)
OR
-working the ramp (duties such as fuelling, loading, cleaning etc)

You will need to work at these jobs anywhere from 2-5 years.

Somewhere along the way you will need to be preparing for your IATRA written exam or ATPL (which is required to work for airlines) 1500 hours total time.

Next step is normally right seat (1st officer) for a company that does charter, medevac on something like a King air, Pilatus....

Looking at 1-3 years there and then possibly getting into something like Jazz where you will once again be a first officer.

Realistically the years required to the airlines is 5-8 years, and the reality is that some people never make it that far.

Of course I'm sure there are people on AvCanada that have different expeirences, but myself and all the other pilots I associate with have followed this path.

Hope this helps...

and the most important thing IMO is that you have to have passion for flying.

Best of luck in whatever path you choose.

[cyyz]

or use your citizenship from your homeland and apply for their cadet program, and they train you from scratch and you're in... (obviously not that simple)

[Danger Zone]

I am also looking into this and there is one thing that I don't quite get.

I understand how your career progresses being a flight instructor, but I don't quite get how working the ramp helps further your career. How do you build up hours working the ramp and if your not building hours in 1-3 years don't you still have the same amount of hours that you started with. So do you work your ass off and just hope that someone feels sorry for you and lets you sit in the right seat a couple times.

I guess basically my question is how do you go from rampie to pilot?

Any help would be appreciated!

[cyyz]

hope that someone feels sorry for you and lets you sit in the right seat a couple times.

I guess basically my question is how do you go from rampie to pilot?

Go to a respectable company that has a "ramp program" P, B, T, okay well most of the northerners....

Then apply as a "ramper" dispatch, flight follower, csr, DZ driver, dock worker, whatever, get in and wait and wait and "prove yourself" worthy and then one day, after the capt goes, and F/O is upgradable a spot becomes open for a ramper and assuming you're the first in line you get the gig..

Or, you can go work at skyward, and have the company go tits up and all your ramp time just "went to shit."

Some companies have you do it for 3 months some for several years, and none will every be up front about it.... So the carrot is dangling, and dangling.....

[Luscombe]

You know, it's too bad they don't go through this stuff in the aviation colleges and commercial groundschools at the clubs.

Fledgling commercial pilots are left to fend for themselves when they are most in need of some advice. I had the benefit of the experience of some fellow pilots who "made the right moves" and could enlighten me.

The above posts are all really good advice. The only thing I would like to add is that before you take that ramp job, do your homework. There are a lot of shady companies that leave you on the ramp with the perpetual "carrot" dangling, leaving you in that catch-22 situation. That is during the 1-3 years you're on the ramp, you're not putting hours in your logbook; and that flying job gets filled with someone who spent the last 1-3 years instructing. You can't get a job without experience.... can't get experience without a job.

You can do your homework by making a few phone calls and talking to the line pilots, rampies, mechanics etc... might result in you having to turn down a job, but in the long run you'll be much better off.

I went from flight instructor to bush to multi-cargo to fishery patrols to B737 in 8 years. The ride wasn't always smooth, but hey it was fun.

It's all about the journey, not the destination.

[N2]

Just be warned there is no promise you will make it no matter how much you kiss ass, throw money into training etc. There are tons of people out here who never get "the break" and end up with a big hole in their financial picture and nothing to show for it.....think carefully about it.

[corporate joe]

It's all about the journey, not the destination.

Very well said. I would add that the destination is just a fictive point that you are aiming for and that in reality the journey never ends.

When I look back, the time I spent working the ramp was one of the funnest times in my life (even though it did not feel that way while I was doing it), and I wouldn't trade it for anything. Then again I did not get screwed by the dangling carrot so that probably helped.