Many new pilots choose to become flight instructors for their first aviation job. [iStock]
Key Takeaways:
New pilots in the U.S. face a dilemma: they need significant flight time for professional jobs but struggle to build that time without already having flying positions.
To overcome this, aspiring pilots can strategically pursue non-flying aviation jobs (e.g., at FBOs, ramp work) to fund training, gain industry insight, and build valuable connections.
Once qualified, a variety of first flying jobs are available, such as flight instructing, banner towing, charter flying, and survey flying, each offering unique experiences, rapid flight time accumulation, and skill development.
Ultimately, a successful path to becoming a professional pilot involves carefully choosing roles that provide quality experience aligned with long-term career goals and actively fostering industry relationships.
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.
