Researching a CPL.

[North Shore]

There seems to be a never-ending stream of guys coming on here asking that they've got their CPL, and now what? At the same time, it has pretty much always been tough to get a flying job, so the employability dilemma has always been there.
I'm one of the guys who did no research whatsoever about flying for a living before I started, and I've managed to fall into a pretty decent niche. I have a friend who is in the left seat at WJ, and he's pretty much in the same boat - so there's at least two of us!

So, my question to the collective wisdom is "When, on your career path to a CPL (and beyond) did you do any/much career research?"

[Cobra64]

I spent about two years looking at the training, career path and ways to get to where I wanted to go. I talked to other guys I know who have gone through it and got differing opinions. I finished the college program I was half through when I started looking into aviation. Granted, the whole industry had way more opportunity a few years ago and looked better, but I'm hoping to ride another wave.

[trampbike]

I think there's is a book that should be read by anyone thinking about starting their flight training. It's So, You Want To Be a Pilot, eh?, by James Ball.

I read it before starting my PPL, and it gave me a pretty good idea of what to expect. It should scare off people who thought it was an easy career, and encourage others who thought it was almost impossible to start in aviation.

You can find it here: http://www.amazon.ca/Want-Pilot-Guidebo ... 097813091X

[Nark]

I lived, breathed, and slept flying in highschool and knew exactly what I was getting into.

I met North Shore when I was very wet behind the ears in YTH when I was 19. I also met Mr James Ball and am very happy to see he put the forth the effort to get a book out there that explains the not-so-easy path to aviation.

I'm continually amazed talking to my passengers who think that flying for a living is cool, and their naivety they have toward the business.

[fingersmac]

I spent quite a bit of time researching this career path. It was something I was going to do regardless but I wanted to make sure I knew what I was getting myself into; I didn't want any surprises. Maybe that's attributed to my age as I started in my late twenties. I can't imagine in the internet age that people walk blindly into a chosen career path. There's so much information that can be accessed from simple google searches.

[Invertago]

It is worth noting that there is less excuse for getting into aviation blindly now then say a dozen or so years ago. The internet really makes things too easy if you need information.

[iflyforpie]

There wasn't too much on the internet back when I did my CPL. In fact, I didn't even own a computer until six months after I started flying commercially.

I knew it was tough, but I didn't realize how tough. I think a lot of prospective commercial pilots get it into their mind that this is their dream career and they are going to make it work somehow, no matter what.

But I wound up taking two years off from flying because even though there were jobs; there would have been no way I could have survived financially or maritally had I taken any of them. I still have to spin wrenches (though I enjoy doing that more now) to make ends meet.

[Turkey]

I researched.

I had a nice talk with the CFI at the flight school. He told me ALL ABOUT the shortage of pilots in Canada. He had photocopies of news articles and everything. "10,000 Pilots Needed By The Year ____." Then he handed me the pen to sign up.

Lesson: To research; talk to the experts, not the salesmen...

[LousyFisherman]

I'm continually amazed talking to my pilot friends who think that flying for a living is cool, and their naivety they have toward the business.

FTFY

LF

[c_172pilot]

I did my research! I did a ton of it. I got the whole "they baby boomers are retiring you had better get your commercial license quick" nonsense too from the owner of the flight school I attended. I also read a lot in Wings Magazine of how Canada alone will need 10,000 qualified pilots (my instructor told me qualified was a commercial multi/ IFR). He also said one or two years in the bush and you will have 1000-1500 hours then it is a hop, skip and a jump to Air Canada. In fact I had to hurry because with 800TT he had an interview with Jazz and he needed to refresh his IFR.

If anyone is looking at getting into this career I would recommend this site: http://thetruthabouttheprofession.weebly.com/index.html
It is an American web site but our industries are pretty much the same.

Cheers!

[Rowdy]

I grew up around it and was repeatedly told "pick another career path kid" and saw first hand what it did to relationships, families and life in general. I still decided to try my hand. Did a lot of digging and slowly worked my way in.

when I get asked by all the newbs and people who want to get into it.. when I tell them the truth.. they roll their eyes or gloss over and stop paying attention. It drives me nuts.

[Shiny Side Up]

There wasn't too much on the internet back when I did my CPL. In fact, I didn't even own a computer until six months after I started flying commercially.

I knew it was tough, but I didn't realize how tough. I think a lot of prospective commercial pilots get it into their mind that this is their dream career and they are going to make it work somehow, no matter what.

About the same. I remember a few commercial pilots doing their best to dissuade me from the career choice. I personally don't feel sorry for all the people who get sucked in by the whole "pilot shortage" myth, I also don't believe that myth gets anyone into the industry who wasn't sold on the idea of becoming a pilot in the first place.

[I Я Instructor]

I researched.

I had a nice talk with the CFI at the flight school. He told me ALL ABOUT the shortage of pilots in Canada. He had photocopies of news articles and everything. "10,000 Pilots Needed By The Year ____." Then he handed me the pen to sign up.

Lesson: To research; talk to the experts, not the salesmen...

100% agreed! It doesn't help that there's always someone, even on here, saying "If you want it bad enough, you'll get it". Fact is if CPL training stopped today, there would NOT be a pilot shortage for years if not decades...

[Big Pistons Forever]

I researched.

I had a nice talk with the CFI at the flight school. He told me ALL ABOUT the shortage of pilots in Canada. He had photocopies of news articles and everything. "10,000 Pilots Needed By The Year ____." Then he handed me the pen to sign up.

Lesson: To research; talk to the experts, not the salesmen...

100% agreed! It doesn't help that there's always someone, even on here, saying "If you want it bad enough, you'll get it". Fact is if CPL training stopped today, there would NOT be a pilot shortage for years if not decades...

I wanted it bad enough as did a lot of other folks I know. But we had to put up with a lot of S*** to get to where we are now. I have no problem with folks getting into flying with their eyes open......what I have no time for are the morons who finish the CPL and then ask "where is my job" or worse like the guy on the employment forum who wants to know where where he should go to buy his airline jet type rating ....I still find it unbelievable that so many wannabe's appear to do more research on getting a good cell phone plan.... than choosing their flight school...... or knowing where the jobs are.

TODAY, WITH ALL THE INFORMATION AVAILABLE ON THE NET AND IN OTHER MEDIA, THERE IS NO EXCUSE FOR NOT KNOWING THE DEAL WHEN YOU DECIDED TO BECOME A PILOT....you were just too lazy....or stupid...to do the research

[AEROBAT]

TODAY, WITH ALL THE INFORMATION AVAILABLE ON THE NET AND IN OTHER MEDIA, THERE IS NO EXCUSE FOR NOT KNOWING THE DEAL WHEN YOU DECIDED TO BECOME A PILOT....you were just too lazy....or stupid...to do the research

I would say "too stupid" from the performance I saw a few days ago.

['effin hippie]

Hahaha.

I was standing in the rain on a construction site one day, making puppies and watching guys on approach into YVR when I realized that they were having more fun than me.

I signed up for the ppl next week-end. Near the end of my cpl I started hearing a lot about 'the north'. I was amazed, since I had rather thought that my obviously superior talents would get me into the right seat of a 737 fairly quickly.

After my girlfriend dumped me, it was easier to get everything into my civic. I rolled out of YVR owing 30K and fetched up in CZFD that Dec with a ramp job. The guys up there had a pool about how long the new hires would last, given that my only footwear was a pair of uninsulated leather casual boots the given odds on my lasting till spring were fairly long, I'm told.

I sure fooled them though, I'm still here. (In the north I mean, not ZFD. Dear GOD never there...)

ef