Hello! I am currently 15 turning 16 very soon, My goal in life is to become a Commercial Airline Pilot and I was wondering what I could do now to prepare for that. I just need some advice of what to do and when to do it, I’ve been looking recently at a bunch of places but wanted to ask some actual pilots some questions.
Brody,
While it’s probably not what you want to hear, the best thing you can do at your age is do well in HS and then get into a good college to give yourself a firm foundation for your future. After that we recommend you enroll in an accelerated flight training program like ATPs that will prepare you for the airlines.
As for the various paths I recommend you visit our FAQ section and take a look at the ATP website for more information. Pilot Career Guide / ATP Flight School
Adam
Adam,
Thanks for the advice, for college should I get into something that would act as a backup plan instead of something related to aviation. But if I really wanted to do you think Id be able to start some flight lessons? Because the solo minimum age as far as I know is 16 and thanks for your advice!
Brody
Brody,
There’s nothing wrong with taking lessons at your age if that’s what you want to do. It’s also not a bad idea to at least take an intro flight or lesson to see if it’s really something you enjoy. The reason we generally don’t encourage people to start to early is that most advanced programs don’t accept young people, and many who do get discouraged by the expense and inefficiency of training at their local flight school. That said that’s your decision and something to discuss with your parents.
As far as college goes we always recommend studying something other than aviation. The fact is the airlines neither require nor desire a degree and if flying doesn’t work out for whatever reason, yes it’s always a good idea to have a Plan B.
Adam
Adam,
Thank you very much for the advice, I appreciate your response. Have a great day!
Brody
Welcome, Brody!
At your age the most important thing to do is to take an intro flight, at the very least.
If you want, you could go beyond the intro flight and take some lessons but you certainly don’t have to. The intro flight is just a good way to get some hands on experience which should help confirm your desire to become an airline pilot.
Because there are no guarantees in this industry it really is in your best interest to get a four year degree. We’ve seen higher success rates from those that obtain their degrees right after high school.
Next would be to find a flight school. It’s no secret that this is ATP’s forum. If your goal is to become an airline pilot, then why not train like one? ATP created a program modeled after airline training and has been successful at what they do since 1984.
Aside from that, this may sound obvious, but it is worth mentioning to not forget to stay out of trouble and get good grades.
Tory
Tory,
Thanks for the advice! I have started looking for a place to take a intro flight. Thank you for the help Tory!
Brody