What's Your Ideal Aviation Career?

Most people who want to fly think there is one answer: airline pilot. It is a good career. It is also one of many in aviation, and the right one for you depends on what you want from your working life.

Flying for a living

Airlines

Short-haul, long-haul and regional passenger flying. Large companies, defined procedures, structured progression from first officer to captain. The trade-offs are rosters you do not control, time away from home, and exposure to the industry's economic cycles.

Business aviation

Private and charter jets. Smaller crews, more varied destinations and often closer contact with passengers. The trade-offs are less predictable schedules, on-call working and smaller employers.

Cargo

Freight flying on large aircraft, much of it at night. The trade-offs are the hours and the fact that nobody claps when you land.

Specialist flying

Air ambulance, search and rescue, aerial firefighting, survey, agricultural flying. Demanding, often seasonal, and usually needing further specialist training after the commercial licence. Some of these are helicopter careers, which is a separate licence and a separate route.

Instructing

Teaching others to fly, in aircraft or in simulators. For some it is a step on the way to an airline; for others it is the career.

Aviation careers outside the cockpit

• Air traffic controller
• Licensed aircraft maintenance engineer
• Flight dispatcher and airline operations control
• Safety, compliance and training roles at operators and authorities
• Aviation psychology and human factors

How to work out which suits you

• Do I want a predictable schedule or variety?
• How important is being home every night?
• Do I want a large organisation or a small team?
• How do I feel about night work, shift work and being on call?
• Do I want to fly one aircraft type for many years or change often?
• What can I afford to invest, and how long can I wait for a return?

The answers usually narrow the field quickly. If they point to an airline, the six-stage route shows what the training involves. If you are not sure, get in touch and we will talk it through before you commit to anything.