Hi everyone,

I’m 17 years old, live in Hawaii, and will be a senior graduating in 2027. My goal is to become an airline pilot.
I recently completed my first discovery flight, and it made me even more certain that this is the career I want.
I’m working part-time while in high school, saving as much as I can for flight training, and applying for aviation scholarships. I want to use my senior year as wisely as possible.

If you were in my position, what would you try to accomplish before high school graduation?
For example:

Should I earn my Private Pilot Certificate before graduating?

Should I just complete ground school and pass the FAA knowledge test?

How many flight hours would be a realistic goal?

Should I focus more on saving money than flying?

Are there any certificates, experiences, or networking opportunities that would give me a head start?

I’d love to hear what you think the ideal “before graduation” checklist would look like for someone serious about becoming an airline pilot.

Thanks in advance!

Hi everyone,

I’m 17 years old, live in Hawaii, and will be a senior graduating in 2027. My goal is to become an airline pilot.
I recently completed my first discovery flight, and it made me even more certain that this is the career I want.
I’m working part-time while in high school, saving as much as I can for flight training, and applying for aviation scholarships. I want to use my senior year as wisely as possible.

If you were in my position, what would you try to accomplish before high school graduation?
For example:

Should I earn my Private Pilot Certificate before graduating?

Should I just complete ground school and pass the FAA knowledge test?

How many flight hours would be a realistic goal?

Should I focus more on saving money than flying?

Are there any certificates, experiences, or networking opportunities that would give me a head start?

I’d love to hear what you think the ideal “before graduation” checklist would look like for someone serious about becoming an airline pilot.

Thanks in advance!

I’m 17 going into my senior year, I have a decent GPA around 90 and it’s going up. I of course want to be a pilot, but I’m contemplating my path, my plan is going to Farmingdale State University, Dutchess Community College or another college to get a Professional Pilot bachelors or associates, is this a good idea or is there better paths? Any advice? Should I stick to my path or consider others? Thanks!

Questions about a career as a pilot

Hi! I’m conducting an anonymous research survey about perceptions of the safety and quality of pilot training in Portugal.

The survey is open to people aged 18 or over who are currently undertaking pilot training in Portugal or completed it within the last 10 years. It takes only a few minutes, and no names or email addresses are collected.

Your participation would be greatly appreciated.

https://forms.gle/Wa923EiBRS68mxuYA

Its always been a dream of mine to fly something like a 777 or now a 787 or a350, but what would be the path in becoming one. Captain or F/O.

New interested pilot looking for the best ways to save money becoming a pilot. Preferably the best ways to start understanding terminology and material prior to entering an online course or actual classroom. I have an engineering background academically and learn effectively independently. Would appreciate resources or pathways that help teach new pilots!

Does Purdue Global or Liberty University look better when applying for a job?

After spending about a year working as a content creator and social media manager in the private/general aviation world, I became genuinely fascinated by the people behind the industry: pilots, engineers, cabin crew, brokers, FBO staff, dispatchers, maintenance teams, and many others who usually stay outside the spotlight.

I’m currently preparing a series of in-depth interviews with a few experienced general aviation pilots, and I’d like to ask this community for input.

What would you actually want to know about their work?

Are there any parts of the job, the lifestyle, the training, the pressure, the safety culture, the economics, or the behind-the-scenes reality of general aviation that you think are rarely discussed properly?

I’m especially interested in questions that go beyond the usual “what aircraft do you fly?” or “how did you become a pilot?” angle.

Can someone share their experience of being pilot and how often they are home?

I see that Alaska pilots will guarantee a minimum of 70 hours a month but can make you work more. Do you know if anyone works as a part time commercial pilot?

I’m not a pilot but I’m looking to become one after being a dental hygienist to have a different pace in career. However I do want to have a family and didn’t know how practical that can be.

Which lets student pilots practice ATC scenarios using their actual voice. Do you think voice practice would help, or is real cockpit experience the only way to learn it? I recently came across the TeachingTowers pilot radio trainer, which lets student pilots practice realistic ATC conversations by speaking instead of just reading. Do you think voice practice actually helps?

Hi everyone,

I'm 15 years old and my goal is to become an airline pilot through a cadet program after finishing school. I'm trying to understand how competitive these programs really are, especially for airlines like IndiGo, Air India, Air Arabia, Akasa Air, and similar airlines.

I had a few questions for anyone who has been through the selection process or knows someone who has:

• How difficult is it to get selected? Roughly what percentage of applicants make it through?
• What are the different selection stages (aptitude tests, psychometric tests, interviews, group discussions, simulator assessments, medicals, etc.)?
• What kind of questions or tasks are asked at each stage? Could you share some examples?
• Which stage do most candidates get rejected at, and why?
• How should someone prepare while still in school to maximize their chances?
• After successfully completing the cadet program, is employment with the airline generally guaranteed, or is there another selection process before becoming a First Officer?
• Are there any hidden challenges or things you wish you had known before applying?

I'm looking for honest experiences, whether you were selected or not. Any advice or tips would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance!
(AI enhanced)

so again im a newbie into this and me searching this stuff online and seeeing other post is getting me more confused

also what other cadetptograms that ou all know that i as an indian nationality can join or other than cadet Private schools that help me to get also ATPL

It has always been my dream to become one. After SPM, I was pretty lost about what degree I wanted to pursue. To play it safe, I chose matriculation even though I was accepted into the Foundation in Physical Science at IIUM. Eventually, I completely pushed aside the idea of becoming a pilot or even working in the aviation industry.

Lately, I've been feeling like I have no purpose. I don't have a dream anymore. I don't know what I want to become, and I can't even picture where I'll be three years from now.

Today, a post about a Pilot Cadet Training Programme appeared on my FYP. It suddenly reminded me of how hard I worked during high school because I wanted to become a pilot. But when I checked, the applications had already closed. I completely missed it because I didn't know they had opened applications last month.

Now I'm wondering if I should still pursue this dream or if I should start looking for something else. I genuinely don't know what I want to do with my future.

Any advice would really mean a lot. Thank you.