Becoming a Pilot

[Junior P]

Well 2009 is here in less than 24 hours!

I am 23, in college still until fall 2009. I have done some flying already, but not as much as I should have for 2008! I live in Toronto, Ontario Canada and this year coming I plan on hitting the flying as hard as the finances let me! I want to know what schools or recommendations the pilots on this forum may have. I have done some research and I am planning on going to Burlington Airways. I did a FAM flight with them to see how they operate and they are very professional and friendly! My plans are to work with companies such as Air Canada in the future. I also have asked some pilots on a West Jet flight how they came around to work for West Jet. The first officer (in his 2ND year) told me he did in flight service to get his name in the company, then left to fly when a small company, then when his hours were up there went back to West Jet and got hired!

> So what can I expect after getting my commercial licence?

> Should I do something similar to the West Jet pilot?

> Should I look for employment as pilot down south, Caribbean wise or up north to start my career to get to the major companies down the line?

> Fly for a company part time for free (i heard this is possible)?

Pilots and also students of flight schools please feel free to throw anything in here that could help me have a successful career as a pilot!!

THANK YOU ALL IN ADVANCE!
HAVE A SAFE AND HAPPY NEW YEARS!


Junior Powell
aka
nitescream

[Junior P]

Nobody with any advice eh! well i tried.

[Kenneth E]

  Tough time to try to fly. Lots of pilots out of work. The economy sux. This is the time to get your degree finished and start training. Avoid for profit schools. They are in the business to make money, meaning the longer you train the more they make. Public schools don't have a profit motive. I don't know anything about Canada but in the US their are many. One I know is Texas State Techincal College. They have sims and a good fixed wing fleet. They are the cheapest training to get short of .military training. You build time instructing- where you really learn how things work and then usually go to whatever multi engine or turbine job you can find, usually freight. That gets you hours and experience. This is the old school way. If you are rich you can skip all and train in your own multi-engine A/C. Multi PIC is what counts to get a job with the airlines, but turbine single engine will get you in the door. Good luck. Kenneth E (ETA- pilot CFII flying about 35 years)

[Quetzal]

Noted.

[Junior P]

Thank you Kenneth for the advice!!