Commercial Pilot?

[Mtncowboy]

Is anyone a commercial pilot? If so, do you recommend it as a career choice? I see right now you can make $300K and fly about 9 days a month flying for the big companies. I understand it takes awhile to get there, and I would love to hear more from actual pilots. Thanks.

 

[Tahoe1305]

I know a few in here that will likely chime in.

I’m a commercial pilot by licensing but not actively flying for the airlines (yet). My training and time were all covered so makes it an easy choice for me.

I have a ton of friends who flopped over to airlines in last 5 years. All but one love it.

Good pay, min stress, good flexibility, can dial up/down pay based on how much you want to work.

I think the only draw backs I’ve heard are:
1) you will likely have to commute for a year or two based on where you choose to live. This adds more time to your trips that you are not paid for.
2) it is boring work (flying A to B)
3) you are obviously likely to be gone on a few trips a month away from fam.

Hope that helps. If you have specific questions I can dig in with a few of my friends as well.

 

[svivian]

My buddy is going through it right now. The only thing i noticed was it is very expensive and the transition from getting out of school and getting 500 hours of flight time is difficult. He also told me that the airlines are going to be hurting soon as the average age of pilots are nearing retirement so jobs should open up.

 

[Mule3006Elk]

Nothing to add but my 13 y/o seems very committed to this pathway. Looking forward to responses.

 

[grfox92]

300k a year? Could that be accurate?

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[gbflyer]

I believe left seat with a major airline will put you around $300K in a couple of years. I don’t think they start right seaters at that.

 

[prm]

I have many friends who are commercial pilots. They seem quite happy. Lots of time away of course.

 

[prm]

300k a year? Could that be accurate?

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Given the way friends spend money, that’s likely close enough.

 

[pwrdbycotn]

300k a year? Could that be accurate?

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A very high skilled job that requires sobriety and the ability to use their brain. In today’s world, that’s extremely rare, so the people who can do the job don’t come cheap.

 

[mmw194287]

You also have to figure that there are a ton of pilots stuck flying for regional carriers that don't make nearly that.

 

[Rknight]

I’m in the process of looking at it right now, but $100k for training and 2 years makes it hard. I’m 37 with a family so it’s a lot but I have friends who do it and some who fly for ups/FedEx and everyone loves it. And yeah, after a couple years the money is great

 

[Tahoe1305]

Your 300k number for a seasoned captain all in (bonus, pension benefits, etc) isn’t too far off. I’d say 5-10 year plan depending on airframe, airline, etc.

Most my friends were close to $100k first year. It went up quick.

This is majors. Not regionals. Regionals pay like poo. Many folks need regionals to get enough time to be competitive for majors. Landscape is changing.

 

[SWOHTR]

I seem to recall one of the moderators, I think Justin, is an airline pilot. He'll probably have more input after hunting season is done, if you can wait until Nov/Dec for feedback.

 

[nodakian]

@TheCougar is a commercial pilot.

 

[ZDR]

My oldest son is a pilot for United, he's 40 and just got promoted to captain. He's been flying international flights for several years now on 767's but is going back to domestic as a capt. He makes excellent money but nowhere near $300K.
Everything is seniority based so where you are based out of can be limited due to that. HE 'commuted' to work for several years so he could remain in CO, but that took a toll as it just adds time to trips. All in all, its a great job and I certainly enjoy the relatively free standby travel.

 

[sodaksooner]

My son is working on building hours and his instrument rating so he can fly commercial He's in the air right now actually. My dad was a commercial pilot for his entire career, but chose to be a bush pilot so made a pittance. I am friends with several and they are not hurting for cash. One is a senior captian with American, flies everything in the fleet, but also is an A&P and IA, and runs his own maintenance business on the side. He employs 5 guys as well. Another friend flies a private corporate jet, but used to work for the airlines. Hated the airline, but now runs the aviation dept and flies for a large corporation. Another guy retired from SW airlines at 55 and was just teaching (In Cirrus SR22's no less) but Fedex coerced him to come back and fly 777's(He also flew F16's in the Air Force and National Guard) He works 2 weeks on and 2 weeks off. All three of these guys are further along in their careers and all are more than comfortable. Making much more money than I do with my 4 year degree.

It aint cheap, but we are fortunate to own our own little plane(cessna 150). Cheaper to buy than my Toyota Highlander BTW, but maintenance and storage will get you on these things. Since my son didn't go to college, this is our support for his education. He pays for everything but the plane itself, plus I am learning to fly too, but for fun. Son also works at one of the local FBO's where we keep the plane, so picking up a lot of contacts that way too.

 

[TheCougar]

What @Tahoe1305 said.

I fly for United, I’m a 737 first officer and I’ve been here for a year. I’ve got 20 years of military experience, so getting hired was fairly straight forward. 80% of the guys I fly with are non-military and it took them on average about 10 years of training and regional time to get hired, but it varies with timing and the economy and pilot demand. It’s shorter now. Pay tables are readily available for legacy airlines - you can find them with a quick google search. First officers are about 100k the first year, they jump up to $140k the second year and top out at about $200k around the 10 year mark. Captains start around $250k and top out around 300k per year. You can add 50k per year for both of these pay scales if you are flying international wide body. As far as the “9 days a month”, that is patently false unless you are super senior or flying widebody on the slow months. You’ll work closer to double that. I’m averaging about 14-15 days per month, and that’s with my seniority on a rocket ship and trying to avoid work at all costs. In one year, I’ve reached the seniority that typically takes 5+ years. Even the most senior domestic pilots in their seat are working a minimum of 11 days, and that’s about 10 years as a first officer and 30 years as a captain. If you are widebody aircraft, subtract 2-3 days from those numbers, but you’ll be flying redeyes and getting your circadian rhythm jacked around, so you have to pick your poison. It’s a good career and a good time to make the jump, but it’s not all puppy dogs and sunshine. Feel free to reach out with questions, but realize to get to the greener grass of high pay, a good schedule, and getting your holidays off will take a long time and you’ll pay your dues before you get there.

 

[TheCougar]

My oldest son is a pilot for United, he's 40 and just got promoted to captain. He's been flying international flights for several years now on 767's but is going back to domestic as a capt. He makes excellent money but nowhere near $300K.
Everything is seniority based so where you are based out of can be limited due to that. HE 'commuted' to work for several years so he could remain in CO, but that took a toll as it just adds time to trips. All in all, its a great job and I certainly enjoy the relatively free standby travel.

United Airlines | AirlinePilotCentral.com

United Airlines Pilot Pay and Benefits. Airline Pilot Central is your source for up-to-date airline pilot pay, retirement, and pilot hiring information for over 100 US and Canadian legacy, major, low cost, national, cargo airlines.

www.airlinepilotcentral.com

The general math is to multiple the hourly rate x100 to get your annual pay, then add 16% for the direct contribution. He paid his dues to get there, and he earns his money, so good on him!

 

[CorbLand]

Two of my wifes uncles are pilots.

One wanted to be home every night so he flies for a regional and does shorter flights. Does ok on money but not great. He doesn't have much flexibility but he just started after being in the military. He is paying his dues and hoping to get on with a major airline.

One flies ~4 days a week. Starts on Monday and gets home Thursday evening. Lots of time away from family but he makes good money and gets to take a lot of time off during hunting season. He also has double digit in years with the same company.

One thing that is pretty cool is that you can really live anywhere you want, just have to be able to get to an airport. From the outside looking in, it looks like a good path. I have thought about it but already did college once and dont know if I would want to start over.

 

[BrooksRanger]

I fly for a major cargo company. I think the lifestyle is good for some, bad for many. Yes there is great money to be made, but it will take years to get there. In addition, you have to really have a passion for flying if this is something you choose to do and want to make it to the majors. The low starting pay, bad hours, financial investment to get going, and stress really take a lot of fun out of it so you better enjoy flying.

A couple of things to consider: First, heath. Before spending a dime on flight training, I would recommend scheduling a flight physical with an FAA certified doctor and get a First Class medical completed. You will need a First Class to fly for any Part 121 air carrier (read regional or major airline). If you can't get a First Class or are not able to get waivers to get the First Class then your trip is over before it starts. Keeping this medical current is mandatory until you retire at 65. Trust me, this is not something that everyone will be able to do even once they get to the airlines. If you lose your medical, you are out of a job. Period.
Second, family. Everyone's circumstances are different, and yes you can make a good living providing for your family doing this; however, you will be gone ALOT. Lastly, many marriages will not survive this career. There is even an acronym for it, called AIDS, or Aviation Induced Divorce Syndrome. I know way more divorced guys then married ones in this career. If you are single though, well then the world awaits....