I want to be a pilot for a major airline, but I have zero logged hours.
What would be a realistic timeframe expectation from zero time to regional to major airline while either training half time or full-time? I will be 28.5 when I start training, but I want to see if I could make a good career (at least 15-20 years) at a major airline before even investing in flight school.
Thanks for any help in advance!
Christopher,
Training fulltime it’s approx. 2.5 yr from zero time to a Regional (9mos of training + 1.5-2yrs to build the required time). Now getting from a Regional to a Major is a bit more nebulas. It could take you as little as 2-3yrs, could take 10, could be never. There are no guarantees in this industry and I know many fine Regional pilots who for some reason never got the nod. That said since mandatory retirement is at 65 that means at 29 you have 21yrs to get there which “should” be doable. Now training half-time is anybody’s guess.
Adam
Thank you, Adam!
I had a feeling that the transition to the majors would be the strangest and more uncertain part. I am taking it all into perspective. Aviation is my passion, but I want to make sure I am accounting for everything before I dive into it.
Now, when you said 2-3 years or even 10 at a regional, is that just to accumulate hours necessary for a major?
Christopher,
Most Majors want to see at least 1,000hrs Turbine PIC (jet Capt time) before they’ll seriously look at you. Since the current upgrade at most Regionals is anywhere from 2-5yrs that means that time plus another year or 2 as a Capt. So the average time to a Major is 4-7yrs. The problem is again there are no guarantees. Rright now the Regionals are desperate for pilots but the Majors are not and can be very selective. You’ll need a 4 yr degree, some SOLID references and of course the required time to get the interview. Problem is having all the boxes checked will not in any way assure you of a job. This is not simply do A,B and C and you’re hired. First some people have blemishes (failed checkrides, incidents, DUI’s) that get in the way. Some pilots are bad employees. I find it interesting that everyone is SO EXCITED these days about all the new airline relationships and flow-thrus. They can be a good thing but if you’re a bad employee (excessive lateness or absences) or just got on the wrong side of the Chief Pilot do you not think the hiring board at the parent Major will know? Trust me they will. Then of course some people just interview poorly. Many get nervous, some are arrogant, some are just unpleasant. All the experience in the world won’t help you if when the other pilots are interviewing you they’re thinking “there’s no way I could stand this guy for 5hrs locked in a cockpit”. Hopefully it’ll all be fine but again there are no guarantees.
Adam
Thank you. That was the biggest perspective I have received. That really clears everything up. I appreciate it!
PIC time was the thing I was wondering most about. I was looking at United, Delta, and Jetblue and strangely their minimums were low or did not specify turbine PIC time. I know they only listed minimums and everyone and their brother can probably satisfy those. Being such a cyclical industry, those requirements and hirings will definitely change in the future.
Adam, on another note and personal preference, would you have considered staying at your regional for life if other opportunities did not present themselves?
Christopher,
Great question and honestly I believe the answer is WHY I was successful and getting hired at a Major. I’ve been on hiring panels and desire is one thing, desperation is another. I was really very fat, dumb and happy at ExpressJet and honestly if I spent my entire career there that would’ve been just fine. It was a great company. I worked with great people, flew a cool jet, saw every inch of North America and gained more experience then most pilots see in a lifetime. I simply wanted to move to Hawaii and see how far I could take this fanatastic ride I was on. When I got my interview at Hawaiian obviously I was ecstatic but I went in knowing that if I was unsuccessful I’d be going back to an amazing place so it was all good. It maybe different for some but frankly I always dreamed of being a pilot but in the dream I never wore a specific uniform 
Adam
Thanks again, Adam! That is great to hear about your experience at a regional. That is my other main factor in that if the industry does not permit a change, then I want to be happy at a regional. I know regionals are changing and it is an exciting time. I’m not expecting to make six figures flying because I’m in it for passion more than anything.
May I ask how the weather has been in Hawaii?
Christopher,
Getting hired at major is about more than just flight time. Many pilots at the majors have a lot of “extras” on their resume, like being an instructor pilot, volunteering with the union or school groups, etc.
Chris
That is what I expected with the whole character being taken into consideration. The hours only concern me because of time constraints. I want to make up my mind before hitting a certain age so I can dedicate myself to flying or something else. An Air National Guard pilot I know said that it was very similar being interviewed at a major like it was being interviewed for the Guard in terms of character and whether or not you are trustworthy, unselfish, and professional. He said no one wants another sketchy person like the guy on FedEx 705. I also read Les Abend’s articles about him interviewing potential pilots and found that very insightful.
@Chris, may I ask you the same question? Would you have considered staying at your regional for life if other opportunities did not present themselves?
If I had not been hired by a major, I would probably have tried to move onto the cargo Airlines like Atlas or Gemini. I had a desire to fly larger airplanes to more exotic places, so I would have tried to make that happen.
@Chris and @Adam, thank you so much for your input. It is making it a lot easier for me to decide on where to pursue my interests.
Chris, I read your bio and I think I may be in a similar situation. I graduated with a bachelor’s degree in business, but I know from my last semester that I really do not want a typical office job for a career. Haha…I graduated at the top of my program and the Dean asked which business firm I wanted to work for and I told him I had no desire in working in business with the slight possibility of a six figure salary in the future, but that I wanted to be a pilot instead. Needless to say, he was shocked along with the other people in my class.
Christopher,
I have heard stories like this so many times, including my own. I have never understood why people are so surprised when one expresses a desire to be a pilot, it just isn’t that abstract of an idea. Yet is seems that people always are.
Chris
Hey Chris, on the topic of the cargo airlines, are FedEx and UPS considered “majors” while Atlas and others are not? If it’s strictly based on pay, then I can find the answer in the pay scales. Just curious if FDX and UPS are in line with AA, DL, etc. based on things other than pay. Night time flying and international routes might not be desireable for many people as well, but man, those pay scales!
Jason,
FedEx and UPS are most definitely majors and are considered right up there with all the “legacy” carriers as far as pay and prestige. While Atlas is a fine airline and does very similar flying, I believe its the pay and contract that puts them more in the ranks of being an LCC by comparison.
Adam
Jason,
FedEx and UPS are some of the most highly sought after jobs in the industry, they are the pinnacle of the profession. I would put Atlas on par with an airline like Spirit or Frontier.
Chris
Chris,
Does previous impressive career before getting into aviation count towards such “extras” on the resume?
I guess as a career changer, my question is, would it be possible to leverage previous non-flying experience to accelerate my way into majors, once all flying requirements (training + time building + regional turbine time) are met?
Not really. Of course any experience is good and a conversation piece, but the airlines are hiring airline pilots and thus will be looking at experience that is related to that.
Pavel,
As Chris said it could definitely help in an interview but it won’t be accelerating anything. Flight time and experience will trump whatever else you have.
Adam
I wasn’t expecting it to accelerate anything, but in a competitive environment, I hope it could make a difference when my candidacy is reviewed