Aspiring to be an airline pilot

Question:
I am going to be going into my junior year in high school next year. I've always had a big interest in being a pilot for an airline since i was a little kid, and i still want to pursue it. I have a couple questions though.

First, what should i do in order to pursue an aviation career as a student?

Second, what are some good colleges to look at for aviation?

Thirdly, would all the schooling, training and all that building up flight time be worth all my time, because the more i read, the more unsecure or unlikely it seems to become a pilot with all the competition, and i dont want to lose intersest, so please give me a little advice. Thanks


Answer:
I applaud you for following your dreams.

First, I think you're on the right track by seeking a college degree first. There are two schools of thought on whether or not a degree is worthwhile, but nonetheless the fact is that there are airlines who require a four-year degree.
Why on Earth would anyone want to close any doors? I believe in a degree, preferably non-aviation. Reason is that you will learn an area of specialty that you could fall back on if, knock on wood, something happened to your flying career.

Second,there are many good colleges to consider. If you're leaning toward an aviation degree I would seriously consider UND and Purdue. There are other excellent flight schools as well. My personal favorite is Flight Safety Academy in Vero Beach Florida. I recently wrote an article regarding flight schools feel free to peruse - - I hope it helps.

Third, my question back to you on this is: Where are you reading this stuff? Yes, today (and the past few years) it is very competitive, more so than it has been in a very long time. But competition is not new to this industry, you will always face stiff competition for flying jobs. Unfortunately 9/11 really threw a wrench into things and put thousands of pilots on the street which increased competition - or should I say it decreased job availability. You will face some frustration along your career path, particularly when you are applying for a new job. But this is not unusual. I highly recommend you talk to as many pilots as you can - in person would be best - get their insight into the industry and their opinions. Pilots love to talk, I'm sure you'll get more than you bargained for when you pose your question.

The life of a pilot is certainly not what it used to be 10, 20 years ago. Salaries have decreased significantly and the prestige of being a pilot has diminished as well. I personally think this is because the prestige of flying in general has diminished. Please keep in mind as you read various message boards, etc that there are a lot of bitter pilots out there. Not that they shouldn't be, they have worked their entire lives building a retirement package and *poof* it's gone. I'd be bitter too. But rest assured, as long as we continue to fly airplanes we will continue to need pilots. My advice would be to do it because you love to fly, not for the money or the glamour.

I hope this helps you, or at least gives you a little reassurance.

Common interview questions

Click Herefor a great list of common, generic interview questions.

Let's look at these questions and how they pertain to airline pilot interviews.
I would love your comments and questions - please post your comments below!

1. Tell me about yourself:
Their suggestion:
The most often asked question in interviews. You need to have a short
statement prepared in your mind. Be careful that it does not sound
rehearsed. Limit it to work-related items unless instructed otherwise.
Talk about things you have done and jobs you have held that relate to
the position you are interviewing for. Start with the item farthest
back and work up to the present.

My thoughts:
I do not agree with this suggestion regarding pilot interviews. However, in a pinch it would suffice. Is it wrong? NO, absolutely not. But I believe there is a better way to approach this question in an airline pilot interview.

Unlike the "rest of the world" pilot interviews are different. The HR portion of the interview is extremely short, relatively speaking. It is typically 30 minutes or less and very often right around the 15-20 minute mark. Pilot interviews are unlike the other 99% of the world's interviews where the interviewer has a much longer period of time to talk and get to know the candidate.

With this in mind it is my suggestion that you answer this question much more personally. They already have your work history in front of them so give them something more to chew on. Tell them about YOU - let them get to know you. I prefer to hear about the intangibles like how you got into flying and why today (interview day) is so important to you.

If the question were posed "tell me about your career" then I would wholeheartedly agree with what they illustrate. My stance is to take it to the personal level unless instructed otherwise.

All in all this is usually an ice-breaker question, but why not use it to your advantage and let them see the person behind the suit?

What do you think? Do you agree? Disagree?

I have a question about getting hired at an airline

Question:
I have a question about getting hired at an airline preferably [a major]. I got an impaired driving charge in [my state] in 2002. I reported it to [XYZ] airlines and was hired in 2005. When trying to get on with [a major], they ask you if you have ever got one of these on your record, I put yes, but after reading one of your posts on what the airlines can look up as far as driving records, should I see if my name is on the National Driving Record Database, and if its not, can I get away with not putting it on the application? I only ask becuase I believe this impaired driving charge is going to hurt me in the long run.
Thanks!

Answer:
Yes, I highly recommend that you obtain a copy of your record from the National Driver Register. If for no other reason to know what has been reported about you. I don't know if your state reports to the NDR or not and whether or not it is listed. If this incident is there then you must disclose the it - they will see it.

Having said that, what you are asking is really an ethical question. Only you can really answer that question. My philosophy has always been one of honesty. It would be worse if you did not disclose and they discovered it. Then they can terminate your employment based on falsification - lying on the application. Which is worse? Do you always want to be looking over your shoulder?
My advice... fess up. Explain the situation and what happened, without emotion. Accountability is what the interviewers need to see. Mistakes can be forgiven, and learned from, but lack of accountability is inexcusable.

I hope this helps!
Lori Clark

I was asked to resign from an airline job...

Question:
I was asked to resign from an airline job,because they say I had enough time to complete the IOE and there has to be a limit and I reached. I say, it happened because they fragmented my IOE training, they changed too many instructors (6)in total. When I was ready to get it, they changed to another instructor and so on.

They told me that I could apply to other airline because this is not going to be on my records and I could say that I resigned for personal reasons. Now I am
applying and have been asking why
I leave my last job? mi question is: What I should say? What do you recomend?


Answer:
I'm sorry that you had trouble in training and I'm also sorry that "they" told you that you could or should be elusive to future interviewers. This is simply not the case - the more elusive you are the larger the question mark in the interviewer's mind. You don't want them to have any question marks about you or your past. In short, don't let them use their imaginations.

If you received a paycheck from this airline, then yes it will appear on your record as past employment. Furthermore, because of the PRIA (Pilot Records Improvement Act) any future employer is required to obtain your previous training records.

Without knowing the specifics of what happened it is difficult to talk details. The best advice is to be honest. The interviewers will see that you were employed for a relatively short amount of time and suspect there was trouble in training. Take responsibility for your mistakes and be accountable. Everyone makes mistakes but not everyone owns them. If you own your mistake then future employers are more inclined to believe that you have learned from it.

Good Luck!
Lori Clark