Becoming Pilot 2024

This is it, you're embarking on the adventure to make your dream come true: working in the sky. It's only the beginning of your journey, but here are the questions you need to ask yourself.

What are the good things about the job, and will you enjoy them? ✈️ There's never a dull moment, with a different schedule every day. The many destinations, the constant encounters. The pleasure of flying, even if it's concentrated on short phases (take-off and landing). The contact with a varied clientele.

Will you accept the downsides, will you be able to cope with the staggered hours and rhythms? ⏰ Having to wake up at 4 a.m. for a long day with sometimes 3 or 4 flights. These are details that are sometimes hard to imagine until you actually experience them. Social life is impacted by this shifted rhythm. It's quite complicated to join a regular sports/music club, or to see friends who have a stable schedule. It's not impossible, of course. Some pilots are musicians but this has demanded extreme rigor, a meticulous schedule and sacrifices... In short, you won't be able to be everywhere (because you'll be everywhere...). Desacralizing the profession can help you in your introspection. Don't go on Instagram where pilots only show the glamorous side of the profession.

What are typical schedules? 📅 Here are examples of monthly schedules for 3 types of operation

LONG HAUL

MEDIUM HAUL

LOW COST

Is family life possible? 👨‍👩‍👦‍👦 If generations of pilots hadn't been able to have a family, we'd know about it. Once again, with organization and understanding in your relationship, anything is possible.

Do I need to have flight hours? 🛫 It's not a prerequisite for the AF Cadet and Enac selections, but having taken the controls of an aircraft is a way of testing your motivation for the profession. It can be stressful for some, as well as making you realize that it's not for you. Take an introductory flight at your nearest flying club. This first step will be an unforgettable experience and the trigger for your motivation. The other option is to take a glider flight, which is less expensive and even more unforgettable.

Do I have to be as healthy as Maverick? 😎 Commercial aviation is more tolerant, medical check-up criteria have evolved in recent years. An airline pilot must have a Class 1 medical license issued by a CEMPN (Centre d'Expertise Médicale du Personnel Navigant) with comprehensive examinations in many fields. A general aviation pilot must have a Class 2 issued by approved doctors. If you're in any doubt about a medical issue, Class 2 doctors are a good place to start. Don't rely on preconceived ideas until you've had the advice of an aeronautical medical officer. A healthy lifestyle will be your trump card for a long career. Quality sleep, regular physical activity, a healthy diet, little alcohol and no smoking.

He forgot to wear his helmet again

Will I have enough time to prepare for the selection process? 🏋️‍♀️ A good economic climate and a successful selection process can lead you to this job in 2 years, but the opposite is also possible! You need to be mentally prepared for the long road ahead. It's both a long-term process (which you start here by asking yourself the right questions) and a short-term process as the selection approach.

It's hiring now, but will it be hiring in 2 years? 📈 History has shown that cyclical crises affect aviation. So there will be other crises. The question is when and how. Like every decision, your career decision involves risks, it's up to you to assess whether you're ready to take them.

Am I too old to consider retraining? 👨🏻‍🦳 There is no age limit for considering a career change. Of course, it may seem more complicated if you're older, but it's not impossible.

Pawtrait mode

Do I need to be bilingual? 🇬🇧 English will always be an asset in your selection and in your job. So yes, start improving it as soon as possible by listening and practicing regularly.

And for French companies, is French essential? Yes.

How can I understand the licenses I need to obtain? 📚At first glance it seems complex, but don't worry, all training centers follow the same training process for these licenses in roughly this order:

ATPL Theory: all the theoretical knowledge you need to acquire to become an airline pilot. 14 certificates in all fields (weather, navigation, air law, etc.).

CPL: Commercial Pilot Licence, the licence that authorizes you to fly an aircraft and be paid for it.

IR: Instrument Rated. The license that allows you to fly by instrument, in more demanding weather conditions.

IR-ME: the same thing, but on a twin-engine aircraft.

UPRT: Upset Recovery Training. How to recover an aircraft from a perilous situation.

MCC: Multi Crew Cooperation, which teaches you how to work as 2 people in a cockpit.

FCL055: English language skills.

In conclusion, pilot training can be extremely fast if you give yourself the means. Allow 9 months to a year for the theory and to obtain the theoretical ATPL certificates, and around 2 years to build up your hours and obtain CPL / IRME / MCC. So it can all happen very quickly if you invest a lot of time and effort. You wake up aviation, you breathe aviation and you eat aviation.

Details of the various selections and training centers will be given in the next blog. Stay tuned!

Bonus question:

Is this a good situation pilot? 👁️‍🗨️ I don't think there are any good or bad situations. Flying is first and foremost about the encounters that forge a destiny... When you've got a taste for a job well done, the right gesture, the right landing, sometimes you find the captain or the fist officer sitting next to you, helping you on your way like a mirror.