Ask Captain Lim

Dear Capt Lim,

I wish to thank you for your effort in setting up this website. You have motivated me to follow my dreams and I am currently considering to join a flying school to pursue my dreams.

I wonder, if after completing my flying course, will I be able to find a job in one of the major airline?

Stanley.

Hi Stanley,

The opportunities for employment as a pilot is quite good depending on where you come from. If you want to be very sure that you will get a job with a major air carrier, you must get into the Cadet Pilot Program of that particular airline. I know that Cathay Pacific Airways, Malaysia Airlines, Qantas and Singapore Airlines offer this Program to their citizens or permanent residents. It is very competitive and usually the cream is selected. The unfortunate ones will have to undertake the flying courses at their own expenses.

Whether the employment opportunities for self-sponsored pilots are good or otherwise, would depend on the current political and economical situation (such as Sept 11, SARS, etc). The aviation industry is exposed to the cycle of boom and bust of the world economies and this would consequently affect the cycles of growth and contraction of the pilot's profession. You have to be very lucky if you are not in the Cadet Pilot Program and still able to get a job as soon as you have graduated from a flying school. Unlike most other jobs where the demand are almost immediately there, pilot's employment opportunities come only, in most cases, when the 'window' is open by that particular airline. Otherwise, one, even with all the flying qualifications, may have to wait for a while before the 'window' is open again. You have to be prepared for this frustration if you really want to make flying as your future career.