Attend Flight School

Becoming a commercial or private pilot takes dedication, money, and hundreds of hours of hard work. Fortunately, there are a number of different paths you can take as a prospective pilot to achieve your goals. If you want to go to school full-time and get your pilot’s license as quickly as possible, you can enroll in a Part 141 school or an airline cadet program. If you want to hold a job while going to flight school, you can attend a Part 61 school to maintain flexibility. Another way to get flight training is to complete military service.

Steps

Choosing a Part 141 School

1. Pick a Part 141 school to finish your training quickly and efficiently. This type of school is generally reserved for people who can go to flight school full-time and intend on making a career out of flying. Part 141 schools all use the same curriculum and have a fast-paced, rigid structure to get students certified.
   • The benefit to enrolling in a Part 141 school is you can finish the training within 1 year depending on how well you do in the program.Template:Greenbox: '''Warning''': The schedule is inflexible, so you will most likely not have time to work another job on the side.
2. Choose a Part 141 school if you have GI Bill benefits. If you have GI Bill benefits, you can use them to pay for a good chunk of flight school. You can pay for 60% of the flight training through the benefits, saving thousands of dollars in the process.
   • You cannot pay for a Part 61 school with financial aid from the government.
3. Complete 190 hours of flight training in a school-approved aircraft. Part 141 schools have more restrictions than Part 61 schools and follow their syllabus to a T. You’ll need to do at least 55 hours of flying with an instructor as well as 65 hours of flying by yourself at minimum.
   • A Part 141 school can only give you credit for 25% of the hours you compile outside of school. That’s why it’s important to fly in a school-approved aircraft.
4. Take on-site exams to graduate from Part 141 school. Part 141 school’s offer on-site tests and structured class schedules. The classes are lecture-based, and after going to class for 3 days a week, you can take FAA licensing tests to get through the program. At a Part 141 school, instructors will always be on hand and ready to help.
   • These centers have computer labs for test taking as well as airport facilities.

Opting for a Part 61 School

1. Choose a Part 61 school to maintain a flexible schedule. Part 61 schools are for people who want to learn how to become a pilot while also working a separate job. These smaller schools allow you to set your own pace and learn the material in your own way. You can train around your other job and spend more time focusing on specific areas of flight school as needed.
   • Depending on how quickly you move through the material, Part 61 schools can take years to complete.Template:Greenbox: '''Tip''': Part 61 schools let you do ground school training through online, self-study courses. This way, you can learn the material at your own speed from the comfort of your own home.
2. Take Part 61 courses at your own pace. You can take all Part 61 classes online and knock out the material at your own speed. There isn’t a ground school requirement, meaning you can study the information at home.
   • You can also work with a private instructor to go over the material. At a Part 61 school, it isn’t how you learn the information, it’s that you learn it well.
3. Earn flying hours outside of school. Part of a Part 61 school’s flexibility is that you can fly various aircrafts and put those hours towards your total. That said, Part 61 schools require more hours than Part 141 schools. For a private certification, you need at least 40 hours in the air. For a commercial certification, you need 250 hours of flying.
   • Expect to spend much more time in the air than the minimum requirement. You’ll need the extra hours to get as comfortable as possible with the aircrafts.
4. Pick your own flight instructor. Part 61 schools allow you to choose your own flight instructor to complete training. If you know someone in the field, reach out to them and ask if they have time to train you. Part 141 schools already have faculty in place, so you wouldn’t have the same flexibility when it comes to picking your instructor.
   • Independent flight instructors can be tough to find if you don’t already know someone. If you’re having trouble finding an instructor, speak with your school to see if they have any contacts.

Picking an Airline Cadet Program

1. Enroll in JetBlue’s airline cadet program if you have zero experience. Some airlines offer cadet programs to train potential pilots themselves. For example, JetBlue has a program called Gateway Select, which takes people with zero experience and teaches them how to be a pilot in 4 years. The best part of this schooling is that JetBlue offers jobs as first officers to those people who complete the program. You must be at least 19 years old to enroll in the program.
   • This route is more expensive than Part 141 or Part 61 schools. The total cost of JetBlue’s program is $125,000, which covers tuition, accommodations, transportation, and supplies.
   • You can pay for this kind of school in monthly installments. Ask the airline if you’re eligible for financial assistance, which some programs provide.{{greenbox: Requirements for airline cadet programs:
     
     Read, write, and speak English
     Have a high school diploma or GED
     Have a valid passport
     Be legally allowed to work in America
     Be able to get a medical certificate from an FAA-approved medical examiner}}
2. Choose American Airlines’ Cadet Academy to get your FAA certificate. This program gives trainees the tools they need to get an FAA certificate and an airline pilot rating, both of which are vital to getting a job in this field. Candidates will have to pass a background check and be 21 years or older by the end of the training. It costs between $72,000 - $99,000 to go through this program, but there are benefits to enrollment. For example, if you finish the program, you are guaranteed a job interview with American Airlines’ 3 regional carriers.
   • American Airlines prefers candidates with a college degree.
   • Financial assistance is available to select candidates.
3. Take a foundation course to get an overview of the job. During the first phase of your education, you’ll get an overview of the airline and what it’s like being a professional pilot. You’ll mix academic classwork with hands-on experiences.
   • Training takes place in one specific location. If you want to go this route, you’ll need to relocate to complete the program.
   • The cost of food, transportation, and lodging is all part of the price.
4. Finish primary training to earn multiple certificates. This part of training will take about 45 weeks to complete. When you’re done, you’ll have earned your Private Pilot Certificate, Instrument Rating, and Multi-Engine Commercial Certificate. There is also a classroom element to this part of the program. You’ll learn vital concepts like threat and error management as well as crew and resource management.
   • If you go through JetBlue, you’ll head to Arizona to train at the CAE Oxford Aviation Academy.
   • You’ll get lodging, a weekly food stipend, and training materials. All are included in the initial cost of the program.
5. Complete an internship at a regional airline. During this internship, your mentor will provide advice and support. You’ll also get to learn from working pilots at a regional airline and shadow them on a daily basis. The internship will cover everything from plane maintenance to flight instruction.
   • Come ready with questions. The pilots are there to make sure you’re as comfortable as possible.

Getting Flight Training Through Military Service

1. Get a bachelor’s degree to become an Air Force or Navy pilot. You will need an undergraduate degree from a university to become a pilot post-military service. It is recommended you get a degree in an aviation-related discipline.
   • Aviation-related degrees include Aviation Maintenance Management, Aeronautical Engineering, and Airline and Airport Management.
2. Become a commissioned officer to get chosen for pilot training. There are 3 ways to become a commissioned officer. You can join the ROTC program at your school, go to the Navy’s Officer Candidate School or the Officer Training School at the Air Force, or graduate from the U.S. Naval Academy or Air Force Academy.
   • Becoming a commissioned officer does not automatically mean you’ll selected for pilot training. You’ll have to complete other requirements as well.
3. Pass physical, psychological, and aptitude tests. You will have to pass a variety of tests to be chosen for flight training. These exams will test your physical stamina and mental agility. They will also test your knowledge of aviation.
   • You’ll have to know things like the history of aviation, how different planes work, and what to do in an emergency situation.Template:Greenbox: '''Warning''': You’ll have to commit to a few years of service in order to become a pilot this way. Make sure you’re willing to meet these requirements.
4. Apply for a student pilot certificate to get into flight school. If you’re at least 16 and fluent in English, you’re eligible for the certificate. To begin, submit your application online at the IACRA website. Then, arrange to meet with a certified flight instructor so they can confirm your age and fluency. Once you finish this up, you’ll get a certificate in the mail from the FAA Airman Certification branch in about 3 weeks.
   • Student pilot certificates do not expire, so you only need to do this step once.
5. Obtain a first-class medical certificate from an AME. AME stands for Aviation Medical Examiner. These FAA-approved doctors have a deep understanding of the physiological aspects of flying. Once you sign up for an exam, the AME will ask you about your health history and perform tests on your eyesight, coordination, and hearing. If everything checks out, the AME will certify you as fit to fly.
   • You can search for AME’s in your area by going to the FAA’s website.
   • A first-class certificate is required for airline pilots. If you’re under 40, your certificate remains valid for 1 year. If you’re over 40, you have to renew the certificate every 6 months.
6. Get a reference letter from a commanding officer. The final requirement for getting into flight school through military training is to get a letter of recommendation from a current or previous commanding officer. You can also get a reference letter from a former professor.
   • You can get a reference letter from a former supervisor or manager as well.
7. Join the Forces to Flyers program to become a commercial pilot. To offset the shortage of commercial pilots, the Department of Transportation has implemented an accelerated program to help veterans become commercial pilots in a matter of months. Once you have a student pilot certificate, a first-class medical certificate, and a reference letter, you can apply to this program.
   • If you are eligible for the GI Bill and are not already a licensed private pilot, you can do this program for free. If you are not eligible for the GI Bill, you’ll have to pay $13,526 out of pocket.
8. Apply to the Forces to Flyers school closest to you. There are 4 schools in the U.S. that offer this program: Leading Edge Aviation in Bend, Oregon; CTI Professional Flight Training in Millington, Tennessee; U.S. Aviation Group in Denton, Texas; and CTI Professional Flight Training in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Spots are limited for this program, so go to the Department of Transportation’s Forces to Flyers website to sign up.
   • Some students have completed this program in as few as 4 months. If you have to relocate, you’ll only need to do so for a few months.
9. Earn certificates and ratings to become a commercial pilot. Over the course of the program, you’ll mix academic coursework with hands-on experiences to earn multiple certificates and ratings. You’ll get your Private Pilot Certificate, Instrument Rating, Commercial Pilot Certificate, Multi-Engine Rating, Certified Flight Instructor Certificate, and CFI-Instrument Certificate.
   • Once you earn your CFI-Instrument Certificate, you can become a flight instructor. During this time, you can log the flight hours necessary to qualify for an Airline Transport Pilot Certificate and become an airline pilot.

References

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