Ask the Captain: Is military flight training the best?
— -- Question: Many, many years ago I was a US Navy pilot. At the time, quite a few pilots, after several years of Navy flying service, left to take jobs as airline pilots. US military flight training is the best in the world. We spent a great deal of time training for emergencies and unusual and high stress flight conditions. It was a great introduction to becoming an airline pilot. Is the military-to-civilian airline pipeline as robust today as it was then (early 1960s)? After reading recently about the large number of airline pilots getting ready to retire, I wonder about their replacements and the quality of their training.
— submitted by reader Glider2001
Answer: In recent years the number of pilots leaving the military for airline or corporate flying jobs has decreased. Today most professional pilots were trained in civilian schools. I agree that the U.S. military has very good training; however, some of the civilian schools are just as good. The issue is not where the training takes place, it is the quality of the training.
Aviation is facing an increasing demand for pilots around the world. Training to fly the current, and next, generation of airplanes is challenging. We must ensure that pilots have the necessary skills to fly manually as well as using complex automation. The increasing complexity of airplanes demands continually evolving training techniques. This is true for the military and civil training schools.
I have confidence that the incoming generation of pilots can be trained to fly safely. Training never stops for pilots; having the right attitude as well as aptitude is what makes the difference.
Q: I am 33 years old and looking to change my career and become a pilot. I love to fly but have no flying experience at all. I have been checking around for schools that offer aviation classes or even a degree. I have contacted various airlines and they do not train newcomers. Please tell me what would be the best route for me to become an airline pilot?
A: The career path to being a pilot for a major airline is long, expensive and very competitive. Begin by interviewing several of the major training organizations (you can find their advertisements in most flying magazines). Ask about costs, exact training, time required to finish, and placement assistance.
After you become a licensed pilot it is necessary to build flying hours for experience. Following the Colgan accident near Buffalo, N.Y., the requirement for airline pilots went up. This results in prospective airline pilots having to gain experience in other ways — examples include flight instructing, pipeline or traffic patrol, corporate, air taxi and many others. Once you have the necessary licenses, experience, and training, many pilots apply at the regional airlines. If you are successful in being hired and getting through the training you will fly smaller turboprops or jets. The hours are long and the pay is not very high initially. After a few years in the regional environment, you will be competitive as a candidate for the major airlines.
In the near future a significant number of airline pilots will retire. This will open the doors for increased hiring at the major and regional airlines. Making such a major career change is a big decision. Consider it carefully. My best wishes on the outcome.
John Cox is a retired airline captain with U.S. Airways and runs his own aviation safety consulting company, Safety Operating Systems.
