Many new pilots choose to become flight instructors for their first aviation job. [iStock]
Key Takeaways:
New U.S. pilots face a dilemma: needing flight hours for jobs but struggling to acquire them without prior employment.
To overcome this, early career options range from non-flying roles like FBO or ramp work—which build connections and industry understanding—to initial flying jobs.
First flying positions such as flight instructing, banner towing, charter flying, and aerial survey offer diverse opportunities to gain crucial flight time, specialized skills, and valuable experience aligned with long-term career objectives.
New pilots in the United States find themselves in a predicament. They need more flight time to get a good job, but they can’t build that time without a flying job.
Luckily, there are a number of routes a new hopeful pilot can take to progress toward their long-term career goals.
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John McDermott is a student at Northwestern University. He is also a student pilot with hopes of flying for the airlines. A self-proclaimed ""avgeek,"" John will rave about aviation at length to whoever will listen, and he is keen to call out any airplane he sees, whether or not anyone around him cares about flying at all. John previously worked as a Journalist and Editor-In-Chief at Aeronautics Online Aviation News and Media. In his spare time, John enjoys running, photography, and watching planes approach Chicago O'Hare from over Lake Michigan.
