job description

I actually have two jobs right now as a pilot. I fly as a first officer for a commercial airline, which I've been doing since April of 2007. I am also a pilot in the Air Force As of right now, I'm in the reserves, but from 1997 until February of 2007, I was an active duty member. I usually spend about two weeks every month with the commercial airline, and two to four days every month with the Air Force, so it's a pretty good balance between the two.

Honestly, it was never a childhood dream of mine to be a pilot, but when I went to the Air Force Academy it was definitely something that I became interested in. I was never really interested in having a conventional desk job, so once I made the decision to go to the academy, the pieces of the puzzle just sort of went together. Fortunately for me, I made a great choice, and this has turned out to be an awesome career.

As a first officer, I have to back up all the decisions that the captain makes. You do get to fly the airplane as well, which is a 737: You take turns with the captain so that they can take breaks, as well. If, for example, we are scheduled to fly five routes in one day, the captain would fly three and I would fly two, so that I can get the experience of flying and the captain can then give me tips and relax. In the Air Force, I am an instructor pilot, and get to teach students how to fly C17s, which are the big transport planes that transport supplies, soldiers and large tanks and jeeps overseas. As a pilot of the C17, I make deliveries and pick up different equipment and bring it back to the base. Because I am in the reserves though, I don't do this as often as I used to.

Experience is a huge factor when it comes to when and how you get to start flying. Because I already had experience flying a plane with the Air Force before I became a first officer, I was able to begin flying the commercial aircraft sooner than most after being hired. The more you fly, the more experience you gain, so they start you off gradually, and then build you up to being able to fly two to three flights per day that you're working.

education & career path

When I was a senior in high school, I decided to go to the Academy. I was originally going to play soccer there, but I also wanted to step up the plate and give back to my country by serving in the Air Force. Once you get to the Academy, you're immersed in the airplane world, be it with fighter jets or the transport planes. I never really wanted a standard 9-to-5 career, so it was kind of a no-brainer that I wanted to fly. Being a pilot is probably one of the most non-standard jobs you could have.

After you complete your four-year bachelor's degree, it's off to pilot training. The first semester of pilot training is Introduction to Flying, where you don't actually fly any airplanes, but learn all about the basic mechanics of the plane as well as how to operate them. Once you get to pilot training, everyone from the ROTC and the Air Force comes together, and the competition to see who will actually fly begins. It is very competitive, but everyone is practically guaranteed a spot. Training spots are available in various places across the country: I chose to go to Columbus, Mississippi. The instructors treat everyone like you've never flown a plane before, and eventually, through flying in the simulators and learning, get you to the point where you can fly a C37 successfully. This means you have to learn how to take off, land, and follow air traffic patterns correctly. All of this takes place within the first six months of pilot training, in which you are graded on your performance in all of these tasks.

It is after all of this that you get to choose whether you want to fly fighter planes or transport planes. I chose the transport plane route, what they call T-1 training. In T-1 training they teach you all about flying around the world, as well as about the different tasks and duties that will be required of you once you complete all your training. That part of the training lasts another six months, in which you are graded on your performance as well. After this first year of training, your instructors then rank you based on your performance through all the training. It is based on this ranking that you get a job within the Air Force or not. After my first year of training, I went through more training to learn how to fly the C17 plane that I currently fly for the Air Force. I did that training in South Carolina, and then moved up here to Seattle.

Pilot training is very stressful, because it's all performance based. Therefore, it can be a little crazy when you're trying to make a good ranking. Once you get into your first airplane though, it makes it all worth it. It's very cool. At 22 years old, I was able to fly around the world because of my pilot training, and from that perspective I have no complaints or bad things to say about going through pilot training.

my day

When I was in active duty in the Air Force, I was usually gone seven to nine days at a time. I would leave Seattle and go to Germany or Turkey, where I would pick up supplies and tankers. Then I would fly to Iraq and Afghanistan to drop off the supplies, pick up used or broken ones, and then we would head back. We would spend anywhere from 15 to 20 hours in the plane, so by the time we got home, all we would do is sleep. Now that I'm in the reserves, I am only gone three to four days per month. The agenda is pretty much the same, just less time. For my airline job, I am usually gone from home three to four days at a time. My day with the airline starts in Oakland, because there isn't a base here in Seattle. We usually fly an average of three to five legs, or flights, per day. It's usually a pretty hectic day: Eight to ten hour days with a lot of flying, with only 20 to 25 minutes rest on the ground in between flights. During that time, I usually don't even get a break, because I have to program the computers on the plane and get everything ready for take-off again. But we do have 12 to 15 hours off in any city that we're in, which is pretty cool.

With my airline job, I usually work 15 to 17 days every month. As far as variety, there is a ton of variety within this job. We are always at different airports, and our ariline serves about 35 to 40 cities across the country. On any given day, we visit up to five different cities, so we get to see new places and we are always meeting new people. We are always staying busy with all the flying, so there isn't much time to be bored.

Becoming captain is definitely the ultimate goal that I have, because at that level, you have full control of the decisions involving the aircraft. It takes about two years of working as a first officer to get promoted to captain, with a lot of on-the-job training. The pay is better for a captain, and as long as I do my job right and stay out of trouble, hopefully the promotion to captain will happen for me.

salary & lifestyle

The biggest thing about being a pilot is that you have a non-standard schedule, and when you are working, which is usually two to two and a half weeks per month, you aren't anywhere close to home. If you have a family, I'm sure it can be very hard, because you're missing birthdays, baseball games and other family events. I don't have a family and it can still be hard being away all the time. But when you aren't working, you truly aren't working. You have 14 to 15 days to do whatever you want, which is one great aspect about this job. With the Air Force, I am only working one weekend a month. The Air Force is extremely flexible, and because I've been in it for over ten years, I can work my schedule the way that I want it. Because I'm in the reserves though, I'm on the hook if something happens in the world. I have to be prepared to be deployed for one to two years if need be.

At my airline job, because it's my first year, I get paid an hourly rate of $46. I usually work 90 to 100 hours a month, so I usually make about $50,000 per year. Once I make it to my second year, my hourly rate will increase to $77. Captains can make upwards of $170,000 a year, which is ultimately where I want to be someday. It's all based on experience though, and how long you've been with the company. My Air Force job is a little different. I can work as much as I want to: If I want it, it's there for me. You get paid per day that you work, so when I work for three to four days per month, I make about $1200. The best thing about the Air Force though is the retirement benefits. When I turn 60, I will get a pension check and medical benefits for the rest of my life. In the long run, the government is the only thing that can promise you a pension. It provides me with a great sense of life security.

pros, cons & trends

The pros about flying greatly outweigh the cons, in my opinion. I have gotten to see the country and the world while I'm working, which is something that most people don't have the privilege of being able to do. I also get to meet new and interesting people every time I'm at work, so my workdays are never boring. Because my job isn't anything like the typical 9-to-5 desk job, I get a lot of free time as well. Basically, I have two weeks off every month, which is way more time off than 90 percent of the working world. It makes this job really fun. I also get to fly different kinds of planes, which brings a nice variety to my professional life. Some cons would be that when I'm working, I'm gone, so I kind of lose touch with friends and family for two weeks every month. I also usually have to work on holidays because in my airline job, I'm a rookie, so I have to put in my time, just like everyone else had to before me. I also don't make an extraordinary amount of money, which can be financially stressful at times.

Honestly, the airline industry is a pretty fickle industry. I don't think that I will ever feel 100 percent secure in it; I kind of teeter in the middle of being as comfortable as I can be. As with any job, life planning is a big thing. I chose to work for this company because through my research of different airlines, I found that it is financially in the best shape out of any airline. They also don't have a high rate of lay-offs, like the bigger airlines, where first officers and flight attendants are some of the first people to get laid off. Living within your means is also very important. The Air Force is my safety net when it comes to money, and is there to back me up during hard times. If I were to get laid off or if my work schedule with the airline decreased, I would be able to pick up the slack by working more in the Air Force. I feel more secure in my Air Force job than I do in my airline job.

Over the years the airline industry has seen a steady growth in employment. I don't think that it's seen a huge spike up or down in popularity, but has seen a sustained growth. There are always jobs to be filled as people retire, get fired, or quit, just as in any industry.

advice

For both, I would say that self-motivation is a very important quality, for you need to be able to motivate yourself to get through all the training. Being a hard worker is also important, for without that, you will never be a pilot. Responsibility is crucial for any job, not just an airline job. Motor skills are also something that you need to be strong with, for they are a huge part of learning how to fly an airplane. A good and positive attitude about things is also an important quality to possess, for things are always changing and you simply need to go with the flow. Being flexible is also important for those reasons, as well as when it comes to meeting new people every day. Knowing that this is the right career for you personally is probably the most important aspect though, because this can be a tremendously rewarding career for the right person. You simply must know yourself well enough to see it.

With the Air Force, make sure it's something that you really want to do. If it is, give it everything you've got. Do well in high school, and apply yourself at the Academy. Don't be afraid to be yourself, and to fight for what you really want to do. It may be hard during the present, but it will pay off in the long run. As far as the commercial airline industry, be dedicated to it and motivate yourself to work. It's important to have a sense of humor as well, for everything isn't always going to be easy and fun. If it's your dream, stick to it, and it will happen for you, if you really want it.