Limelight Forums

Anyway, here it goes! My hobby is obviously flying or more generally aviation. However, flying is not all I love. I also love Air Traffic Control. I really don't know what it is but I love it! All of these aspects have put me into my place.

So if you have dreams to get somewhere in aviation, post below please! I would love to hear them!

(Aug 2, 2015, 01:46 PM)Lord Octagon link Wrote: [ -> ]I would like to own an airline.

"If you want to be a Millionaire, start with a billion dollars and launch a new airline."
    -Richard Branson

I'd love to join the U.S. Air Force, and later become a Commerical Airline Pilot.

(Aug 4, 2015, 02:08 AM)Sirrus link Wrote: [ -> ]I'd love to join the U.S. Air Force, and later become a Commerical Airline Pilot.

I have always wanted to be a commercial pilot. However, I don't think I could do it because wouldn't you always be away from your family?

(Aug 4, 2015, 02:24 AM)Tmdirtbike link Wrote: [ -> ][quote author=Sirrus link=topic=236.msg4216#msg4216 date=1438646888]
I'd love to join the U.S. Air Force, and later become a Commerical Airline Pilot.

I have always wanted to be a commercial pilot. However, I don't think I could do it because wouldn't you always be away from your family?
[/quote]

Depends on what aircraft and what sort of airline you fly for. If you're flying, say, 737's or A320's then you will usually find yourself landing back at your home base at the end of the day. (So you might fly Gatwick-Frankfurt-Amsterdam-Gatwick in a day) However, if you're flying long-haul aircraft such as a 747-8 or a 777 then you will almost always have to stay overnight, the difference being that a long haul pilot will only do 1-2 flights per week while short haul pilots can be flying up to 6 days a week on routes like the one I mentioned above. Either way, there's plenty of time for family either in the evenings (if you're not too tired!) or on the days off you get.

About the sort of airline- generally more expensive airlines will have pilots working less hours as they have more funding available to employ larger numbers of them. They generally also have better job security and benefits such as paid holidays etc. Unless you're lucky you won't be working for an airline like this until you have a few years experience under your belt. If you're working for a budget airline, as many newly-qualified pilots do, you might find yourself on a zero-hour contract, only being paid for time in the air with no benefits or paid holiday. This also means you can be fired/laid off by the airline at essentially any time. It's not a great place to be, but it's essential to gain the experience needed to work for a more reputable airline.

tl;dr actually you're home quite a lot

Aviator would have a ball in this thread.

I am Studying Chemical Engineering now. so

(Aug 4, 2015, 02:08 AM)Sirrus link Wrote: [ -> ]I'd love to join the U.S. Air Force, and later become a Commerical Airline Pilot.

I don't mean to scare anyone, but after watching quite a lot of ACI (air crash investigations), I have learnt a lot about different effects and circumstances about aviation and flight. PM me, if you want, I'll explain more...

(Aug 4, 2015, 05:42 AM)Dig link Wrote: [ -> ]Aviator would have a ball in this thread.

I here!

I love planes. More specifically, airliners. My ambition is to become an airline pilot, eventually making it to big ones - whatever they may be at the time.

My favourite aircraft is the Boeing 777, more specifically the -300(ER) variants.

(Aug 7, 2015, 12:51 PM)WildDorito link Wrote: [ -> ]I don't mean to scare anyone, but after watching quite a lot of ACI (air crash investigations), I have learnt a lot about different effects and circumstances about aviation and flight. PM me, if you want, I'll explain more...

I've also watched many Air Crash Investigation programmes and for me, it often highlights the redundancy and safety built into modern aircraft. There are tragedies that occur, but that happens in just about anything. Flying is still one of the safest forms of travel commercially bar the elevator.

(Aug 4, 2015, 02:24 AM)Tmdirtbike link Wrote: [ -> ]I have always wanted to be a commercial pilot. However, I don't think I could do it because wouldn't you always be away from your family?

That really depends. Karakuts pretty much explains it in his post.

I like long haul flights, because for me it seems satisfying that a 300 ton aircraft, can takeoff and fly continuously for 10+ hours, sometimes even 15-16 hours over a distance of over 8000 miles.
Long haul pilots tend to have long periods of no work, sometimes in enjoying the weather in a foreign country. Albeit long haul flying can be less "thrilling", especially because of the constant jet lag!

Money is a problem since it's hard to get started unless you're lucky enough to be taken on a cadet scheme by an airline.

But for now I am going to focus on my A Levels and try and secure a place in university to study something science related.

(Aug 7, 2015, 02:09 PM)Aviator link Wrote: [ -> ]- snip -

[quote author=WildDorito link=topic=236.msg6855#msg6855 date=1438944706]
I don't mean to scare anyone, but after watching quite a lot of ACI (air crash investigations), I have learnt a lot about different effects and circumstances about aviation and flight. PM me, if you want, I'll explain more...

I've also watched many Air Crash Investigation programmes and for me, it often highlights the redundancy and safety built into modern aircraft. There are tragedies that occur, but that happens in just about anything. Flying is still one of the safest forms of travel commercially bar the elevator.

- snip -
[/quote]

I fully agree with you Aviator

(Aug 7, 2015, 12:51 PM)WildDorito link Wrote: [ -> ][quote author=Sirrus link=topic=236.msg4216#msg4216 date=1438646888]
I'd love to join the U.S. Air Force, and later become a Commerical Airline Pilot.

I don't mean to scare anyone, but after watching quite a lot of ACI (air crash investigations), I have learnt a lot about different effects and circumstances about aviation and flight. PM me, if you want, I'll explain more...
[/quote]

By watching "quite a lot of ACI" you're only exposing yourself to the major incidents that have occurred over the years, which, if you don't fly regularly, may cause you to see air travel as far less safe than it actually is. There's never any mention of the ~36 million uneventful scheduled commercial flights that take place each year on these TV shows.

Every time there is a major incident, there's been a tragic chain of event, and multiple redundant systems have failed for one reason or another. Whatever the case, we learn from what happens and implement changes to ensure that a similar incident cannot happen again. Over time, therefore, issues have become less common, as shown here:


Here's some random statistics I found about your chances of dying, it includes other modes of transport among others.

Cause of death    :    YOUR ODDS
Cardiovascular disease: 1 in 2
Smoking (by/before age 35): 1 in 600
Car trip, coast-to-coast: 1 in 14,000
Bicycle accident: 1 in 88,000
Tornado: 1 in 450,000
Train, coast-to-coast: 1 in 1,000,000
Lightning: 1 in 1.9 million
Bee sting: 1 in 5.5 million
U.S. commercial jet airline: 1 in 7 million

Sources: Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, University of California at Berkeley, Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives

One thing I know is that Flying Schools are expensive AF.

Even if you complete the training and get your ATPL (Google it) you will have already spent more than 60-70k minimum, if you want to learn to fly a specific type of aircraft (Let's say Boeing 777) You'll need to get a special "Type Rating" (Google that too) that costs about 20k.

If money isn't a problem, the first job you'll get as a co-pilot in a small aircraft will earn you less than 25k a year. The maximum salary you can get is about 120k but after thousands of flying hours and experience.

I've also heard (I'm not entirely sure about that and it seems weird but whatever) that if you get the maximum salary from your airline (Let's say Lufthansa) but for some reason Lufthansa goes bankrupt the next job you're going to get in some other airline will pay 25k.


Check this out. https://thetruthabouttheprofession.weebly.com/

(Aug 8, 2015, 02:49 PM)Tzimanious link Wrote: [ -> ]One thing I know is that Flying Schools are expensive AF.

Even if you complete the training and get your ATPL (Google it) you will have already spent more than 60-70k minimum, if you want to learn to fly a specific type of aircraft (Let's say Boeing 777) You'll need to get a special "Type Rating" (Google that too) that costs about 20k.

If money isn't a problem, the first job you'll get as a co-pilot in a small aircraft will earn you less than 25k a year. The maximum salary you can get is about 120k but after thousands of flying hours and experience.

I've also heard (I'm not entirely sure about that and it seems weird but whatever) that if you get the maximum salary from your airline (Let's say Lufthansa) but for some reason Lufthansa goes bankrupt the next job you're going to get in some other airline will pay 25k.


Check this out.

Limelight - Link watcher

You're about to enter the following site: https://thetruthabouttheprofession.weebly.com/ Please note: You should only visit trusted sites. We are not responsible for any loss of your privacy.

https://thetruthabouttheprofession.weebly.com/

They're expensive, unless you attend a cadet course with an airline like British Airways or Qatar Airways. Here you pay the £80,000 security bond, which is gradually paid back over 7-8 years of employment when you pass the course (for the British Airways one at least).

I thought type-ratings were provided by the company. Airlines typically carry out their own training on their pilots in simulators and then that happens every so often, usually 6 months at most large airlines (this is what most of my reply is about).

Salary is determined on seniority (among a few other things) which is lost when transferring to another airline. Second and First officer's typically earning less than a Captain. Salaries are entirely dependent on the airline. For British Airways, it's usually £30,000 starting, increasing every year. Regional airlines in the USA usually start for less. In time salaries can rise to well over £100,000, in some cases £125,000+ for the most senior Captains. Emirates tend to offer around £60,000 taxed free for their pilots. So it all depends.

Being an airline pilot is typically a career or "vocation" so something you'll probably stick to for life, unless you are fired, made redundant or lose your class 1 medical certificate.

If you made it to the top at Lufthansa, as you say, starting at another airline you'll probably start a little higher than £25,000 - probably the minimum salary for a Captain, since that is what you would be at that time. Otherwise that airline would not attract any experienced pilot at all in the event of a shortage of Captains.

However for me, the salary wouldn't be the most attractive part of the job. I think the flight deck is the best office in the world!

(Aug 7, 2015, 04:47 PM)Karakuts link Wrote:[quote author=WildDorito link=topic=236.msg6855#msg6855 date=1438944706]
[quote author=Sirrus link=topic=236.msg4216#msg4216 date=1438646888]
-snip-

-snip-
[/quote]

By watching "quite a lot of ACI" you're only exposing yourself to the major incidents that have occurred over the years, which, if you don't fly regularly, may cause you to see air travel as far less safe than it actually is. There's never any mention of the ~36 million uneventful scheduled commercial flights that take place each year on these TV shows.

Every time there is a major incident, there's been a tragic chain of event, and multiple redundant systems have failed for one reason or another. Whatever the case, we learn from what happens and implement changes to ensure that a similar incident cannot happen again.
-snip-
[/quote]

Yea, I get that a lot, I have scared my brother out of flying , even though my family and I are flying overseas in December. ACI is typically pre 2000's and the show always states "Flying is the safest way of travel". I'm prepared to go on a plane, because I know that the crashes are pre 2000's and they are indeed one of the safest ways of travel.

ALSO,

Aviation has always been fascinating for me, eventhough I am not quite into it.