16F and want to become a commercial pilot
Posted by sanemisbitch@reddit | aviation | View on Reddit | 19 comments
i’m a 16 year old female and ever since i was a child its been my dream to fly a commercial plane. i’ve been thinking about it more recently and i have some concerns about whether i should pursue this dream:
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will i get treated differently because im a woman? i know that this is essentially a male dominant career but will i be paid less/ not be respected because of my gender?
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is it true that pilots do make 350k+ a year and realistically how long would it take to achieve that salary
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are there specific subjects i have to take in high school in order to get accepted into flight school??
that’s all for now but id also appreciate any other comments/advice on this topic!!
MagicalMagyars@reddit
It is very difficult to give accurate advice without knowing your location or personal details (don't share them publically) and most of the information you will read on here is heavily US centered but here is a more European response.
1 - No pay and achievements are based on experience and merit. You are essentially just an ID number to managements with the positives/negatives associated with it. Anyone who doesn't respect another is a personal and cultural issue and exposure to that depends on the direct environment you are in but it has no place in aviation (or anywhere).
2 - In most of the world those figures are a dream (not happening anywhere outside the US). How long to achieve the top pay scales will depend on your employer (fast moving low cost = fast progression under 10 years, stagnant legacy airlines = slow progression approx 20 years).
3 - The ones you enjoy. Slight preference potentially to maths and physics but motivation and attitude are more important and there is nothing you can't teach yourself to prepare, it is largely basics.
4 - You will not get into those airlines without experience in the industry except a few exceptional circumstances which you would know about if eligable.
Good Luck.
TheWanderingFaith13@reddit
If Amelia Earhart and Bessie Coleman (among many other women) did it, you can too! Never be afraid to follow your dream.
Sykesey2027@reddit
I’d argue that the brutal reality of becoming a pilot is less on gender (location dependent) or academics (to an extent) but more on do you have a route to fund flight school/pilot cadet program? If not you’ve got to hope on a fully funded cadet program or a scholarship which is not impossible but difficult. In my experience (U.K./Europe) the biggest obstacle to a career in flying is financial cost. I remember going to a recruitment event where an airline was proud to have one of their first female cadets speaking about their journey, really passionate about her role and doing great as a jnr FO. I spoke to her afterwards and I asked her how she funded it and I got the same answer I’ve heard many times before “parents remortgaged their house”…
Obviously focus on getting the basics, good performance in maths/physics but really start looking at funded cadet programs and what their requirements are (you’ll likely need to be at the maximum end of performance on any entrance requirements) unless you have another route to fund your pilot training.
I had some of my flying training through the Military over here but went down the route of going into engineering rather than a pilot seat. Idk what the situation is like in the US but in the U.K. you really are competing for a limited amount of slots so academic and flying aptitude performance need to essentially be at a maximum combined with the ability to pass selection tests/officer training.
Maybe my answer is a bit doom and gloom, it’s not impossible. A thought out plan and a few applications and you’ll get it. I wouldn’t be going into flying just for the money though for sure, I never got to the flight deck myself (commercially anyway, I fly for fun often) Good mates who do fly commercially of mine aren’t on mega-bucks, but certainly are on a happy wage. Although I envy their flying office, I certainly don’t envy their work-life balance.
Also I am a few years out of bed with pilot recruitment/cadet schemes now, things may be different at least over in the U.K. I am seeing more fully-funded options, just that they are very competitive and I can’t imagine it will be too different around the world… Take everything I’ve just incoherently rambled about with a pinch of salt and good luck!
Independent-Reveal86@reddit
Women have been in aviation in reasonable numbers for a while now. Most of the time you will be treated like any other pilot but idiots and jerks do exist and you will undoubtedly encounter one or two in your career, just like you would in any other career. You won't be paid any less and you won't be respected any less.
hr2pilot@reddit
You go girl…some of my best first officers I enjoyed working with were female.
MasochistLust@reddit
If you live in the USA or most other western countries, you will not be treated differently or discriminated against for being female. Your skills are what an employer should look at. The gender pay gap is a myth and there are countless studies debunking it (men and women generally work different jobs and number of hours, so it is a case of apples to oranges). It's illegal in pretty much every western country to pay someone less for doing the same job based on gender/race/etc. Wages will depend on your experience, regional vs international and who you fly for, just like any other job. A new pilot flying as FO won't be making as much as the Captain who has been flying for 20 years. But, even fresh out of the gate, you will make a decent living.
The-0mega-Man@reddit
If your grades are good enough join the Air Force and let them train you how to fly and pay you too. When you get out you can do your commercial training easy as pie.
redoctoberz@reddit
The best CFIs I had were women. Be the next rockstar.
B100West@reddit
Pilots make good money. If you work for the right company
All you really need is money to pay for your training
pcmr1cn2@reddit
You will not be treated differently because you are a woman.
Yes, however, it will take a long time to get to the majors, once there, after the first year, pay increases every year up to year twelve where the pay tops out. There is a first officer pay scale and a captain pay scale.
STEM
320sim@reddit
They’re asking about Qatar airways and are probably in the Middle East. Qatar just got their first female captain in late 2023
pcmr1cn2@reddit
Thanks for that clarification, I totally missed 4. I have no knowledge of that part of the world that I could offer comment on. My response was specifically for aviating for a living in the States.
sanemisbitch@reddit (OP)
sorry i didn’t mean to restrict it to only airlines in the middle east i was just giving examples but i’m open to working anywhere as long as it’s a large airline so if you know anything about those it could be helpful!
320sim@reddit
To be honest with you most people are chill but it’s possible it could be an obstacle at times. Respect not pay. Pay would be the same
Yes, after becoming a captain at a major. No one can tell you how long that will take
No
Oh you’re in the Middle East. Yeah actually:
Yes
No
No
4 idk
BrewCityChaserV2@reddit
FYI - you'll probably get better feedback over on /r/flying since that subreddit is more geared towards aviation professionals as opposed to enthusiasts.
sanemisbitch@reddit (OP)
thank you!!
Micahg05@reddit
The main thing to be figuring out right now is how to pay for all the flight hours it will take to get to your dream.
So either have some really rich family members, or join the Air Force probably?
hutthuttindabutt@reddit
Read the FAQ.
No_vocal_Guitar@reddit
There is approximately 1.5cr expense for u to become pilot initially