If you’re looking to become a commercial airline pilot (working for a major airline,) your first step is to enrol in flying lessons in Plymouth, or an area that best accommodates your needs. Many would-be students hope that they can land their dream job in just a couple of years – unfortunately, it takes much longer than that. The road to becoming a pilot with a major commercial airline is long and gruelling, but not impossible.
Before you decide whether you want to enrol in flight school, ask yourself these questions:
* Is family time important to you?
* Do you love to travel?
* Are you ok with having an erratic schedule with few days off?
A pilot’s life is not a simple one. Obviously, travel is part of the job description, and they are away from home a lot, which means missing out on some important family milestones, like weddings, birthdays and anniversaries.
Depending on what type of pilot’s job you’re interested in, you could work nights, weekends, and everything in between. You could have a few days between flights, or just a few hours.
You will have to consider your personality as well, in order to decide if a pilot’s life is right for you.
* Do you get stressed easily?
* Can you handle intense pressure?
* Do you work well with deadlines?
* Are you a leader? Are you ok with giving orders?
Before you attain your full pilot’s license, you will undergo intense training. Flying lessons in Plymouth and other areas consist of a combination of theory as well as hands-on flying. You will practice flying a variety of planes, while learning the basics of instruments, flight plans, communication and other important components of flying. You can click here to get more details.
You will want to log as many hours as you can while you’re in training (as well as when you’ve achieved your full pilot’s license.) Plan on flying at least twice a week, and try to fly more than one type of plane. Your goal should be to gain as much experience as possible both in the air and on the ground. Knowing several different types of planes, their instrument panels, the manufacturer’s guidelines and operating instructions will make you a more valuable pilot, and will demonstrate that you are serious about your goal.
Becoming a commercial airline pilot is a lofty goal, and one that is quite rewarding. It doesn’t happen overnight, though. It takes experience, dedication, patience and plenty of logged hours. For further information about flying lessons in Plymouth, contact Devon & Somerset Flight Training.