Category Archives: Airline Pilot

Airline Pilot, Business Aviation, Podcast

ACP012 – Job Prospects: Corporate Versus Airlines Jobs, Interview With Flight Time Radio

August 30, 2012 CarlValeri Leave a comment

Welcome to Episode 12 and thanks for listening. Today we are going to be talking about Corporate Versus Airlines Jobs. I am really excited to spend some time with you today to talk about the interesting and diverse aviation career field. Whether you are in your car, on your way to work, working out in the gym, or maybe just relaxing in your living room; I hope the time we spend together will help you obtain a deeper understand of the different careers opportunities in the field of aviation.

I have received questions and have been involved in conversations about the two distinct paths of flying; corporate or airlines. To help you better understand the difference I discuss:

What Is Business Aviation?
The National Business Aviation Association and how they can help you with your career.
Why flying for the regional airlines will help you build flight time quicker than with business flying.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics 30 percent of the new flying jobs are in business aviation.

To continue the discussion on the difference between business aviation and flying for the airlines I am going to share with you an interview I had with Flight Time Radio in Jacksonville, FL. Flight Time Radio brings the thrill of aviation to listeners of all backgrounds through a group of passionate aviation enthusiasts. The Hosts Milford, Charlie, and Glenn asked me many questions including:

Why I started Aviation Careers Podcast.
What type of jobs are there in aviation.
Why there are no lateral moves when you change airlines and why you must start over again.
What are the job prospects for Business Aviation.
According to Bureau of Labor Statistics 30 percent of the pilot jobs will be in business aviation. Some independent analysts place the percentage as high as 40 percent.

I really enjoy speaking with the folks at Flight Time Radio. They are truly passionate aviators and love the field of aviation as much as anyone. If you want to learn more about what is happening in the general aviation world and learn about the fun things aviators do, these are the folks to listen to.

Listener E-mail:

I was wondering if you have any tips for financing someone that has a BS degree but wants to become a Commercial Pilot. Other than student loans what other finance options are available?
May be a good idea for a guest.

Thanks,
Jason

Thanks for the e-mail Jason.

There are many grant and loan programs that go unused as we mentioned in episode 6 when I spoke with the folks at National Aviation Academy and in episode 7 where I spoke with Lynda Meeks from Girls With Wings. Just remember even though it says Girls With Wings most of the grants, loans, and scholarships are available to everyone. Both of my guests had links on their websites concerning grants and loans. Of course there are always personal loans which is how I financed my flying while I was working towards my ratings.

To view the episodes go to:

https://www.aviationcareerspodcast.com/6

https://www.aviationcareerspodcast.com/7

Recommendation:

There is no better way to understand the world of Business Aviation and the many career opportunities than by visiting the National Business Aviation Association website NBAA.org. There are two sections of the website I recommend you visit. First, the What Is Aviation section which will describe what business aviation is, the type of aircraft used, and provides you with the business aviation fact book.

The second section you should visit is the For Students section. The NBAA offers over $100,000 a year in tuition reimbursements and other educational opportunities. So if you are thinking of a career in aviation and you think the cost might be prohibitive, you might want to visit this section as an avenue securing money for your education. The NBAA is a wonderful organization with a variety of services available to all sectors of the business aviation community so if you are thinking of a career in business aviation this should be your first stop for information.

Thanks for listening to Episode 12 of Aviation Careers Podcast. Show notes and links to all the websites mentioned in this episode are available at AviationCareersPodcast.Com/12. These podcasts and more information are available at AviationCareersPodcast.com. Don’t forget to like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter for notification of episodes and other career information.

Thanks again for spending time with us and I hope you will now take some consideration to Business Aviation as a career possibility. If you have any questions you would like answered on this podcast please visit AviationCareersPodcast.com and click on the contact page. You can also send questions via facebook and twitter. I hope this episode has helped you decide what your aviation career goal is and has helped you along your path towards that goal. Talk to you next episode. Safe Flying!

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Airline Captain, Airline Pilot, Embraer 145, Part 121, Pilot, Podcast, Questions Answered

ACP010 – How To Prepare For Upgrading to Captain At The Airlines, Flying the Embraer 145, A Midlife Career Change

August 16, 2012 CarlValeri 3 Comments

Ever want to know what it takes to upgrade to Captain at the airlines? Upgrading to Captain is one of the more challenging events in a pilot’s flying career. The transition to flying as first officer to pilot in command is more than a simple checkride. The process of becoming a Captain takes weeks of hard work and study.

If you are curious what it takes to upgrade to Captain we will describe the process and give you advice on how to prepare for the upgrade training and how to pass your check ride.

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Today I am with Len Costa a newly minted airline Captain. Len is also the publisher of The Piot Report.com and is Host of The Stuck Mic Avcast. Len and I discuss:

Flying the Embraer 145
The upgrade process
How to prepare for upgrade training
What are some of the common causes for upgrade training failure.
Advice on how to prepare mentally for the training and the check ride.

Recommendation:

ThePilotReport.com is a website of aviation product reviews, demos, and videos of people living the aviation lifestyle. I think you will enjoy the videos because they are both entertaining and informative. To talk more about The Pilot Report.com is the publisher of this fine website and our guest today, Len Costa.

Aviation Career Questions Answered:

As I mentioned in the last episode I would like to spend time counseling each and every one of you individually but I don’t have the spare time due to my flying schedule and the demands of providing content for this podcast and other websites. So if you have a question concerning aviation careers please e-mail me and I will include it in an upcoming episode so all can benefit from your questions.

The following Questions are discussed in this episode with my guest Len Costa. Questions are edited for privacy and accuracy.

Question 1 is from Rob Cigliano from TheNewPIlotPodBlog.Com:

Carl,

Great podcast. I am really enjoying it. As an aviation enthusiast who is contemplating changing careers to the aviation industry, I find the podcast to be relevant and informative.

I am taking online classes at ERAU (Embry Riddle Aviation University) for a masters in airport/aviation management with the hopes of getting into that field when I am ready to say goodbye to my current career.

What advice would you give to someone who is not in the aviation industry but would like to change careers in their 40s or 50s to join the aviation field?

Keep up the great job!”

Question 2 From Sam:

Hi Carl,

I’ve always been interested in becoming an Airline pilot and got as far as my PPL before I said to myself I would love to go further however it just does not make financial sense at this moment in time and the risk is too big.

I wanted to ask about this apparent “pilot shortage”. Boeing’s forecast for pilots sure looks like an impressive number however when you break it down the number of pilots needed isn’t all that great (In my opinion). Scott Spangler has an article about this on his Jet Whine blog.

http://www.jetwhine.com/2012/07/another-pilot-shortagereally/

I’ve recently started a career and my job role mainly involves computer programming. I work in the ECEPS team (Engine Control and Electrical Power Systems)and although this job is interesting, its not really what my life ambition goal is which is to become an airline pilot. However being a pilot is all about making good decisions and I think sticking with this job is a good decision instead of landing myself with an enormous loan for flight training with no guarantee of a job at the end of it all.

So my question is, I’m 25 years of age now, and by the time I save for my training I will realistically be around 30 to 35. Do you think this is too old of an age to start training as a pilot?

Sorry for the long email, looking forward to your next episode!

Take care,

Sam “

Question 3 From Steve:

Hey Carl,

I’m a pilot/blogger in Ohio and regular podcast listener – I also know Victoria; we finally met up at OSH last summer. Recently I was listening to your interview with Doug Stewart from Sebring and the discussion about the CFI-SP rating. I’ve recently been thinking about working towards that rating myself and, basically, I’m trying to determine if it’s a good idea or not. So hopefully you don’t mind me asking a couple questions about it?

I have a career outside aviation (although I’d love to find a way to work in aviation long-term) and, at least right now, instruction is just something I think I would enjoy. It would build my own skills, allow me to share my passion for flight with other people, and perhaps provide a little extra income on the side.

I’ve been chatting with some other CFIs and a couple of interesting (and good, in my opinion) suggestions have come up. One said I should go for my AGI/IGI since it’s relatively easy (book learning/studying, test, certificate) and affordable and would allow me to teach ground school on the side. Plus, it would get the FOI test out of the way. I hadn’t thought of that before but it seems like a good suggestion – I really enjoyed ground school when training for my Private. Rod Machado is the one who suggested I pursue my CFI-SP. I honestly hadn’t ever looked into the requirements before, but it’s a lot simpler than the full IR > Comm > CFI route, though I still think I would like to do all that – eventually.

It seems like this might be a great way to bridge the money/experience/time gap. Also, the fact that my airport does a ton of LSA training in the Cub and Champ doesn’t hurt. I know they’re looking for CFIs (they’ve talked to me about it) and every student starts in an LSA… so there’s definitely some opportunity there.

One major question I have (and I need to talk with them about this as well) is whether the current FAA limitation on dual hours received from a CFI-SP counting towards Private training is a serious hindrance. I can certainly see how it would be. Why would they want one of their instructors to effectively be introducing a limitation on some of their students? On the other hand, for students truly interested in only getting their Sport, it shouldn’t matter. Any thoughts on this?

Finally, any general comments/suggestions on my situation and plan in general?

Thanks so much in advance – I really appreciate it!

-Steve”

Thanks for listening to Aviation Careers Podcast. If you have any questions, comments. or suggestions for upcoming episodes I would love to hear from you. You can contact me on the website AviationCareersPodcast.com and click on the contact page, or e-mail me directly at carl@AviationCareersPodcast.com. Also don’t forget to like us on Facebook and on twitter @flyingcareers. By liking us you will be kept up to date on episodes and other career news.

Thanks for listening and remember to keep focused on your aviation career goal! Safe Flying!

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Airline Pilot, Careers, Embraer 190, Part 121, Pilot, Podcast, Questions Answered

ACP009 – Flying The Embraer 190, Some Airline Pilots Are Home Every Night, V1 Clothing, and Mental Math For Pilots

August 9, 2012 CarlValeri Leave a comment

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Welcome to Episode 009 of Aviation Careers Podcast. Ever wonder what it is like flying the Embraer 190 as an airline pilot? Did you know that some airline pilots don’t spend nights in hotels but instead sleep at home every night? Most pilots work full time but some have many days off and are able to have more than one successful career. Jeff Garrone is an example of an airline pilot who also runs a successful business.

Similar to Jeff, many pilots have second careers because they have so much spare time but also want to have a backup plan if they lose their job or their medical. While we are flying we always have a contingency plan if we experience mechanical or unforeseen weather.

In much the same way I recommend pilots always have a contingency plan for their career. Whether it is obtaining training in another trade, building a business, or obtaining a degree in an alternate field it is always a good idea to be prepared for a career terminating event.

Jeff and I discuss:

Flying the Embraer EMB-190 airliner.
How he is able to be home every night with his family and work as an airline pilot.
Working part time as an airline pilot.
The benefits and challenges of owning a business while working for the airlines.
Why it is important to have a contingency plan as a pilot.
How Jeff became interested in flying and if he would recommend an airline career to others.

Product Recommendation:

Jeff has created an outstanding line of aviation lifestyle clothing which can be worn by everyone. I really like some of his designs. Today we talk with Jeff about how he started V1 Clothing and some of the exciting designs he offers. I produced a video for The Pilot Report showcasing some of V1 clothing’s designs and their pilot bag. I think you will find that his products are both stylish and practical.

For More Information about V1 Clothing visit V1Clothing.com. V1 Clothing is available at many of the larger aviation retailers and directly at AirSpeedJunkie.com.

Watch The V1 Clothing Video:

Recommended Reading:

In an age of electronics, good math skills are relevant because as a pilot there are many situations where you are asked to make a quick decision based on figures you are given. If you are preparing for a checkride the examiners will ask you to calculate numerous items during your oral exam. If you are preparing for an interview with an airline this next recommendation is a must have because some airlines take their interview questions directly from this book. Mental Math for Pilots (Professional Aviation series) is for pilots looking to improve their math skills in the cockpit and easily perform math calculations in their heads. This book offers numerous tips and invaluable tricks to help in all areas of cockpit calculations.

Pilots are guided through basic and more advanced formulas with explanations on how to perform them without needing paper or electronic calculators, step-by-step instructions, practice exercises, and personal advice from experienced pilots. Easy and quick methods for calculating airborne math problems, enroute descents, and visual descent points are covered.

If you are considering becoming an airline pilot, Mental Math for Pilots is a must have to prepare for an interview. This book is also for all pilots preparing for a checkride, proficiency check, or for pilots wanting to improve their in-flight calculations performance. To look inside the book and read reviews of Mental Math for Pilots click on the links or the image above.

I hope you have enjoyed our discussion with Jeff Garrone Airline Pilot and Entrepreneur. For links to all the items we discussed in this episode please visit AviationCareersPodcast.com. If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions for upcoming episodes please contact me by e-mail on our contact page. You can also follow us on twitter @FlyingCareers and remember to like us on facebook if you want updates on episodes and other aviation career news.

Listen To Us On Stitcher Radio

This podcast is available for download on your favorite device by visiting AviationCareersPodcast.com. We are also available on iTunes and have been recently added to Stitcher Radio. To find out how you can listen to Aviation Careers Podcast on Stitcher click on the link at the top right of AviationCareersPodcast.com or click on the link below.

Your Aviation Career Questions Answered

One more item before we go. Many of you have asked if I would be available for career counseling. I would love to help each and every one of you individually but I am busy with my flying job and creating content for this and other websites. Therefore, if you have a question no matter how complex please e-mail it to me on on the contact page or by sending it to carl@aviationcareerspodcast.com.

I have compiled questions already submitted and will be including my answers in the next episode. Including your questions in future episodes will not only help you but all of the listeners of this podcast. I have had some great questions from those looking to start a career in aviation, change careers, or looking to have a successful part time flying career. If you have any questions about careers in aviation please feel free to ask.

Thanks again for listening . Remember to keep your head in the sky while building a foundation for your aviation career goal here on the ground. Safe flying and talk to you next episode.

A Podcast about Achieving Your Aviation Career Goals