I wanna be a pilot!

Leonardo Da Vinci is famous for saying, “once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been, and there you will always long to return.”

As we all know, the COVID-19 pandemic has extensively affected all branches of aviation. This said, today I want to focus on the “perks” that come with this career. These are the reasons why I chose to be a pilot, and my perception on the new era of aviation.

The feeling of freedom when flying was my first reason for becoming a pilot. When I was growing up, my next-door neighbor was a commercial pilot. I would always see him leave for his flights and I was always interested in what he did for a living. I even had the chance to chat with him about his job, and ask him all the questions on my mind. Today I must thank him for being so patient!

He described in detail the lifestyle, places he visited, as well as the challenges of flying. His stories caught my attention, and I was so intrigued and curious that this was the first time I felt the possibility of making this my career path! Traveling around the world, while being paid, was the motivation I needed to take on the challenge. At the same time, some 50 years ago, funding your own training was relatively easy.

Fast forward to 2021 and we now have a career that needs a significant investment, and will also require some time before “landing” a job in a reputable airline.

There are three ways of getting into flight training. You have the “usual” route of joining a reputable flight school as a cadet. These academies offer thorough programs specifically designed to prepare you for all aspects of a pilot career. Once successfully completed, you will have a multi-engine instrument commercial license. Taking this route implies an investment of $150,000 USD, give or take, and you are looking at two to three years to complete the training. However, this will depend on the time you dedicate to it, and if you have a steady pace throughout the training.

Your other option is to join the military. If this is your calling, and you wish to join the Air Force or Army (for helicopters and vertical take-off/landing aircrafts [VTOL, such as the V-22]), then you will need to have a bachelor’s degree to sign up for the program. Once in, training will be provided free of charge, and you will start receiving a salary after you have received your wings. From there, you are required to complete a number of years of service before “retiring.” Generally speaking, that timeframe is somewhere between seven and nine years. At this point, should you wish to leave the military, you may to become a commercial pilot.

Your military license, with an instrument rated ticket, can be converted into a Commercial Pilot License (CPL) which allows you to operate as a First Officer. In order to upgrade ranks within the airline pilot world (become a Captain), you will need to take the required training/tests, and line training to obtain an Airline Transport Pilot License (ATPL).

When you become a pilot, countless doors may open. Whether you are interested in being a commercial pilot, flight instructor, corporate pilot, agriculture pilot, bush pilot, Lighter-Than-Air pilot, cargo pilot, helicopter pilot, air-ambulance pilot, law enforcement pilot or just a recreational pilot, whichever position you choose, it will be full of excitement and professional satisfaction.

Your office will be in the wild blue yonder where the sun always shines above the clouds. When you look down, you will realize how big our world really is. It will not be a nine to five job, and you might have to move to another city or even country to follow your dream.

In my opinion there is nothing better than being a professional pilot. The life you will have is unique and special in many ways. It does not matter which aircraft you fly. The satisfaction you obtain will not be measurable.

Do not get discouraged by this set back with the pandemic. I guarantee you that aviation will be back sooner than you think, and the world will be hurting for new pilots. So, what are you waiting for?

Stay safe everyone,

Capt. Michel Treskin