Module 02
The path is a ladder with missing rungs
Every stage below has a published minimum and a realistic median. Plan against the median, and assume at least one external shock — a hiring freeze, a medical scare, a move — will stretch it.
- 01
Student & Private
Duration · 6–18 months
Income · You pay
Weather cancellations, instructor turnover and maintenance downtime will double your calendar estimate. Flying twice a week is the cheapest schedule — once a week means paying to relearn.
- 02
Instrument & Commercial
Duration · 12–24 months
Income · You pay
The long middle. Motivation dips hardest here because the milestones are far apart and the spending never stops. Track hours, not feelings.
- 03
Instructing / Banner / Survey / Pipeline
Duration · 12–24 months
Income · $28k–$55k
First paid flying. You go from 250 hours to the 1,500 needed for an ATP. Lean years, but every hour is now earning instead of costing.
- 04
Regional / Feeder Airline
Duration · 2–6 years
Income · $70k–$110k first year
Reserve lines, commuting, holidays away from home. Seniority — not skill — now controls your schedule, your base and your life.
- 05
Cargo, Corporate, or Major
Duration · Year 8+
Income · $150k–$400k+
Non-linear by nature. Hiring waves, furloughs and mergers can reset your seniority. Pilots who make it plan for two or three cycles, not one straight line.
Why it's non-linear
- Seniority resets. Change airlines and you start at the bottom of the list again, whatever your hours.
- Hiring runs in waves. Entering in a boom versus a bust can shift your career by five years for identical skill.
- Medicals expire. A Class 1 is a renewable permission, not a possession.
- Sideways is normal. Cargo, corporate, Part 135 and government flying are destinations, not consolation prizes.