Aviation Careers

Pilots ~ Maintenance Technicians ~ Air Traffic Controllers ~ Dispatchers ~ Aerospace Engineers ~ Aircraft Sales ~ and many more…

What can I expect to earn?

According the Minnesota Department of Aeronautics, most of these positions will pay over $100,000 upwards of $165,000 between the 5^th and 10^th year of practice. In addition to other benefits and opportunities not found in other careers.

Starting salaries are often low ($25,000), but the long-term benefits, and the lifestyle are worth the wait and the climb. Being employed in aviation is a life long journey and a life style. It’s not always about the money. How many jobs take you around the world and back home every month?

Aviation careers are very cyclical and dependent upon a healthy economy. Those who are employed in aviation for the long-term, are those who have done their homework and earned additional ratings, kept training in new technologies, and persevered. It is thought that there will be 200,000 pilots retiring in the next ten years in the United States. It takes at least five years to earn your ratings and a college degree. Now is the perfect time to be young and going into an aviation career.

How do I get there?

All of the above careers require a lengthy training program, with many levels of certification along the way. At a minimum, it will require a two-year Associates of Arts & Sciences college degree, in addition to the specific career training. A long term aviation career with more opportunities requires a Bachelors of Science degree in any field; Aviation Management, Engineering, Meteorology, Business, and more. The degree shows that you are committed to a goal, able to learn new technologies, and most importantly gives you a fallback option for career changes.

Note: You do not have to do your flight training with a major college (which is the expensive route) to have an aviation career. Learning to fly and getting your college education are two separate issues. Many small, local, flight schools have superior instructors with knowledge and experience to share, at a reasonable price.

When can I start flight training?

Right now. Today. Any goal in life begins the day you decide you want to reach it. Being a Professional Pilot, for instance, is a journey. All good pilots are always learning, even the pros. New technology comes along every day; GPS, computerized “glass” cockpit instrumentation, composite airframes, and new airplanes etc.

The FAA Regulations do not have a minimum age to start flight training. However, to fly the airplane solo (without an instructor aboard) requires you to be at least age 16. You must be at least age 17 to take your Practical Exam (flight check-ride). There is also a FAA Knowledge Test, formerly called the written exam, for each license and rating along the way. This class today, is the first step in preparing for this exam.

What will it cost to earn my Pilot’s license?

On the bright side, it will never be cheaper than it is today to start flight training. On the downside, learning to fly is not inexpensive. Flight lessons can be purchased by the hour (about $ 150 for the airplane and instructor combined) pay as you go, or you can purchase “block time” in advance, usually for a small discount. The nice thing about any education; earning your Pilot’s license is an education, is that it never expires and you own it forever.

Going from the ground to commercial pilot, says that you are going to spend at least $25,000 and probably much more, perhaps double. This is in addition to your college degree. Your initial pilot license, the first step, is about $5,000 for the Sport Pilot license. The additional training for a Private Pilot license will be about $ 1,500 or so.

There are ways to finance this, such as loans and grants. Scholarships abound, all you have to do is look for them. An often overlooked method of reducing the cost of flight training is to purchase your own airplane rather than to rent one from the flight school. This has many income tax advantages and possible income opportunities if you allow your instructor to also rent it to his students. If done properly, you can learn to fly for free (or almost free).

What steps do I need to start flight training today?

1. Decide you want to learn to fly, set a date with your goal to finish, and find a mentor. Joining the Civil Air Patrol is a great place to find aviation mentors and to hang out with pilots of varied backgrounds.

2. Visit local flight schools, talk to their instructors, and view their aircraft. See which one feels the best. You can always change flight instructors if needed, so go with your gut and start with someone you feel comfortable with. A good way to choose a flight instructor is to take an introductory flight lesson called a Discovery Flight with him. A 30 minute Discovery Flight is normally $99 at LSA North, Stick-n-Rudder Flight Training. Call us before September 30^th 2009 and the rate is just $59 for an introductory flight lesson!

3. You will need to have either a Third Class Medical Certificate, which is comparable to an employment or school sports physical exam, or, a valid driver’s license to fly an airplane solo. The first license, Sport Pilot, only requires a driver’s license. Additional pilot licenses and ratings all require a medical certificate. Note; if you are considering a career in aviation a clean driver’s record will be needed. Think before you drink, and drive or use illegal drugs.

4. Your “kit” of text books and tools that will provide your foundation of knowledge for flight training is about $158 (tax and shipping included). You will also need to purchase personal equipment such as a knee board, charts, and headset. A good headset will run about $ 400, a cheap one $ 150, and an overpriced one $ 1,000. Spend the extra money for the ‘good one’, it is worth it. Ask your instructor, and other pilots, for their opinion before buying a headset.

5. Enroll in a ground school, such as this one here at your High School, or at a private flight school which will run about $299 for 12 weeks. This is a great place to meet fellow student pilots and to learn about aviation in a group setting, while preparing for the FAA knowledge test. Additionally, the ground school will bring in guest speakers and take you on field trips to visit FAA control towers or Air Traffic Control centers.

6. Start your flight training. Schedule yourself to fly as often as you can during training. When you fly once per month, you will spend more time reviewing the last lesson before going on to new tasks. Ideally, you should fly at least twice per week, or more, for that first pilot license ~ the Sport Pilot. A minimum of 20 lessons, with 30 or more being average, will be needed. Your Private Pilot license requires a minimum of 40 one hour lessons, with 70 being the average. All training for each rating counts toward the next level, so the first 20 of a Sport Pilot counts toward the first 40 for a Private Pilot and so forth. A commercial pilot certificate is at least 250 hours of flight training or experience. Most entry level aviation jobs require a minimum of 500 ~ 1,000+ hours of Pilot In Command (PIC) experience, which is why we recommend purchasing your own airplane (or forming a partnership with other fight students) instead of renting.

7. Have fun, and enjoy this part of your aviation career. You will remember each of these first flights forever.