Becoming a pilot takes a lot more than just going to flight school, even though flight school is the main aspect of becoming a pilot.
First, before you even apply to flight school you need to make yourself “flight school ready.” Flight school requires a First Class Medal that you can only get by being examined by an aviation doctor. Once you are cleared to fly medically, you need a passport valid for at least the next 5-10 years. Having a high school diploma rather than a GED makes it much more likely a flight school will accept you. Finally, you need to be proficient in English; it is also helpful to already know your phonetic alphabet, which is critical for eliminating confusion between similar-sounding letters when communicating with control towers and other pilots.
Once you are accepted to flight school it takes around 9 months to complete if you are fully committed. If not, you can take flight school classes here and there and finish in your own time if you already have a job, in which case it might take 1.5-2 years from start to finish.
After schooling, you obtain the flight ratings and certifications you need and continue to build your flight hours to reach 1500 hours. Many pilots get jobs flying planes or flight instructing to build flight time fast, and once you reach 1500 hours you can apply for entry-level jobs at regional airlines.
The Federal Airline Association website breaks down your 1500-hour minimums:
- 500 hours of cross-country flight time
- 100 hours of night flight time
- 50 hours in a Multi-Engine Land airplane
- 75 hours of instrument flight time
- 250 hours of pilot-in-command (PIC) time in airplanes
- 100 hours of cross-country PIC time in airplanes
- 25 hours of night flight time PIC in airplanes
Now you have your 1500 hours and can apply to regional airlines which fly smaller planes from big connecting airports to smaller municipal airports. These airlines include Envoy, PSA, and SkyWest airlines. These airlines use turbine engines, which are bigger and create more force than propeller aircraft. Once you have over 1000 hours flying a plane with turbine engines you can apply to any major US airline like Delta, United, American, or Southwest airlines.
Bon voyage!
