Is now a good time to start pilot training?

You will probably always be able to find flying schools stating “now is a good time to start becoming a pilot”. In reality it is hard to tell as it usually takes about two years to become a pilot. What you are trying to predict is what the Aviation Industry looks like, 2 years in the future. 2 years is a long time in Aviation, where chances sometimes happen overnight. 

Let’s try to look at it. The media will from time to time bring stories about the “lack of pilots”. For as long as we can remember, every time there is a talk about lack of pilots, it is not a lack of inexperienced pilots. It has always been a lack of experienced pilots. It would seem highly unlikely that there will be a lack of pilots in general.

How bad aviation and the economy is going to suffer is of course hard to predict. When you commence your pilot training it is likely to be guesswork.

Timing wise it could be a gamble that pays off, if you started your training when Aviation was at rock bottom. In that way, maybe Aviation would have bounced back (while you have been training) and you would be newly graduated just as the Aviation industry starts picking up again. It may all sound like wise words, but just remember who is whispering wisdom in your ears.

So what could be good advice to someone who dreams about becoming a pilot 

The overall message is not “don’t become a pilot” but if you do decide to become a pilot, be prepared to graduate in a time where it will be hard to get a pilot job. If you have kept your training cost low and you have some reserves, you may be able to take a pilot job that does not pay that well. Or maybe even one of the “pay to fly” options. Generally don’t be too afraid of starting pilot training a little later in life, after you have had some experience in another industry. Or it could be you have another degree before becoming a pilot.  Generally, Airlines are interested in a mix of age and experience, so that their pilot workforce is not retiring at the same time. The down side with waiting until you are a little older, is that with age it can be a little more difficult to learn new things. Also if you have started a family it may be difficult to suddenly going back to becoming a student again. 

When it comes to timing when to start your pilot training, here is some advice

Start to monitor when airlines are starting to hire pilots and use that as an indication of when the Aviation industry starts to recover.

Follow the news! Pay particular attention to anything about how the world economy is doing and news about travelling.

General advice about becoming a pilot

• Trust no guarantees and remember that flying schools want you to become a pilot, so some schools will be trying to present the industry very positively, to get your money.
• Be prepared to fight for getting a job. Network, being able to sell yourself, timing and luck – has been some of the most important factors when it comes to getting a job as a pilot.
• Have a plan B. Have a degree or experience to fall back onto, if you graduate and there are no pilot jobs around.
• Save as much money you can before you start your pilot training, so you have to borrow less. That will give you a better chance of being able to accept a pilot job that pays next to nothing or even pay to fly schemes.
• Think about why you want to become a pilot. Do some research to figure out if your dreams are realistic.
• Ask yourself that if terms and conditions for pilots got worse would you still like to become a pilot?
• Try to figure out what kind of pilot you want to become. What kind of flying would you like to do in your career? Once you know that, it might be easier to consider integrated vs modular training and training abroad.

Getting non-biased information and planning becoming a pilot can be difficult. For anyone who considers becoming a pilot, we can recommend reading our book “how do I become a pilot”.

Also, you are welcome to get in touch. We are happy to listen and we would like to try and help.

Happy landings,

Ask A Pilot