Orientation to get into the majors or international airlines

Airline Pilot Questions & Answers
1

Hey guys my name is manny, I’m a us citizen and I decided to do my flight training outside the United States, I’m almost done with my flight training and I will move back to the country so I have a couple of questions… I understand that I will have to validate my foreign licenses And my flight instructor certificate with the FAA to work as a flight instructor and I understand to get into the major airlines I need a bachelors degree so do you guys think is a good idea to work as flight instructor to get more hours and at the same time attend to a community college to later on transfer my credits to a university and get my bachelors? Or should I work as a flight instructor to reach the 1,500 hours and apply for a regional and when I make it to the regionals start working on my bachelors? I really need orientation with this so I can take the best choices, your opinions will be such a great help for me.
Manny

2

Manny,

Totally your call but ideally you want to be working as a flight instructor full-time to build the required hours to get hired ASAP. Once you’re hired by a Regional you’ll have much more free time on your hands PLUS you’ll be building seniority. I’d wait but that’s me.

Adam

3

Thanks for your help, I forgot to say I’m only 18 and I think they only hire pilots who are 21 or older… thanks for the opinion

4

Manny,

To fly for ANY airline in the US you must have your ATP and the minimum age for that is 21. If that’s the case, since you’ve got a good 3 years you might as well go to school. Also are you saying at 18 you have your equivalent of an FAA Commercial Pilot license? The min age for that is 18 and there’s a host of flight requirements that go with it. While the FAA will allow you to transfer you’re foreign licenses, you still need to satisfy the FAA required flight times.

Adam

5

Right now I’m completing my flight training, after that I will become a flight instructor to get more hours and complete the other requirements the FAA needs to let me fly with an airline, as you said I have 3 good years ahead and I think ste by step I will get there, there’s no rush on that , I want to get to the majors someday but for now I have to do everything step by step and also I can build seniority as you mentioned before
Thanks for your help