Career Path

A career as a professional pilot is a long process, characterized by hard work, continuous training, often multiple jobs in different provinces, and it is anything but a straight line. As the industry is very cyclical, the path can take as little as 6 years to get up to the 4000 hour range, but 10 years would be a much more average number. In developing the Conestoga College flight program, we endeavour to produce a graduate with a positive attitude, and an excellent work ethic; a graduate who is ready to start on a path of life-long learning.

Some excellent career-related resources are available at the following sites:

Pilot Career Centre

Pilot Career Centre is operated by a group of pilots whose goal is to provide counseling and information to aspiring and current professional pilots. Included is a list of Canadian commercial air operators and articles on what it's like to be a pilot.

The Air Transport Association of Canada's Professional Pilot Career Info Guide

The Air Transport Association of Canada (ATAC) is a group of companies at various levels of commercial aviation in Canada, and the aim of the association is to raise public awareness of issues affecting commercial aviation. The guide includes information on how to go about becoming a professional pilot, and possible jobs at various levels of the industry.