I am a flight instructor. The funny thing about my profession is, it is NOT a middle age man’s game. It’s for young guns and retirees.
Say you’ve spent the tens of thousands of dollars it takes to earn a commercial pilot’s certificate. You’ve got a few hundred hours in the logbook, all of it training or pleasure flying, almost all in 2-4 seat trainers. You’re qualified to do…basically nothing. Mind you, a commercial pilot can’t work for an airline, you need an ATP certificate for that. A commercial pilot can do weird things like air taxi, some charter operations, air tours, banner towing, glider towing, aerial photography…and with an additional certificate, teach flight school.
The vast majority of (civilian) pilots including myself log their first revenue flight as Instruction Given. All of a sudden, some other rube is not only footing the bill for the plane, but paying YOU a wage. Your logbook starts filling up pretty quick, the second 250 hours happens a lot faster than the first 250 did, you can afford to get your multi-engine, etc. Then you get hired for a “real job” flying something turbine powered and spend your “actual” career flying Caravans for Fed-Ex.
Then, it’s time to retire, start living life as if you’re actually going to get the pension they promised you, and to get out of the house you start teaching lessons at your local municipal airport until you can’t pass a medical exam anymore.
I am a flight instructor. The funny thing about my profession is, it is NOT a middle age man’s game. It’s for young guns and retirees.
Say you’ve spent the tens of thousands of dollars it takes to earn a commercial pilot’s certificate. You’ve got a few hundred hours in the logbook, all of it training or pleasure flying, almost all in 2-4 seat trainers. You’re qualified to do…basically nothing. Mind you, a commercial pilot can’t work for an airline, you need an ATP certificate for that. A commercial pilot can do weird things like air taxi, some charter operations, air tours, banner towing, glider towing, aerial photography…and with an additional certificate, teach flight school.
The vast majority of (civilian) pilots including myself log their first revenue flight as Instruction Given. All of a sudden, some other rube is not only footing the bill for the plane, but paying YOU a wage. Your logbook starts filling up pretty quick, the second 250 hours happens a lot faster than the first 250 did, you can afford to get your multi-engine, etc. Then you get hired for a “real job” flying something turbine powered and spend your “actual” career flying Caravans for Fed-Ex.
Then, it’s time to retire, start living life as if you’re actually going to get the pension they promised you, and to get out of the house you start teaching lessons at your local municipal airport until you can’t pass a medical exam anymore.