Flight Training - September/October 2021 - 35

their ranks, these requirements have been
relaxed. Now you'd have to search to find
a regional airline that requires any degree.
So why even consider a two-year program?
Your long-term future.
Most pilots don't want to fly for a
regional airline their entire career. And
if you want to fly for a major airline, a
degree will be essential to be competitive.
Starting your career with a two-year
degree obtained while you work on your
certificates and ratings will put you in a
position to complete a bachelor's degree
later. Slightly slower than an academy,
but faster than a traditional university
aviation program, community colleges are
a good middle ground.
Flight Academy
If your goal is to earn your certificates
and ratings in the fastest, most efficient
way possible, it's hard to beat an academy
environment. These schools, which exist
primarily to train future airline and corporate
pilots, are in the business of getting
people from zero time to the flight deck
as efficiently as possible. Schools like ATP
Flight School have dozens of locations
around the country, hundreds of airplanes
and instructors, and rigorous standards
and procedures meant to flow someone
from student to instructor to hired in a
short period.
" This is the fast track to a successful
airline career, " said Michael Arnold,
ATP's director of marketing. " Students
set themselves up with higher pay and
better quality of life. " Because airlines
operate on a seniority based system, a
pilot's hire date has everything to do
with her ability to make more money,
upgrade to captain, get the home base
of her choosing, shelter herself from
downturns, and pick the schedule she
wants. Arnold's point is that an academy
like ATP gives students the opportunity
to take advantage of the system faster
because training there is a full-time job,
and you're practically guaranteed an
instructing job with a full load of students
after earning the credentials.
As airlines deal with the pilot shortage
in more creative and direct ways,
they are starting to invest in their own
training programs. Arnold said he thinks
ATP's practice of working with a range of
airlines helps make its program competitive.
" We focus on a path to all major
airlines, " he said. ATP has relationships
with 30 different airlines and corporate
flight departments, including a direct-hire
agreement with Frontier Airlines upon
reaching 1,500 flight hours.
DIY
If you go online and seek out the advice of
seasoned pilots, many will tell you to get
a degree in something other than aviation
and earn your certificates and ratings on
the side. In certain cases that can be good
advice. A degree in business, finance,
computer science, or the humanities may
indeed give you a fallback if any number
of things get in the way of the goal of
becoming a professional pilot. Industry
downturns, medical problems, and other
curveballs do happen, and qualifications in
other industries can be beneficial.
Furthermore, getting your certificates
and ratings at a local flight school is
potentially the least expensive way to go.
But it's not always a smooth ride. Local
flight schools generally aren't established
to help students rapidly progress
through training. Rather, the training
will be self-paced, and when you start
juggling school, flying, a job, and other
commitments, it's easy to let flying slip to
the side. There are exceptions, and some
local schools can work with you to ensure
you receive quality training at a fair price.
It's sort of like the difference between
eating at McDonald's or the local diner.
With McDonald's you know exactly what
you're going to get and for what price.
The diner could be much better, but it
could also be a waste of money.
The other downside to this method is
that you can't take advantage of the lower
airline transport pilot certificate minimums
or the airline relationships of colleges and
academies. You'll be on your own.
Uncle Sam
If you're looking for adventure and want
Uncle Sam to pay the bill, the military
could be a great option. It's not for everyone,
but the benefits of a military career
are substantial, and numerous. See
" R-E-S-P-E-C-T " on p. 36 for more on
what it takes to get there and what it's
like to lead a life of service.
It's hard enough picking a career.
Knowing there are so many ways to get
there makes it even more overwhelming.
But there's no wrong answer. Aviation
is an exciting and dynamic industry, and
whether you go straight to an academy or
spend the time to earn a degree, there's
never been a better time to jump in. FT
ian.twombly@aopa.org
Critical hours
How many are
necessary?
Likely you're already aware
that flight hours are the
critical measurement by which
every job applicant is initially
screened. A law change a few
years ago required the airlines
to use first officers with an
airline transport pilot certificate,
whereas previously only
a commercial pilot certificate
was required.
Generally, a pilot is
required to have 1,500 hours
of experience to earn an ATP.
However, students who receive
an aviation degree from
an approved institution are
authorized to earn a restricted
ATP good for employment
after 1,250 or 1,000 hours. The
FAA has a list of approved
institutions on its website. If
the goal is to get to the airlines
as fast as possible, ask the
school or academy if it's on the
authorized list, and how many
hours a month you can work as
an instructor. -IJT
FLIGHT TRAINING SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021
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Flight Training - September/October 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Flight Training - September/October 2021
