The cost of becoming an airline pilot

We look at how to become a commercial airline pilot and how much money the training is.

[optimusprime]

I don't care how expensive and hard it will be but my dream will become true, I have spoken.

[TanachSpot]

Yes I’m 27 yrs old just decided that I want to start this process I’m very exited about it I know it’s going to be long and amazing journey

[deanfowlkes]

Most full time Part 61 and 141 schools will have you average 2 flight lessons a week. Each flight lesson should average 2 hours of flight time. No flight lesson except for your cross country flights should ever be three hours or more. Any lesson more than two hours becomes counterproductive. You reach a level of information saturation and a point of negative returns at or before the two hour mark.

With that in mind, your flight training curriculum should consist of 20 flights. The FAA only requires 10 of those flights (written in the regs as 20 hours) to be with an instructor. Which means that you should be able to complete the 40 hours in 10 weeks. Even if half of the time, your area is hit with adverse weather, that would mean you could finish your Private Pilot Certificate in 4-5 months.

If you spend the remainder of the year building time and getting your Instrument Rating, you can accumulate the 250 flight hours necessary to get your Commercial and Instructor Rating. Then, you can start getting paid while you work your way up to getting a Multi-Engine Rating. This could all be done in about a year. After that, it is just a matter of continuing to work any flying or instructing job in order to accrue the remainder of the 1500 hours necessary for an ATP.

[HoldTheLine]

If one is hired as an FO by an airline you won’t pay for a type rating in the equipment they use.

[michman]

My son just moved up to 737 at a major. It isn't easy. Dont do it if you hate living half your live out of a small suitcase and waking up at 3am. A lot.

[rylan]

No matter how long it takes, or how much debt I will be in, I will become a pilot dunces it’s been my dream and determination

[flywithme]

I don’t know if this is US or not, but…you don’t need 250 hours for multi-engine commercial. You need 250 for the commercial in general.

[deanfowlkes]

A few corrections and clarifications need to be made. In the US:
- You have to have a Student Pilot Certificate to apply for a Private Pilot Certificate.
- You have to have a Private Pilot Certificate in any aircraft type to apply for a Commercial Pilot Certificate in any aircraft type. Even glider. It does not have to be the same type.
- You only need a Student Pilot Certificate to apply for a Private Pilot Certificate in Multi-Engine Aircraft.
- You are not required to have an Instrument Rating to get a Commercial Pilot Certificate. But, it will be a requirement of most employers.
- You have to have a Commercial Pilot Certificate and an Instrument Rating in any type of aircraft to apply for an Airline Transport Pilot Certificate in any aircraft type. It does not have to be in the same type. Although, you will need a multi-engine time and a multi-engine ATP for most employers.
- No Type Rating is needed to apply for any of these Certificates. Most employers are paying pilots to get their type rating when they are hired. Those that are not paying type rating costs are not airlines.
- You do not need 250 hours of flight time for a Multi-Engine Rating.
- You only need 40 flight hours for a Private Multi-Engine Certificate. Only 3 of those hours have to be in a multi-Engine aircraft.
- You only need 250 flight hours for a Commercial Multi-Engine Certificate. Only 10 of those hours have to be in a multi-Engine aircraft.
- A pilot applying for an Airline Transport Pilot Certificate has to have a minimum of 750 (military) to 1500 hours of flight time. None of it has to be Multi-Engine. Although, most airlines will require their own minimum Multi-Engine time. But, other employers will require less.

[undeadafro]

Still looks good on any resume. Shows that you're capable real damn good with time management.

[Mimi-bhpm]

Yall don't worry to much about the pay because you will be making A LOT and it will pay off your debt. Weather your in college or flight school loans go for about 50 to 100 dollars a month after you graduate. You get 6 months to Find a job and that when you'll pay little by little. Learn to manage your money and you will be fine ❤. If your in college try fasfa it will save you A TON. And if your in flight schools like ATP talk to them about loans and pay. You got this <333

[iimexicanLaw]

Here in the US you don’t have to worry about the cost of your type rating because the airline will pay for it

[garretthuman]

Close.
-Private: 40 Hours total time (around 12-18k)
-Instrument: to fly in low visibility (around 12-18k)
-Commercial: is where you need 250 hours total time
-Multi: do it after commercial so you dont have to do it as a commercial single then commercial multi
-CFI: because its hard to get a job as a low time pilot
-CFII: to teach instrument students
For most it costs 80-120k depending on how fast you pick stuff up and how much time you put into studying

[TheTyphoon]

ATPL at 1500hrs is only available from a part 141 school. Otherwise its 2k, but you'll get done faster in a part 61 anyway due to the 141 needing a 4 year degree

[FenrirRS]

I'm currently studying my CPL, total cost is 106k AUD. For a multi, is 33k & Instructor Rating is 31k. I don't know how I'm going to get there, but I'll figure it out!

[jojojoman]

I live in Germany. I paid 75k for my training. Now I have a cpl ( frozen atpl) which I can convert when reaching 1500 hrs. But u can apply for the airlines right away. I have 210 hours now starting my first job on the Embraer 190. Monthly salary on average is 4000 euro after tax. I think that is a good system.

[NotSkyAviation]

No matter how hard or sketchy the journey will be, i will not give up on my dream
Theres no other way than forward

[MrAvGeekMan]

So much money. But I am determined to do my best and fly the airline of my dreams

[TrueCourse]

… or become a pilot with the US Air Force or US Navy. Once you’ve completed your service obligation, you’re ahead of the game - debt-free.😁👍🏼

[isaacridge]

Also you don't need to apply for a student pilot license. You go straight into flight training without a license

[haddow]

The insane thing about the industry offsetting so much expense onto the employee, the pilot, to het trained for the job, is that they would never do it for such a little return on investment.

We're talking about forcing pilots to get hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt to just be able to be hired for a job where they will be paid just enough that they would likely need a decade or longer to pay off the debt.

That means that while they are paying off the debt, they are going to have a very difficult time living a comfortable life or growing their own finances.

For a business, that would be considered a terrible move. Yet somehow we've gotten to the point where it's become commonaly accepted that people have to put themselves into massive debt to buy their way into a job where the company feels no obligation to pay for that debt, whipe reaping immense benefit from the training it gave. Add to this the extortion powers companies gain from all this. If they paid to train the staff, it would be in their financial best interest to hold onto the employee. When they don't, and there are only so many jobs for people with such training, they can take advantage by threatening to fire them and get someoje else. It won't effect them, because they hold zero financial obligation.

Just another way corporate America has basically become the new mafia.