Colorado Technical University

Boeing 747 Captain Career?

Okay, I'm 13 and I've been flying since I was 12. I fly a 1974 Cessna 172, and I currently have around 28 (most likely more) hours. My dream is to grow up and fly a 747. I've always wanted to be a pilot, and people say "well your mind will change a thousand times by the time you grow up", but that's not me! Flying, flying, flying. It's literally all I think about. I've read a few questions and this question really applies to skipper747. Others can answer too, just saying. Okay, so I want to ask what I need to do for college. Here is my plan so far. 16 - Student Pilots License (First Solo) -- I will be getting a 1998 (my birth year) Cessna 172R for my birthday. 17 - Private Pilots License, CFI, CFII, Multi-Engine Land 18 - Enroll into Liberty University in Lynchburg, VA for their Corporate/Commercial School of Aeronautics. While i'm in Liberty, I'll be taking Air Force ROTC Classes at UVa (University of Virginia) 19 & 20 - I'll be continuing the AF:ROTC Classes and the LU Classes, along with flying my private aircraft. 21 - Graduating from LU (CPL), Go into Air Force (I would like more information on how to do this) 22-28 - I would like to fly C5s or C17 (They are retiring the C5s, so i'll probably be flying the C17). So here's where the questions come in. What is involved in learning how to fly the C17s. I would have already had around 350 hours coming out of College into the USAF, so what is left to do to get to the C17. Could I just request them? Or do I come straight out going through training to work myself up. Will they pick my aircraft for me? I'm very confused on the AF part of it too. I was told you almost have to go into the AF in order to be a pilot of like a 737 up, for example. 28 - I would be out of the Air Force at this time, so I would probably have my ATP, and I guess around 3,500 or more hours. My plan is that when I apply for the airlines, I would have been flying a C17, not an F16 (where I would be making exotic turns, etc.), so that would be more like a 747 and they would hire me and put me on a 747. How does this work? Will I have to be certified for the 747? (I guess I have to be, but how much trouble is that?). Just please improve/delete anything in my plan. I really need help. If your a pilot (or was) in INTERNATIONAL Commercial Flying, tell me what you did! IF you would like to know more about the LU Major i'll be taking then there's a link below. Sorry if I'm confusing, i'm very confused myself. Thanks for all your help! -Ryan F. Link for course: http://www.liberty.edu/academics/arts-sciences/aeronautics/index.cfm?PID=23236 Remember, i'm only 13, so I don't understand a lot about college. Could I major in Corporate/Commercial Aviation and Minor in Aviation Maintenance? Search their website to learn more about the whole LU School of Aeronautics.

Public Comments

1. You won't start your commercial career on a 747. Those run the highly coveted international routes that people really like to work. If you can even get hired on at a major airline, not a regional, you'll start on smaller commuter routes to get your hours up. Once you show that you are reliable and know what you are doing, you can move up to a better route when seniority allows, and get a better intra-US or possible international route.
2. In the airforce the highest-rated Pilot Canidate will get the 1st pick.The Air Force may say,''We need 2 C-17 pilots and 3 C-130 pilots.'' If you do good and be spot on they will ask you first which aircraft you want.You then pick C17 and they place you in a AirLift Squadron.When you retire you may apply for a major airline,they will look at your past experience and give you a specific route.Remember there are a lot of Longhaul Aircraft A340,B747,and even the A380(mostly for the senior captains)
3. The chances of you getting hired by a major airline before age 34 is very low. As a military pilot, that would be the earliest possible age you'd be eligible to become a civilian. That's 20 years from now. There probably won't be many (if any) B747's flying by that time, and certainly not by the time you'd have a chance to become a captain on one around age 45-50 or so.
4. A 1998 cessna 172R. Ive flown that before.
5. sorry almost impossible there are a hundred pilots after every job and as the other guy says airforce pilots always have the pick, by the time you are eligible most planes will be carbon fiber and they will be breaking up due to early fatigue, they have already found cracks in the wings of all the airbus 380 super jumbos and none of those is over two years old