You Can Fly - 2021 edition - 26

BANNER TOW PILOT
Banner-towing pilots live a life Jimmy
Buffett would sing about-low and slow,
T-shirt and sneakers, listening to the singing wind. They fly for hours up and down
the beach or round and round a stadium
and, for some, that independent solitude
just never gets old. It's a livelihood of
boredom punctuated by bursts of activity.
Towing banners is a great summer job for
many and a great way to build time. Pilots
can fly as many as 700 hours during prime
season and the experience can teach many
different scenarios a typical job won't:
energy management, rudder skills, decision making, precision flight.
$15 to $50 an hour depending on the
location and the company. Geico is one of the
country's largest users of banner-tow aircraft-and often has the largest banners, too.
AIRLINE PILOT
Of all the glamorous careers suggested
to us as we pondered what we wanted to
be when we grew up, none was probably
as seductive as the captain of an airline
crew-fancy uniforms, respect and awe,
master of a mighty ship, travel to exotic
lands. Well, just like the meme says,
adulting isn't what it was cracked up to
be. There's a lot to be said for an airline
career-there are uniforms and there is
respect and you command a mighty steed,
from regional jet to 777 (no small feat),
but exotic lands can often be Dayton or
Detroit and there's a lot of time spent
away from loved ones. But it is still the
best office view in the world.
The average pay in the United States is
$138,601 as of December 2020, but the range
is typically $120,000 to $157,000.
CARGO PILOT
The cargo pilot is a creature unto himself
(or herself ). It's often a solitary mission
or with just one co-pilot, the flights are
frequently overnight, and there's no one
to get you coffee. Air traffic is light at
night, allowing ATC more flexibility and
the ability to provide time-saving shortcuts in the air. Cargo pilots don't wait in
conga lines for takeoff; they usually go
direct from taxiway to runway. A cargo
pilot career can be lucrative; they are
often the highest paid in the industry.
Because they usually fly at night, their
schedules are often lighter than passenger airline pilots (the need for rest is
important). But holidays, anniversaries,
and birthdays are just like any day in this
industry; don't expect to be home a lot.
26  FLIGHT TRAINING YOU CAN FLY 2021

FedEx is the highest paying carrier in
the United States; its 30-year pilots make
nearly $300,000 annually. Most cargo
aircraft pilots start in the $100,000 range;
pilots for Amazon Air earn $200,000 to
$216,000 annually.
AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLER
Job responsibilities of an air traffic
controller include managing the flow
of aircraft into and out of an airport's
airspace, guiding pilots in all weather
conditions, directing aircraft efficiently
to minimize delays, and ensuring the
safety of all aircraft operations. Maximum
concentration is required. If a demanding
work environment with long hours, night
and weekend duty, and high stress isn't
for you, this is not your career. But if you
have a serious nature and desire a career
that provides a vital public service, this is
for you. (But decide early; the FAA will not
hire applicants older than age 30.)
FAA controllers can expect $127,000
annually; the salary goes up with experience-and a more challenging facility.
AIR AMBULANCE PILOT
Air ambulance pilots operate helicopters or fixed-wing aircraft to transport
patients and air medical crews from an
accident or trauma location to hospital
care. Just like an auto ambulance, the air
ambulance must get to a scene quickly
and move patients or victims in a short
response time. Air ambulances are called
upon to access areas that would take an
auto ambulance too long or that is hard to
access. They are lifesavers in that critically
wounded patients can get to care quickly.
Air ambulance pilots must navigate in
challenging weather and busy airspace,
and find landing sites that would traumatize most of us. The sides of cliffs, busy
highways, mountain byways, downtown
streets, beaches-if it's hard to get to, an air
ambulance will be called.
The average pay for an air ambulance
pilot is $72,000 annually.
AVIONICS TECHNICIAN
Avionics technicians test, maintain, and
produce aviation electronics-which
include missile guidance systems, jet
engine controllers, and flight-control circuitry-as well as systems on airliners and
your average GA piston airplane. Much
of an avionics job is preventative, caring
for the systems that keep aircraft safe and
pilots safer. Technicians can often work
unusual hours, providing maintenance
You Can Fly - 2021 edition

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