Are You A Natural Airline Pilot?

Talk to enough airline pilots and sooner or later you're going to keep hearing variations of the same story. For those dipping their toes in the waters of flight training, well, you couldn't have picked a better time to do so! There's never been so much opportunity available for qualified pilots to find challenging, lifelong careers that pay well and offer you the chance to do what you love.

So what's it like being a commercial airline pilot, you may find yourself wondering.

Well, can you think back to the moment that you decided you wanted to become a commercial airline pilot? What was it? You'll find answers ranging from kids who flew with a family member who had served in the military as a pilot to kids who watched Top Gun so many times that the tape wore out, and everything in between. But each story is passionately intense. We don't know of anyone who just fell into becoming a pilot. This is a dream come true for most pilots. If that describes you then you're in the right line of work.

Daily Life For A Professional Airplane Pilot

A lot about your day can change depending upon your route, how many hours you'll be in the air. Your typical day might begin with a check of the weather and a quick look into who you'll be flying with for the day, and then you might get to the airport an hour or two early, do all your pre-flight routines, check the aircraft and meet with the crew before wheels up.

On a really good flight, a pilot should be nearly invisible. The only reason that a passenger usually has to think about the cabin is if the plane hits weather or turbulence. An ideal flight will just seem like a relaxing rest from point A to point B. Pilots know that traveling is stressful, so they do everything they can to make sure that your trip is as pleasant as possible. Many pilots say that the best part of their job is the simple satisfaction one feels when you get a person where they need to go.

The same things that bother passengers are the same things that cause stress for pilots. Delays and other disruptions are probably the worst part of the job. The best flights are the ones where you've got a plane full of happy passengers, and sometimes fate, weather and mechanical necessity can intervene on that front.

If there's any advice that most pilots would give to prospective pilots, from what we know, it would be to chase your dreams. If you know that this is the job for you, then by all means, the only cure the hunger is to do it. You know whether you really want to become a pilot not just by how badly you want to fly for a living, but by how lost you'd feel if you had to do anything else.

Now is the perfect time to become a professional airline pilot. To get started on fixed-wing flight training, call Upper Limit Aviation at 1-855-HELIEDU.

When All Of Your Passengers Are Boxes: Working For FedEx

Cargo Delivery is A Great Option For Future Minded Pilots

If you follow aviation online, you'll read a lot about the ongoing pilot shortage. We're guilty of contributing to the hype ourselves (if you want to call what some analysts predict is a projected global need for new pilots in the neighborhood of 466,000 by 2029 'hype'). But sometimes what you'll read about the shortage of qualified pilots can focus a little much on jobs and not enough on careers. If you don't know the difference, well you probably will have to think about it soon.

No matter what field you'll go into, you'll likely have several jobs before you truly land in your career.

A job will help you gain experience working with other pilots and the other types of folks that pilots have to work with, but more importantly, a job will get you miles.

When people say that becoming a pilot is their dream job, what they really mean is that becoming a pilot is their dream career.

A career is where your life happens. It's where you form the relationships that will shape your working life, and if you're lucky, a lot of your personal life as well.

So What's it Like Spending Your Career Working As A Pilot For FedEx?

Well, for starters, a lot of people fail to realize that FedEx is actually one of the biggest airlines in the world, it's just that your passengers aren't human. They're cargo.

A FedEx pilot tends to have a greater range of motion on the plane, and may be able to walk around. You don't have to lock the door to the cockpit. You may not have to go through TSA.

FedEx has a reputation for taking care of their employees. In the better situations available to pilots, aviation generally has a family feeling, and that is present at FedEx as well.

FedEx is a company that's consistently setting profit records, which means pilots are typically well compensated. You can make Captain pretty quickly too.

Overall, FedEx is a great company to work for. The job security is a big comfort to many pilots. When other airlines are hit by an economic downturn, the shift might not necessarily hit a cargo delivery company as hard, because shipping and freight aren't necessarily the first expenses to go, like recreational and business travel may be.

There's a range of careers available to anyone interested in becoming a pilot these days. To learn more, call Upper Limit Aviation at 1-855-HELIEDU!

New Lockheed SR-72 Aircraft Is a Sight to Behold

The SR-71 Blackbird Inspired a Generation, Can The SR-72 Do The Same?

The SR-71 was one of the defining aircraft of my childhood. Flying was always just about the coolest thing you could do. I mean there was only a few options as to what you might do when you grow up, at least when I was a kid. You could become an astronaut, a fireman or a pilot. What was the point of anything else? And the crown jewel of our childhood pilot dreams was to pilot an SR-71 Blackbird. I know I'm not alone in entertaining these daydreams. Just about everybody my age that I've ever talked to about the SR-71 gets a big smile when I mention it. I wonder how many pilots were created because of that initial excitement caused by the SR-71.

Well, now Lockheed Martin has unveiled the successor to the crown of Coolest Plane Ever. And all I can say is that I hope this younger generation of future pilots falls in love with the SR-72 just like we did it's older brother.

That simple goal shouldn't be hard because not only is it one of the coolest looking planes you've ever seen, but it's also twice as fast as the 71. A lot has changed since the initial plane launched. The initial plane had a moveable nose cone and special vents that allowed it to fly at mach 3, but this new plane has basically reinvented the turbine engine in order to achieve hypersonic speeds in the mach 6 range.

The Pilots of Tomorrow Are The Dreamers of Today

The fact of the matter is that only a select few pilots in the world will ever get to fly this marvel of design and technology, but that won't stop a generation of kids from dreaming about it.

The future pilots of the world are choosing to get into flying at just the right time too. With a looming pilot shortage reshaping the entire aviation industry, there's more demand for qualified pilots than ever. Call Upper Limit Aviation at 1-855-HELIEDU to learn more

An Awesome High School Is Helping Kids Discover Aviation Industry Opportunities

The Aviation Industry Has A Whole Host of Jobs That Need To Be Filled

Being a pilot is not for everyone. Being a pilot is not even for everyone that loves planes. However, how would you know that unless you took a good hard look at the kinds of opportunities that are available to those of us in the aviation industry. Or maybe you'd like to prepare yourself to be a well rounded expert of all things aviation.

It's easy to forget that the first flight took of 110 years ago. To say a lot has changed since then would be one of the major understatements of the last 110 years.

There was a time when you had to make a decision about what your trade would be from a very young age. Whether you wanted to be a pilot or doctor or a lawyer or an entrepreneur or whatever it is that you want to do with yourself, it used to be that you had to start out early.

Increasingly though, as technology and other factors continue to bring big transformations in the ways we live and learn, we can try our hand at an increasing number of jobs before we decide what works.

If you look back on the planes your grandfather or his buddies would have flown, his experience in the cockpit would vary wildly from the technological gadgets and monitoring equipment we've got in jets today. Similarly, the way they used to build airplanes resembled the manufacturing industry at large.

More and more, manufacturing is undergoing similar transformations. Whether it's 3-d printed parts, wind tunnels or other equipment, the future of aviation is increasingly ruled by software engineers.

All this is to say that the kids of Andrews High School, and a growing number of other high schools that specialize in aviation sciences -- from flight simulators to 3-d printers -- are gaining access to the wide world of aviation at an earlier age.

We teach pilots how to fly helicopters and airplanes, but we are only one part of an aviation ecosystem that demands the best talent, so we applaud the efforts of these educators to help us build a stronger industry.

If you've made up your mind (and especially if you haven't yet made up your mind), call Upper Limit Aviation at 1-855-HELIEDU to learn more about the future of our industry.

The Pilot Shortage Goes Mainstream

The Word About Future Pilot Opportunities Is Getting Out

A recent USA Today article highlights the fact that several airlines are considering how they can keep up with demand for pilots as industry prognosticators continue to warn that there is a severe pilot shortage. We have regularly reported on the fact that a confluence of factors affecting the aviation industry is making a bigger shortage of qualified pilots than the industry is already facing into a virtual certainty. Now, it looks as though the mainstream media is catching on, as many of the airlines go public with their concerns.

We told you last month about the fact that United Airlines is planning to recall about 600 pilots who had been furloughed due to economic factors, a sure sign that the air travel industry was enjoying a tremendous recovery from recent conditions. Now comes even more exciting news from American Airlines.

American Airlines is planning to merge with US Airways, which will make the new carrier the largest airline in the world. What that means for future pilots is incredible. The company plans to hire 1,500 new pilots over the course of the next five years.

However, this massive opportunity for pilots comes at an increasingly uncertain time because of the pilot shortfall. One aviation scholar projects that over the next 20 years the aviation industry in the United States is likely to come up at least 35,000 pilots short.

Mandatory retirement at 65 coupled with increased training demands, the need for longer rest breaks between flights and the increasing appeal of pilot opportunities in emerging aviation markets such as China are just a few of the reasons that the industry is coming up so short.

Upper Limit Aviation is doing its part to help meet industry demands by consistently seeking new ways to push the envelope when it comes to pilot training. Because we have partnered with colleges, our students can come away from our training with a college degree that will open a lot of doors to their future success.

Industry trends are placing a bigger and bigger emphasis on the importance of education. Students would be well advised to choose a school like Upper Limit Aviation, where they can pursue the tandem goals of a college degree and pilot certification simultaneously.

Increasingly, airlines are creating direct pathways to careers for young pilots. JetBlue's University Gateway Program as well as several other competing programs are helping pilots secure careers through mentoring and educational parternships. This is a signal that should let all pilots know that they need to make the most of their training, which is why attending a flight training program that can offer a college degree is becoming so crucial.

The aviation business rewards excellence, which is the principle that inspires our entire training program. We strive to create opportunities for pilots, but also to serve the betterment of our industry as a whole. We believe that providing better trained pilots, who receive a top notch education in a college degree program, and get a training program that teaches beyond the minimum requirements. If we've said it once, we've said it a thousand times, but any program that emphasizes only the minimum requirements is just taking part in a race to the bottom. In an industry that demands so much of its people as aviation does, a race to the bottom is a race with no winners.

A Win-Win Situation for Tomorrow's Commercial Pilots

The pilot shortage facing the US is a big concern for domestic and international carriers alike. But because some of the effect is being caused by a global pilot shortage, meaning there is increased demand from foreign carriers for US pilots, today's aviation student are positioned to reap rewards wherever they choose to concentrate their efforts.

One of the reasons that China has been such a draw for American pilots is the fact that they have been offering many experienced pilots a quicker route to Captain, while younger pilots and older pilots alike are seeing salary offers double that which US carriers have been able to offer.

Some industry experts are suggesting that the US will become much more competitive with the global marketplace in terms of pilot salaries in the years to come.

Pilots who decide to enroll in flight training today are looking at many robust career possibilities. The expansion of the industry, due to increased global demand and the proliferation of regional carriers and budget airlines means that there are more jobs than ever for pilots. That expansion is almost guaranteed to grow exponentially.

We've been telling you for a long time about this pilot shortage. Now the word is getting out. That means the time is now if you want to have access to all the prime opportunities that will be available to qualified pilots in the months and years to come.

To learn more about the opportunities available to tomorrow's pilots, call Upper Limit Aviation at 1-855-HELIEDU.

6 Peeks Into the Bizarre Underbelly of Aviation

Things Are Getting Weird!

As a professional pilot, whether you're flying fixed-wing or flying helicopters, you're learning new things in your aircraft every day. From figuring out more efficient workflows to new routes, the types of mundane discoveries that a pilot makes, it must be said, are often only interesting to pilots. The really exciting stuff, for passengers at least, is happening right outside the windows of the aircraft.

But there's all kinds of stuff that even pilots don't know about what goes on with aircraft, just waiting to be discovered. There's certainly nothing in the training about anything you'll see covered in this post. All of this is really just an excuse to post some pretty cool material.

So while we're touching on the more eccentric end of things in this post, always remember that if you're considering becoming a professional helicopter or fixed-wing pilot, you should consider how the training at Upper Limit Aviation could get you started in one of the most exciting careers in an industry that is filled with opportunities for growth.

The AMARG, (Aerospace Maintenance And Regeneration Group) Davis-Monthan Air Base, outside Tucson, Arizona

Where do airplanes go to retire? Well, they go to what's called an aircraft boneyard. 

What you're looking at is a small portion of the airplanes housed at a facility that holds more than 4,200 retired aircraft. Actually, not all of the aircraft at AMARG are retired, some of them are being repared. But boneyard has a nicer ring to it. And in fact, that is why this facility is nicknamed The Boneyard.

It makes you kind of sad to see all those planes with nobody to fly them.

Uh Oh. This Airspace is Getting a Little Crowded!

Ok, maybe this one is cheating a bit. This is the work of video artist Cy Kuckenbaker who has created composite videos of dozens of planes taking off culled from several hours of footage captured near San Diego International Airport.

Who's to Say that Airplanes Have to Be Shaped Like Airplanes?

German designer Luigi Colani is well known for creating all kinds of forward looking industrial design concepts. His designs are typically sleek looking, with just a little bit of an 'are you sure that's an airplane sort of a feeling. This aircraft was designed as a concept for Japan Airlines. To be honest, it's unclear whether the designer ever intended for it to actually be flown, because as yet an engineer has yet to take a good whack at how the thing would work. But if you look at it from an aerodynamic point of view, I believe it could fly.

NASA released this concept along with other potential future flight solutions envisioned as being ready for the year 2025. That's not as far away as you might think.

We're guessing the plant-like plane (the designer calls it 'biodynamic') is supersonic. That makes us super-excited about it.

The Ideal Vacation Spot for a Professional Pilot

You know, it's pretty amazing what a pilot's spouse has to put up with (more on that later). I mean, pilots try to spend every single possible moment in the cockpit. Sometimes day to day life can feel like it takes a backseat to an all consuming obsession with all things flight. That's why sometimes it's healthy for the committed aviator and his or her spouse to go get away from it all on vacation... unless that vacation means staying in the Costa Verde Resort in Costa Rica, in this suite, which was built into the cabin of a converted 727.

Talk about separation anxiety!

There's No Other Way to Say It, These People Are Just Crazy

Ok, we're going to let the photo do most of the speaking here. I can't even really imagine how one person suggested this to the other person. I mean they have to both be pilots, right? Because who else would be crazy enough to do something like this? And the minister? Give me a break. Well, it's probably the most romantic, viscerally intense experience that anyone of them will ever have. So cheers to them, we guess.

Ok... The last one is a helicopter stunt that we'll let close out this post. It's another in a long line of

cool aviation events and stunts put on by Red Bull.

All we can say is that we prefer to stay in the helicopter. But that's just us, we love to fly.

Let's Just Call This What It Is: Helicopter Dive

If you'd like to get involved with helicopters or fixed-wing aircraft in a much more traditional way (as in flying them, just like god intended!), call Upper Limit Aviation at 1-855-HELIEDU.