Name one person you know that wouldn’t want a private jet. Pretty tough right? While millions of dollars will get you the nicest plane out there, alternatives in recent years have made owning a private plane a bit more tangible.

In fact, private flight has actually become increasingly accessible. Fractional jet ownership is now a viable option for wealthy individuals and corporations worldwide. Created in 1986 by Net-Jets, fractional ownership prorates the full market price of an aircraft and distributes the cost between several customers, or ‘owners’. However, instead of owning a single aircraft owners have access to an entire fleet. With hundreds of available locations, you can’t argue the convenience.

The good news for flight training students is these fractional ownership programs create more pilot jobs because of increased utilization of each airframe in the fleet. In the “old” days, a company might purchase a business jet but only fly it a few times a month. Today, that same company has the option of buying in to a fractional ownership program. Since many people / companies share the same (or similar) aircraft, the fractional company must hire many more pilots in order to meet the demands made by multiple owners. Most fractional aircraft are flying constantly with a minimum of downtime. The end result is a much larger demand for pilots.

To learn more about becoming a commercial pilot, check out our flight training resources page.

British Airways' next hiring phase is their largest ever. Click the image to learn more about becoming an airline pilot

Based at Heathrow Airport in London, British Airways has announced its plans to hire a record 800 pilots over the next five years. The company, which merged in January with Spain’s Iberia to form International Consolidated Airlines Group SA, already employs approximately 3,200 pilots.

Pilots and related jobs are among those with excellent prospects for the future - photo: copyright Brandon Farris

During hard economic times, two factors often impact the workforce with a one-two punch: Inflation and employment status. Higher prices paid with dwindling funds multiply stress exponentially. While downsizing can affect every job description, some career paths are more adaptable to adjusted environments or offer an additional layer of protection against unexpected unemployment. Air travel is one such industry that is often overlooked, and pilots and related jobs are among those with excellent prospects for the future.

Primary Air Travel Occupations

The complete list of air travel-related jobs is rather long, those directly involved with in-flight operations possess the best prospective outlook.

Pilot

At its most basic description, a pilot is the person flying the aircraft, whether it’s a helicopter, private or commercial airplane. Qualifications for each level differ greatly and require tiered training and qualifications.

A basic pilot’s license enables the individual to fly either a fixed-wing or rotary-blade aircraft—an airplane or a helicopter; certification in one aircraft type is not included with the other. Within each type are airplane specifications qualifications. A Cessna-type license does not permit a pilot to fly a jumbo jet.

Commercial pilots and co-pilots enjoy expanding employment opportunities. The Bureau of Labor and Statistics (BLS) projects the demand for qualified commercial pilots will grow from 12 to 19 percent through 2018.

Pay scales depend on experience and aircraft, but as of 2008, the average wages approximated just over $65,000 per year. The lowest 10 percent wage bracket noted salaries of $32,020, but the upper 10 percent wage range averaged $129,580 per year, according to the Occupational Employment Statistics (OES) Survey Program.

Flight Engineers

Flight engineers assist the pilot in navigation and other functions. Flight engineers also enjoy a favorable employment and salary projections.

The OES reports that flight engineer wages closely approximate those of pilots, and the BLS projections declare a demand growth projection that averages from 7 percent to 13 percent.

Related Occupations

Air travel occupations extend beyond the cockpit. Support roles are crucial to every airplane, flight, cargo or passenger. A few related job descriptions include:

Air Traffic Controllers

A highly stressful and exacting occupation, air traffic controllers direct air flight and travel.

Flight Attendants

Flight attendants are responsible for more than passing out drinks and snacks. They are the airline’s front-line safety representative and passenger education coordinator. They, above all, are the ‘people-persons’ of an airline.

Airfield Operations Specialists

These personnel coordinate communication and functions between maintenance, the flight control tower and the airplanes. They ensure proper and safe take-offs and landings and maintain flight records, among other duties. No airport could safely operate without them.

Summary

If flying isn’t for you but you are still highly interested air travel career, investigate qualifications for these critical support positions. If flying is in your blood and the idea of staying on the ground is distasteful, then enroll in a reputable, certified flight school today and earn your pilot’s wings today!

About the Author

JC Ryan is a freelance writer for MyCollegesandCareers.com. My Colleges and Careers helps people determine if an online education is right for them and helps them understand which online courses and online schools they can choose from to reach their goals.

Boeing is projecting a need for almost a million new aviation jobs in the next 20 years.

Boeing is projecting that the commercial aviation industry will require more than a million new pilots and maintenance personnel over the next 20 years. In a recent press release, the aircraft manufacturer cited growing demand for new and replacement aircraft as the leading indicator of the need for new crew.

According to the crew assessment forecast, based on Boeing’s Current Market Outlook, training methods must be adapted and created to aid future generations in flying and maintaining the 30,000 new aircraft projected to be delivered through 2029.

The report indicates strong growth in the Asia-Pacific region, which is projected to require almost 400,000 new pilots and mechanics. China is the major player in the region, requiring nearly 200,000 personnel. This is compared to North America and Europe which combined will require at least 400,000 pilots and mechanics.

The challenge is in providing adequate training to safely train new pilots and mechanics worldwide to operate and maintain new, technologically-advanced aircraft. The training must be accessible worldwide and incorporate methodologies to cope with new learning styles. For these reasons, Boeing, one of the largest aircraft manufacturers worldwide, is also one of the leading providers of training products for the commercial aviation industry. Boeing’s training initiatives are some of the most innovative and are accepted worldwide.

Find flight training or aircraft maintenance training training near you.

This article was written by Matthew Everett, a private pilot, aviation writer, and frequent contributor to AviationSchoolsOnline.com. You can follow him on twitter @leaving_tf or find his blog at http://leavingterrafirma.com

At a July 22nd presentation at Airline Transport Professionals in Jacksonville Beach, Florida, recruiting officials from American Eagle airlines announced they will begin hiring more new pilots, add 22 new regional jets to their fleet, and that pilots are moving from the commuter airline up to American Airlines more quickly.

According to American Eagle, the airline is the second largest regional carrier in the U.S. with a fleet of over 250 regional jet and turboprop aircraft and employs more than 2,600 pilots. American Eagles’ vice president of flight operations Jim Winkley says “American Eagle anticipates having among the greatest demand for pilot hiring in 2010 and 2011 due to improved fleet utilization, delivery of additional aircraft, and (pilot) attrition.

“American Eagle anticipates strong demand for pilot hiring in the near future. Long-term trends favor continued pilot hiring as well” according to Winkley.

Learn more about Airline Transport Professionals
Letter from American Eagle regarding ATP training

About the author – Kyle Garrett is the founder of AviationSchoolsOnline.com and is a 1500 hour instrument-rated private pilot. He has been in the vocational school and marketing business for more than 20 years.

ATP announces hiring event with American Eagle Airlines

Airline Transport Professionals (ATP), the national flight academy with over twenty U.S. locations, announced Thursday that it will host an exclusive hiring event with American Eagle airlines. According to ATP’s Paul Templeton “American Eagle Airlines is sending their top Pilot Recruiters to ATP’s headquarters in Jacksonville Beach, Florida on Thursday, July 22 to meet exclusively with ATP students and instructors.” ATP is upbeat in their prediction that the hiring event confirms “…that regional airlines will resume hiring in 2010.”

At the event, Richard King, American Eagle’s Manager of Pilot Recruitment is scheduled to make a presentation on the state of hiring in the airline industry, additions to American Eagle’s fleet of Regional Jets, and the “flow- through” of senior American Eagle pilots to American Airlines. An ATP press release noted “These factors have increased the need for American Eagle to hire qualified pilots now and into the foreseeable future.”

Learn more about ATP flight training

ARLINGTON, Texas – April 6, 2010 – Fourteen ATP flight instructors and graduates from ATP’s Airline Career Pilot Program receive First Officer position class dates with American Eagle. ATP extends congratulations and thanks to the 14 CFIs who recently interviewed and received job offers with American Eagle, one of the nation’s largest regional airlines.
“ATP graduates have a proven track record with American Eagle, and we’re glad ATP is in a position to assist with their pilot recruitment needs as hiring increases,” said Jim Koziarski, ATP’s Vice President of Flight Operations. “With Regional Jet Standards Certification, over a thousand hours total time, and hundreds of hours multi-engine experience, these are highly qualified pilot candidates.”
American Eagle anticipates steady demand for pilot hiring through 2010 and beyond. In an open letter to ATP, American Eagle
explains the driving forces behind their pilot recruiting goals:
improved fleet utilization, delivery of additional aircraft, attrition, end of “Age 65” rule effectiveness, and potential flight crew duty time regulation changes. Read the positive industry outlook in the letter on ATP’s website at ATPFlightSchool.com/eagle.
Regional airlines appreciate the structured experience that pilots receive in the ATP system, starting with their primary flight training and extending through the critical phase of building experience as flight instructors. With the recent increase in regional airline pilot hiring, ATP is also hiring more flight instructors from the Airline Career Pilot Program. ATP has already hired nearly 40 CFIs in 2010.
In 1984 ATP pioneered cost-efficient, accelerated, multi-engine flight training with an emphasis on pilot
career development. Today, ATP’s Airline Training Programs prepare graduates for airline pilot and corporate pilot careers with nationwide flight experience in the largest, multi-engine training fleet. Advanced jet training
transitions these pilots from light twins to modern regional jets in CRJ-200 flight training devices. With thousands of graduates who have completed airline training on time and on budget, airlines come to ATP first to meet their demand for pilots. ATP flies over 6,000 hours to provide more than 300 FAA pilot certifications each month at 24 locations nationwide.

For those who have not given up the dream of becoming a professional pilot, now may be the best time ever to begin flight training. 2009 will most likely go down in history as being the worst year to be looking for a flying job with the airlines, freight companies, fractional operators and charter outfits. According to an article in Plane & Pilot Magazine, December 2009 issue, only 30 pilots have been hired by these aviation segments this year, making it by far the worst hiring year since 1975, when 175 pilots were hired. So what’s the good news?

Airline jobs set to recover in future

The professional pilot job market has bottomed out, and the only place to go is up. There’s a trifecta brewing that could make aviation jobs boom again; the FAA predicts that worldwide airline passenger travel is estimated to grow at 7% per year through 2015; a large number of older pilots are set to retire after getting an extension on their careers from the new mandatory retirement age of 65, up from 60; according to the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA), global air traffic will triple between 2009 and 2034. All of these factors point to a huge recovery in aviation, and that means the demand for pilots will increase.

Earning an FAA certified pilot certificate may require more training in the future. If you’re interested in flying for a living, the time to start is now. Pilots starting training today could be faced with tougher hiring standards: a proposed new requirement to posses an Airline Transport Pilot (ATP) certificate for eligibility to fly for airlines (up from just a Commercial certificate), new safety management systems training (SMS), and increased simulator training standards just to name a few.

The bottom line – the future looks bright for professional pilots, but the best time to start that future is today. A good way to begin exploring your options is to contact flight academies and universities.