I really regret getting my pilot’s license. — No one, ever

There are at least five different reasons to get your pilot’s license. The most obvious one is that you want to be a professional pilot, but several beyond that. Piloting is a craft that is incredibly rewarding to practice. In the process of getting my license I found that I became more responsible, methodical, and dependable. Let’s look at some of the best reasons to earn your license.

Challenging Yourself

First and foremost an amazing reason to get your pilot’s license is to challenge yourself. Mastering the sub-disciplines of flying such as weather, navigation, aerodynamics, etc. is a fantastic way to push yourself academically and in the realm of hand-eye coordination.

Flying for Travel

Traveling via private aviation is an unrivaled experience that will definitely impress your friends and family, but unless you’re made of money there are some “gotchas” to look out for.

You May Have a Long Ways To Go

No pun intended, but if you’re envisioning loading up an airplane and soaring off into the sunset then you may be slightly misguided. Chartering a plane for multiple days from a rental company is expensive, if they’ll even let you charter it at all! Most rental companies have a minimum number of hours per day they require you to pay for, regardless of if you fly them or not.

The best way to work around this is either join a flying club (more on this later) or own your own airplane. Joining a flying club can take time in and of itself, and they may have certain hours minimums and other requirements before you can fly their airplanes.

Bottom line here is that flying for travel is doable, but it takes some time to build the skills and relationships you need to charter aircraft for cross country travel.

Traveling for Business

If you’re travel is in connection with a business, there is a whole host of other issues you need to watch out for, because you run the risk of being a commercial operator in the eyes of the FAA.

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Camping on Airports

As a quick aside to everything I’ve mentioned so far, some small airports will allow you to camp just off of the tarmac! I really can’t oversell how fun this is. Catalina Airport and Oceano Airport are examples of airports that let you camp overnight. Strongly recommend!

Making a Career of Flying

If you want to become an airline pilot then the question your asking is partly an economic one. Is it worth it to become an airline pilot? Pilots typically spend over $40,000 to get all the training they need before they can become a flight instructor.

Assuming an aircraft rate of $150/hour and a flight instructor rate of $50/hour, I’ve put together some approximations of what each license/rating would cost using typical amounts of hours, assuming you fly independent of a major flight school. (assumes 60 hours for a Private Pilot License)

Rating Est. Cost Private Pilot License $12,000 Instrument Rating $10,000 Commercial $15,000 CFI $5,000 Est. Total $42,000

Keep in mind that many of these hours (especially for commercial) can be combined with personal travel. For example, if you take your friend or significant other somewhere for a few days and fly 6 hours to get there and back, those hours count as hours for your commercial, so it isn’t all school and drudgery!

As an airline pilot you can expect good job security and a payscale that will increase steadily with your years of experience and flying hours.

Note that pilots without a bachelor’s degree will be limited in the airline jobs they can get.

Other Benefits

The benefits you would expect in a job, medical, dental, vision, etc. are abundant for airline pilots. Other benefits include being able to fly for free (or non-revving, short for non-revenue flying) and the intangible benefit of a unique and challenging line of work.

Reasons Not To Be an Airline Pilot

Airline pilots a frequently away from their home and their family, sleeping in airport hotels, and working odd hours. This lifestyle simply isn’t suitable for everyone.

Joining the Military

Joining the military can help you get a pilot license in two different ways. On one hand you could become a military pilot and then all your training would be included with your service. On the other hand you could serve in the military, and then use the G.I. bill to pay for flight training above the private pilot license level.

The military will not pay for you to get your private pilot license with the G.I. bill. If you earn a PPL, the military may pay for subsequent training. Best to check the VA website for current information on this program.

Pilot slots in the military are quite competitive. From what I’ve heard, second hand, from current and former military, you should ask yourself why you are joining the military before making that commitment. Even if you do get a pilot slot in the military, you are “a soldier first, and a pilot second.” Do you want to be a soldier, or do you just want to fly?

Reasons You Should Not Get Your Pilot’s License

You shouldn’t get your pilot’s license for any reason other than the fact that YOU want to be a pilot. Don’t get a pilot’s license because someone else thinks you “should.” Flying has to appeal to you on a personal level.

The Adventure of a Lifetime

My experience getting my pilot’s license was that it was the adventure of a lifetime. It’s opened up new doors for me that I never thought would be open, and it is continuing to take me places I never thought I would be.

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