Path to become an airline pilot

Airline Pilot Questions & Answers
1

Hey everyone,

I’m Marcos Pereira, an 18-year-old high school student from Boston MA. I’m at that stage where I’m about to finish up high school and dive into the next big chapter of my life. Since I was a kid, I’ve always been fascinated by planes and the idea of becoming a pilot.

Now, as I’m getting ready to take the plunge into adulthood, I’m feeling a bit lost about which path to take to make my dream of becoming an airline pilot a reality. There are so many options out there, and I could really use some advice from those who’ve been through it before.

So, I’m reaching out to you all for some guidance. Here are a few questions I have in mind:

  1. What’s the best way to go about becoming an airline pilot, in your opinion? What should I consider when making this decision?
  2. Should I jump straight into a flight training program like ATP after high school, or would it be smarter to go the university route and get a bachelor’s degree along with my pilot’s license? Why?
  3. How much does it typically cost to complete all the training needed to become a pilot?
  4. I might need to work while I’m training. Is that doable? And what’s the usual schedule like for someone training to be a pilot?
  5. My dream is to live and work as a pilot in Spain, specifically in Malaga. I speak a few languages (Spanish, Portuguese and English) already and plan to learn more. How hard is it to convert my FAA license to EASA, and what are the costs and time involved?
  6. With all the college credits I’ve earned (about 30) from AP classes in math, physics, computer science, and Spanish, do you think I could start pilot training right away and also work towards an online degree in something related to aviation?

I’m open to any other advice or questions you think might help me figure out my next steps. Thanks a bunch for taking the time to help out a fellow aviation enthusiast!

Cheers,

Marcos Pereira

2

Marcos,

Welcome to the forum and thank you for the introduction. Let’s get to your questions:

  1. As you can probably tell, this website is sponsored by ATP, and all of the mentors on here attended ATP, so we are a bit biased. That being said, we are all on this website because we believe in their program and have seen countless people have success with it. That being said, no one school is the perfect fit for everybody. Take a look at this list of questions: Questions For Any Prospective Flight School - #14

  2. Neither. We always recommend college first, getting a degree in something besides aviation, then flight training. Our reasoning is that college aviation programs are rather expensive, horribly time consuming, and often not as effective. Also, the maturity that comes with a few more years of school is often very helpful when it comes to flight training.

  3. ATP’s prices are listed here: Airline Career Pilot Program / ATP Flight School

  4. Working is not possible while training with ATP. Others schools will have different policies, but do know that working will greatly extend the length of your training program.

  5. I have no idea, I do not know a single pilot that has converted their leicenses to EASA.

  6. Potentially, call ATP admissions and discuss with them.

Also, please check out our FAQ section as there are more detailed answers to most of your questions there.

Chris

3

Marcos,

I recommend you spend some QT on the ATP website and browsing this forum. Most (if not all) your questions are discussed in detail throughout.

My understanding is converting to an EASA license is very difficult and expensive. If your goal is to fly in Spain you should train and earn your licenses there.

Adam

Adam