# data[].attributes.body
they transport civilization place at a quit speed
life
business traveling
emergencies

# data[].attributes.body
Major airlines
Regional airlines
Corporate and Business Avitaon
Cargo Pilot

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Most of Epic's graduates, like those pictured here, become airline pilots. However, there are many types of pilot careers.

Have you been thinking about starting a rewarding career as a professional pilot? With the growing worldwide pilot shortage, choosing a pilot career is smarter than ever.

There is an old saying: "If you do what you love, you will never work a day in your life." How would you feel if your office or work place was located in the cockpit of an airplane, turbo prop, small jet, airline jumbo jet, or any other type of aircraft while being thousands of feet up in the air? That is the ultimate feeling of flying and freedom. Not only that, pilot salaries have been soaring, too.

If you have ever wanted to learn to fly and become a professional pilot, now may be the perfect time to do so. There is a substantial need for many different types of certified professional pilots, from commercial airline pilots to more unusual pilot careers.
If you are interested in earning a pilot certificate, there are a few questions you need to be asking yourself:

Do you know what type of pilot you would like to be?

Do you know about the type of pilot license you will need for your particular pilot career path?

Have you ever researched the many different types of pilot jobs and pilot careers that are currently available for FAA certified pilots?

Pilot Career Options

We created this brief list on some of the more popular and well known pilot career options that are available for certified pilots.

1. Major Airlines - Become a commercial airline transport pilot and fly all over the world for major airlines. There are more than 5,000 airlines worldwide, and with pilots retiring in record numbers, this remains the number one career for pilots.

2. Regional Airlines - Become a domestic commercial airline pilot for a regional airline carrier. Many pilots prefer this, because it requires fewer overnight trips and keeps them closer to home.

3. Corporate and Business Aviation - This type of commercial pilot usually gets to fly smaller, high-end, corporate jets and turboprops for corporations, businesses, and even for the rich and famous.

4. Cargo Pilot - A cargo pilot delivers parcels and packages for small and large cargo companies such as FedEx and UPS.

5. Charter Pilot and Air Taxi - A charter pilot is basically a pilot that flies people to specific destinations, hence the name "Air Taxi." You can operate your own private charter company or work for a large number of other charter airlines.

6. Ferry Pilot and Aircraft Salesmen Pilot - This type of pilot delivers newly purchased aircraft to the new owner's destination. With plane manufacturing at an all-time high, this is a growing area.

7. Flight Instructor - Also known as a CFI, or certified flight instructor. This type of pilot career allows you to teach aspiring pilots, new pilots, and veteran pilots on the intricacies of flying. CFIs can teach at flight schools, operate as private instructors, teach at aviation colleges, teach at airlines, and much more.

8. Medical and Air Ambulance Pilot - Also known as EMR pilots, these types of pilots fly for various medical situations. They fly for extreme emergency situations, life flight, organ deliveries, non-emergency patient transport, etc.

9. Government Service Pilot - Government pilot careers allow a pilot to fly for the many different agencies for the federal government. Some examples of agencies that hire pilots - FAA, DEA, FBI, Homeland Security, Border Patrol, National Guard, Coast Guard, Transport, and more.

10. Law Enforcement Pilot - Just about every arm of law enforcement employs pilots to fly helicopters, airplanes, and jets. Local, state, and federal pilot careers are available to those who qualify and can pass the rigorous background screening processes.

11. Military Pilot - We already know what military pilots have to do as part of their job description, but keep in mind that not all military pilots are directly commissioned for combat. Military pilots get to fly the latest state-of-the-art aircraft, get paid to train, accumulate flight hours towards their civilian-rated pilot licenses, and get paid while on active duty upon completion of their advanced pilot training.

12. Fire Fighting Pilot - Pilots can get paid to fly aircraft to put out fires. This type of pilot career is very dangerous, work is sporadic, and it takes extremely knowledgeable and experienced pilots to get the job done as safely as possible. Some pilots will work as fire fighting pilots along with having another job as a pilot, such as a CFI, private charter, or commercial pilot.

13. Agricultural Pilot - Also known as an AG Pilot or crop duster, these pilots get paid to fly and release chemicals over farmland. These types of pilots are sometimes hired by local governments to assist with spraying chemicals for pest and weed control.

14. Banner Towing Pilot - This type of pilot career can best be defined as "low and slow," meaning you will be flying low to the ground and at slow speeds while towing advertisement banners.

15. Media and Patrol Pilot - This type of pilot usually flies around reporting on traffic, police pursuits, aerial surveillance, news media, etc.

16. Air Tour Pilot - This type of pilot career basically takes people on flights to tour different tourist sites, attractions, and other popular destinations.

17. Airshow Stunt Pilot - Definitely one of the more riskier pilot careers, this type of pilot performs aerial acrobatics for large crowds at events and venues, performs in competitions, and sometimes this classification of pilot also competes in aerial races.

18. Contract Pilot - You can start your own pilot business and work freelance on a per contract basis. This means you will have to go out and find opportunities to bid on. Businesses, corporations, and governments all have a need for private contract pilots.

19. Test Pilot - That's right, you can be a "crash test dummy" of the skies - without the crashing. This type of pilot career covers a lot of different sectors as you could be testing aircraft for aircraft manufacturers, private businesses, the military, federal government, and other aviation related businesses that may need test pilots.

20. Astronauts and Space Pilot - With recent aviation and aerospace technological breakthroughs, there will be a growing need for space-trained pilots in the next several years that are qualified to take commercialized commuter flights into outer space with civilian and non-civilian passengers on board.

21. Drone Pilot - A drone pilot is the newest type of pilot career on the horizon, and it is anyone's guess how this field will expand. Currently, this field of unmanned aircraft is on the rise with regard to pay as new uses are being applied with everything from real estate (bird's-eye views of properties) to law enforcement (searching for lost people in dangerous terrain) to tourism (looking inside an active volcano).

Which pilot careers grabbed your attention?

After reviewing just a few of the many types of pilot careers listed here, have any of them caught your eye? Once you have an idea on which type of pilot career path you would like to follow, your next steps will be to find out which type of pilot license or pilot certificate you will need in order to be able to work in your chosen pilot career. Perhaps you are already interested in working for a particular airline. Once you know what career path you want to follow, the only thing left to do is to pursue your training and pursue your dream job!

About Our Flight School

Epic Flight Academy is an FAA/EASA certified flight school located at the Jack Bolt Municipal Airport in New Smyrna Beach, Florida. We have trained more than 5,300 pilots from 80+ countries over the past 18 years of operating our international flight school and boast a 99% hiring rate for our graduates. We own a fleet of 30+ new Cessna state-of-the-art pilot training aircraft and employ 60+ full time certified flight instructors. Our stellar safety record and perfect location in sunny Florida are just a few more reasons why Epic Flight Academy has proven to be one of the top international pilot training schools worldwide where students come to learn to fly.
Request Pilot Training Information!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Different Types of Pilot Careers - Epic Flight Academy

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Have you been thinking about starting a rewarding career as a professional pilot? With the growing worldwide pilot shortage, choosing a pilot career is smarter than ever. There is an old saying: "If you do what you love, you will never work a day in your life."

# data[].attributes.body
Obtain a Bachelor's Degree
Acquire Flight Experience
Obtain Licensure
Gain Professional Experience
Advance as Airline pilot

# data[].attributes.body
On December 17, 1903. Orville and Wilbur Wright capped four years of research and design efforts with a 120-foot, 12 second flight at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina-the first powered flight in a heavier-than-air machine. Prior to that, people had flown only in balloons and gliders.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
History of Aviation

On December 17, 1903, Orville and Wilbur Wright capped four years of research and design efforts with a 120-foot, 12-second flight at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina - the first powered flight in a heavier-than-air machine. Prior to that, people had flown only in balloons and gliders. The first person to fly as a passenger was Leon Delagrange, who rode with French pilot Henri Farman from a meadow outside of Paris in 1908. Charles Furnas became the first American airplane passenger when he flew with Orville Wright at Kitty Hawk later that year.

First Flights

On December 17, 1903, Orville and Wilbur Wright capped four years of research and design efforts with a 120-foot, 12-second flight at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina - the first powered flight in a heavier-than-air machine. Prior to that, people had flown only in balloons and gliders.

The first person to fly as a passenger was Leon Delagrange, who rode with French pilot Henri Farman from a meadow outside of Paris in 1908. Charles Furnas became the first American airplane passenger when he flew with Orville Wright at Kitty Hawk later that year.

The first scheduled air service began in Florida on January 1, 1914. Glenn Curtiss had designed a plane that could take off and land on water and thus could be built larger than any plane to date, because it did not need the heavy undercarriage required for landing on hard ground. Thomas Benoist, an auto parts maker, decided to build such a flying boat, or seaplane, for a service across Tampa Bay called the St. Petersburg - Tampa Air Boat Line. His first passenger was ex-St. Petersburg Mayor A.C. Pheil, who made the 18-mile trip in 23 minutes, a considerable improvement over the two-hour trip by boat. The single-plane service accommodated one passenger at a time, and the company charged a one-way fare of $5. After operating two flights a day for four months, the company folded with the end of the winter tourist season.

World War I

These and other early flights were headline events, but commercial aviation was very slow to catch on with the general public, most of whom were afraid to ride in the new flying machines. Improvements in aircraft design also were slow. However, with the advent of World War I, the military value of aircraft was quickly recognized and production increased significantly to meet the soaring demand for planes from governments on both sides of the Atlantic. Most significant was the development of more powerful motors, enabling aircraft to reach speeds of up to 130 miles per hour, more than twice the speed of pre-war aircraft. Increased power also made larger aircraft possible.

At the same time, the war was bad for commercial aviation in several respects. It focused all design and production efforts on building military aircraft. In the public's mind, flying became associated with bombing runs, surveillance and aerial dogfights. In addition, there was such a large surplus of planes at the end of the war that the demand for new production was almost nonexistent for several years - and many aircraft builders went bankrupt. Some European countries, such as Great Britain and France, nurtured commercial aviation by starting air service over the English Channel. However, nothing similar occurred in the United States, where there were no such natural obstacles isolating major cities and where railroads could transport people almost as fast as an airplane, and in considerably more comfort. The salvation of the U.S. commercial aviation industry following World War I was a government program, but one that had nothing to do with the transportation of people.

Airmail

By 1917, the U.S. government felt enough progress had been made in the development of planes to warrant something totally new - the transport of mail by air. That year, Congress appropriated $100,000 for an experimental airmail service to be conducted jointly by the Army and the Post Office between Washington and New York, with an intermediate stop in Philadelphia. The first flight left Belmont Park, Long Island for Philadelphia on May 14, 1918 and the next day continued on to Washington, where it was met by President Woodrow Wilson.

With a large number of war-surplus aircraft in hand, the Post Office set its sights on a far more ambitious goal - transcontinental air service. It opened the first segment, between Chicago and Cleveland, on May 15, 1919 and completed the air route on September 8, 1920, when the most difficult part of the route, the Rocky Mountains, was spanned. Airplanes still could not fly at night when the service first began, so the mail was handed off to trains at the end of each day. Nonetheless, by using airplanes the Post Office was able to shave 22 hours off coast-to-coast mail deliveries.

Beacons

In 1921, the Army deployed rotating beacons in a line between Columbus and Dayton, Ohio, a distance of about 80 miles. The beacons, visible to pilots at 10-second intervals, made it possible to fly the route at night.

The Post Office took over the operation of the guidance system the following year, and by the end of 1923, constructed similar beacons between Chicago and Cheyenne, Wyoming, a line later extended coast-to-coast at a cost of $550,000. Mail then could be delivered across the continent in as little as 29 hours eastbound and 34 hours westbound - prevailing winds from west to east accounted for the difference which was at least two days less than it took by train.

The Contract Air Mail Act of 1925

By the mid-1920s, the Post Office mail fleet was flying 2.5 million miles and delivering 14 million letters annually. However, the government had no intention of continuing airmail service on its own. Traditionally, the Post Office had used private companies for the transportation of mail. So, once the feasibility of airmail was firmly established and airline facilities were in place, the government moved to transfer airmail service to the private sector, by way of competitive bids. The legislative authority for the move was the Contract Air Mail Act of 1925, commonly referred to as the Kelly Act after its chief sponsor, Rep. Clyde Kelly of Pennsylvania. This was the first major step toward the creation of a private U.S. airline industry. Winners of the initial five contracts were National Air Transport (owned by the Curtiss Aeroplane Co.), Varney Air Lines, Western Air Express, Colonial Air Transport and Robertson Aircraft Corporation. National and Varney would later become important parts of United Air Lines (originally a joint venture of the Boeing Airplane Company and Pratt & Whitney). Western would merge with Transcontinental Air Transport (TAT), another Curtiss subsidiary, to form Transcontinental and Western Air (TWA). Robertson would become part of the Universal Aviation Corporation, which in turn would merge with Colonial, Southern Air Transport and others, to form American Airways, predecessor of American Airlines. Juan Trippe, one of the original partners in Colonial, later pioneered international air travel with Pan Am - a carrier he founded in 1927 to transport mail between Key West, Florida, and Havana, Cuba. Pitcairn Aviation, yet another Curtiss subsidiary that got its start transporting mail, would become Eastern Air Transport, predecessor of Eastern Air Lines.

The Morrow Board

The same year Congress passed the Contract Air Mail Act, President Calvin Coolidge appointed a board to recommend a national aviation policy (a much-sought-after goal of then Secretary of Commerce Herbert Hoover). Dwight Morrow, a senior partner in J.P. Morgan's bank, and later the father-in-law of Charles Lindbergh, was named chairman. The board heard testimony from 99 people, and on November 30, 1925, submitted its report to President Coolidge. The report was wide-ranging, but its key recommendation was that the government should set standards for civil aviation and that the standards should be set outside of the military.

The Air Commerce Act of 1926

Congress adopted the recommendations of the Morrow Board almost to the letter in the Air Commerce Act of 1926. The legislation authorized the Secretary of Commerce to designate air routes, to develop air navigation systems, to license pilots and aircraft, and to investigate accidents. The act brought the government into commercial aviation as regulator of the private airlines spawned by the Kelly Act of the previous year.

Congress also adopted the board's recommendation for airmail contracting, by amending the Kelly Act to change the method of compensation for airmail services. Instead of paying carriers a percentage of the postage paid, the government would pay them according to the weight of the mail. This simplified payments, and proved highly advantageous to the carriers, which collected $48 million from the government for the carriage of mail between 1926 and 1931.

Ford's Tin Goose

Henry Ford, the automobile manufacturer, was also among the early successful bidders for airmail contracts, winning the right, in 1925, to carry mail from Chicago to Detroit and Cleveland aboard planes his company already was using to transport spare parts for his automobile assembly plants. More importantly, he jumped into aircraft manufacturing, and in 1927, produced the Ford Trimotor, commonly referred to as the Tin Goose. It was one of the first all-metal planes, made of a new material, duralumin, which was almost as light as aluminum but twice as strong. It also was the first plane designed primarily to carry passengers rather than mail. The Ford Trimotor had 12 passenger seats; a cabin high enough for a passenger to walk down the aisle without stooping; and room for a "stewardess," or flight attendant, the first of whom were nurses, hired by United in 1930 to serve meals and assist airsick passengers. The Tin Goose's three engines made it possible to fly higher and faster (up to 130 miles per hour), and its sturdy appearance, combined with the Ford name, had a reassuring effect on the public's perception of flying. However, it was another event, in 1927, that brought unprecedented public attention to aviation and helped secure the industry's future as a major mode of transportation.

Charles Lindbergh

At 7:52 a.m. on May 20, 1927, a young pilot named Charles Lindbergh set out on an historic flight across the Atlantic Ocean, from New York to Paris. It was the first trans-Atlantic non-stop flight in an airplane, and its effect on both Lindbergh and aviation was enormous. Lindbergh became an instant American hero. Aviation became a more established industry, attracting millions of private investment dollars almost overnight, as well as the support of millions of Americans.

The pilot who sparked all of this attention had dropped out of engineering school at the University of Wisconsin to learn how to fly. He became a barnstormer, doing aerial shows across the country, and eventually joined the Robertson Aircraft Corporation, to transport mail between St. Louis and Chicago.

In planning his trans-Atlantic voyage, Lindbergh daringly decided to fly by himself, without a navigator, so he could carry more fuel. His plane, the Spirit of St. Louis, was slightly less than 28 feet in length, with a wingspan of 46 feet. It carried 450 gallons of gasoline, which comprised half its takeoff weight. There was too little room in the cramped cockpit for navigating by the stars, so Lindbergh flew by dead reckoning. He divided maps from his local library into thirty-three 100-mile segments, noting the heading he would follow as he flew each segment. When he first sighted the coast of Ireland, he was almost exactly on the route he had plotted, and he landed several hours later, with 80 gallons of fuel to spare.

Lindbergh's greatest enemy on his journey was fatigue. The trip took an exhausting 33 hours, 29 minutes and 30 seconds, but he managed to keep awake by sticking his head out the window to inhale cold air, by holding his eyelids open, and by constantly reminding himself that if he fell asleep he would perish. In addition, he had a slight instability built into his airplane that helped keep him focused and awake.

Lindbergh landed at Le Bourget Field, outside of Paris, at 10:24 p.m. Paris time on May 21. Word of his flight preceded him and a large crowd of Parisians rushed out to the airfield to see him and his little plane. There was no question about the magnitude of what he had accomplished. The Air Age had arrived.

The Watres Act and the Spoils Conference

In 1930, Postmaster General Walter Brown pushed for legislation that would have another major impact on the development of commercial aviation. Known as the Watres Act (after one of its chief sponsors, Rep. Laurence H. Watres of Pennsylvania), it authorized the Post Office to enter into longer-term contracts for airmail, with rates based on space or volume, rather than weight. In addition, the act authorized the Post Office to consolidate airmail routes, where it was in the national interest to do so. Brown believed the changes would promote larger, stronger airlines, as well as more coast-to-coast and nighttime service.

Immediately after Congress approved the act, Brown held a series of meetings in Washington to discuss the new contracts. The meetings were later dubbed the Spoils Conference because Brown gave them little publicity and directly invited only a handful of people from the larger airlines. He designated three transcontinental mail routes and made it clear that he wanted only one company operating each service rather than a number of small airlines handing the mail off to one another. His actions brought political trouble that resulted in major changes to the system two years later.

Scandal and the Air Mail Act of 1934

Following the Democratic landslide in the election of 1932, some of the smaller airlines began complaining to news reporters and politicians that they had been unfairly denied airmail contracts by Brown. One reporter discovered that a major contract had been awarded to an airline whose bid was three times higher than a rival bid from a smaller airline. Congressional hearings followed, chaired by Sen. Hugo Black of Alabama, and by 1934 the scandal had reached such proportions as to prompt President Franklin Roosevelt to cancel all mail contracts and turn mail deliveries over to the Army.

The decision was a mistake. The Army pilots were unfamiliar with the mail routes, and the weather at the time they took over the deliveries, February 1934, was terrible. There were a number of accidents as the pilots flew practice runs and began carrying the mail, leading to newspaper headlines that forced President Roosevelt to retreat from his plan only a month after he had turned the mail over to the Army

By means of the Air Mail Act of 1934, the government once again returned airmail transportation to the private sector, but it did so under a new set of rules that would have a significant impact on the industry. Bidding was structured to be more competitive, and former contract holders were not allowed to bid at all, so many companies were reorganized. The result was a more even distribution of the government's mail business and lower mail rates that forced airlines and aircraft manufacturers to pay more attention to the development of the passenger side of the business.

In another major change, the government forced the dismantling of the vertical holding companies common up to that time in the industry, sending aircraft manufacturers and airline operators (most notably Boeing, Pratt & Whitney, and United Air Lines) their separate ways. The entire industry was now reorganized and refocused.

Aircraft Innovations

For the airlines to attract passengers away from the railroads, they needed both larger and faster airplanes. They also needed safer airplanes. Accidents, such as the one in 1931 that killed Notre Dame Football Coach Knute Rockne along with six others, kept people from flying

Aircraft manufacturers responded to the challenge. There were so many improvements to aircraft in the 1930s that many believe it was the most innovative period in aviation history. Air-cooled engines replaced water-cooled engines, reducing weight and making larger and faster planes possible. Cockpit instruments also improved, with better altimeters, airspeed indicators, rate-of-climb indicators, compasses, and the introduction of artificial horizon, which showed pilots the attitude of the aircraft relative to the ground - important for flying in reduced visibility

Radio

Another development of enormous importance to aviation was radio. Aviation and radio developed almost in lock step. Marconi sent his first message across the Atlantic on the airwaves just two years before the Wright Brothers? first flight at Kitty Hawk. By World War I, some pilots were taking radios up in the air with them so they could communicate with people on the ground. The airlines followed suit after the war, using radio to transmit weather information from the ground to their pilots, so they could avoid storms

An even more significant development, however, was the realization that radio could be used as an aid to navigation when visibility was poor and visual navigation aids, such as beacons, were useless. Once technical problems were worked out, the Department of Commerce constructed 83 radio beacons across the country. They became fully operational in 1932, automatically transmitting directional beams, or tracks, that pilots could follow to their destination. Marker beacons came next, allowing pilots to locate airports in poor visibility. The first air traffic control tower was established in 1935 at what is now Newark International Airport in New Jersey

The First Modern Airliners

Boeing built what generally is considered the first modern passenger airliner, the Boeing 247. It was unveiled in 1933, and United Air Lines promptly bought 60 of them. Based on a low-wing, twin-engine bomber with retractable landing gear built for the military, the 247 accommodated 10 passengers and cruised at 155 miles per hour. Its cabin was insulated, to reduce engine noise levels inside the plane, and it featured such amenities as upholstered seats and a hot water heater to make flying more comfortable to passengers. Eventually, Boeing also gave the 247 variable-pitch propellers, that reduced takeoff distances, increased the rate of climb, and boosted cruising speeds

Not to be outdone by United, TWA went searching for an alternative to the 247 and eventually found what it wanted from the Douglas Aircraft Company. Its DC-1 incorporated Boeing's innovations and improved upon many of them. The DC-1 had a more powerful engine and accommodations for two more passengers than did the 247. More importantly, the airframe was designed so that the skin of the aircraft bore most of the stress on the plane during flight. There was no interior skeleton of metal spars, thus giving passengers more room than they had in the 247.The DC-1 also was easier to fly. It was equipped with the first automatic pilot and the first efficient wing flaps, for added lift during takeoff. However, for all its advancements, only one DC-1 was ever built. Douglas decided almost immediately to alter its design, adding 18 inches to its length so it could accommodate two more passengers. The new, longer version was called the DC-2 and it was a big success, but the best was still to come

The DC-3

Called the plane that changed the world, the DC-3 was the first aircraft to enable airlines to make money carrying passengers. As a result, it quickly became the dominant aircraft in the United States, following its debut in 1936 with American Airlines (which played a key role in its design).

The DC-3 had 50 percent greater passenger capacity than the DC-2 (21 seats versus 14), yet cost only ten percent more to operate. It also was considered a safer plane, built of an aluminum alloy stronger than materials previously used in aircraft construction. It had more powerful engines (1,000 horsepower versus 710 horsepower for the DC-2), and it could travel coast to coast in only 16 hours - a fast trip for that time.

Another important improvement was the use of a hydraulic pump to lower and raise the landing gear. This freed pilots from having to crank the gear up and down during takeoffs and landings. For greater passenger comfort, the DC-3 had a noise-deadening plastic insulation, and seats set in rubber to minimize vibrations. It was a fantastically popular airplane, and it helped attract many new travelers to flying.

Pressurized Cabins

Although planes such as the Boeing 247 and the DC-3 represented significant advances in aircraft design, they had a major drawback. They could fly no higher than 10,000 feet, because people became dizzy and even fainted, due to the reduced levels of oxygen at higher altitudes.

The airlines wanted to fly higher, to get above the air turbulence and storms common at lower altitudes. Motion sickness was a problem for many airline passengers, and an inhibiting factor to the industry's growth.

The breakthrough came at Boeing with the Stratoliner, a derivation of the B-17 bomber introduced in 1940 and first flown by TWA. It was the first pressurized aircraft, meaning that air was pumped into the aircraft as it gained altitude to maintain an atmosphere inside the cabin similar to the atmosphere that occurs naturally at lower altitudes. With its regulated air compressor, the 33-seat Stratoliner could fly as high as 20,000 feet and reach speeds of 200 miles per hour.

The Civil Aeronautics Act of 1938

Government decisions continued to prove as important to aviation's future as technological breakthroughs, and one of the most important aviation bills ever enacted by Congress was the Civil Aeronautics Act of 1938. Until that time, numerous government agencies and departments had a hand in aviation policy. Airlines sometimes were pushed and pulled in several directions, and there was no central agency working for the long-term development of the industry. All the airlines had been losing money, since the postal reforms in 1934 significantly reduced the amount they were paid for carrying the mail.

The airlines wanted more rationalized government regulation, through an independent agency, and the Civil Aeronautics Act gave them what they needed. It created the Civil Aeronautics Authority (CAA) and gave the new agency power to regulate airline fares, airmail rates, interline agreements, mergers and routes. Its mission was to preserve order in the industry, holding rates to reasonable levels while, at the same time nurturing the still financially-shaky airline industry, thereby encouraging the development of commercial air transportation.

Congress created a separate agency - the Air Safety Board - to investigate accidents. In 1940, however, President Roosevelt convinced Congress to transfer the accident investigation function to the CAA, which was then renamed the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB). These moves, coupled with the tremendous progress made on the technological side, put the industry on the road to success.

World War II

Aviation had an enormous impact on the course of World War II and the war had just as significant an impact on aviation. There were fewer than 300 air transport aircraft in the United States when Hitler marched into Poland in 1939. By the end of the war, U.S. aircraft manufacturers were producing 50,000 planes a year.

Most of the planes, of course, were fighters and bombers, but the importance of air transports to the war effort quickly became apparent as well. Throughout the war, the airlines provided much needed airlift to keep troops and supplies moving, to the front and throughout the production chain back home. For the first time in their history, the airlines had far more business - for passengers as well as freight - than they could handle. Many of them also had opportunities to pioneer new routes, gaining an exposure that would give them a decidedly broader outlook at war's end.

While there were numerous advances in U.S. aircraft design during the war, that enabled planes to go faster, higher, and farther than ever before, mass production was the chief goal of the United States. The major innovations of the wartime period - radar and jet engines - occurred in Europe.

The Jet Engine

Isaac Newton was the first to theorize, in the 18th century, that a rearward-channeled explosion could propel a machine forward at a great rate of speed. However, no one found a practical application for the theory until Frank Whittle, a British pilot, designed the first jet engine in 1930. Even then, widespread skepticism about the commercial viability of a jet prevented Whittle's design from being tested for several years.

The Germans were the first to build and test a jet aircraft. Based on a design by Hans von Ohain, a student whose work was independent of Whittle's, it flew in 1939, although not as well as the Germans had hoped. It would take another five years for German scientists to perfect the design, by which time it was, fortunately, too late to affect the outcome of the war.

Whittle also improved his jet engine during the war, and in 1942 he shipped an engine prototype to General Electric in the United States. America's first jet plane - the Bell P-59 - was built the following year.

Radar

Another technological development with a much greater impact on the war's outcome (and later on commercial aviation) was radar. British scientists had been working on a device that could give them early warning of approaching enemy aircraft even before the war began, and by 1940 Britain had a line of radar transceivers along its east coast that could detect German aircraft the moment they took off from the Continent. British scientists also perfected the cathode ray oscilloscope, which produced map-type outlines of surrounding countryside and showed aircraft as a pulsing light. Americans, meanwhile, found a way to distinguish between enemy aircraft and allied aircraft by installing transponders aboard the latter that signaled their identity to radar operators.

Dawn of the Jet Age

Aviation was poised to advance rapidly following the war, in large part because of the development of jets, but there still were significant problems to overcome. In 1952, a 36-seat British-made jet, the Comet, flew from London to Johannesburg, South Africa, at speeds as high as 500 miles per hour. Two years later, the Comet's career ended abruptly following two back-to-back accidents in which the fuselage burst apart during flight - the result of metal fatigue.

The Cold War between the Soviet Union and the United States, following World War II, helped secure the funding needed to solve such problems and advance the jet's development. Most of the breakthroughs related to military aircraft that later were applied to the commercial sector. For example, Boeing employed a swept-back wing design for its B-47 and B-52 bombers to reduce drag and increase speed. Later, the design was incorporated into commercial jets, making them faster and thus more attractive to passengers. The best example of military - civilian technology transfer was the jet tanker Boeing designed for the Air Force to refuel bombers in flight. The tanker, the KC-135, was a huge success as a military plane, but even more successful when revamped and introduced, in 1958, as the first U.S. passenger jet, the Boeing 707. With a length of 125 feet and four engines with 17,000 pounds of thrust each, the 707 could carry up to 181 passengers and travel at speeds of 550 miles per hour. Its engines proved more reliable than piston-driven engines - producing less vibration, putting less stress on the plane's airframe and reducing maintenance expenses. They also burned kerosene, which cost half as much as the high-octane gasoline used in more traditional planes. With the 707, first ordered and operated by Pan Am, all questions about the commercial feasibility of jets were answered. The Jet Age had arrived, and other airlines soon were lining up to buy the new aircraft.

The Federal Aviation Act of 1958

Following World War II, air travel soared, but with the industry's growth came new problems. In 1956 two aircraft collided over the Grand Canyon, killing 128 people. The skies were getting too crowded for existing systems of aircraft separation, and Congress responded by passing the Federal Aviation Act of 1958.

The legislation created a new safety regulatory agency, the Federal Aviation Agency, later called the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) when Congress created the Department of Transportation (DOT) in 1967. The agency was charged with establishing and running a broad air traffic control system, to maintain safe separation of all commercial aircraft through all phases of flight. In addition, it assumed jurisdiction over all other aviation safety matters, such as the certification of aircraft designs, and airline training and maintenance programs. The Civil Aeronautics Board retained jurisdiction over economic matters, such as airline routes and rates.

Wide-bodies and Supersonics

1969 marked the debut of another revolutionary aircraft, the Boeing 747, which, again, Pan Am was the first to purchase and fly in commercial service. It was the first wide-body jet, with two aisles, a distinctive upper deck over the front section of the fuselage, and four engines. With seating for as many as 450 passengers, it was twice as big as any other Boeing jet and 80 percent bigger than the largest jet up until that time, the DC-8.

Recognizing the economies of scale to be gained from larger jets, other aircraft manufacturers quickly followed suit. Douglas built its first wide-body, the DC-10, in 1970, and only a month later, Lockheed flew its contender in the wide-body market, the L-1011. Both of these jets had three engines (one under each wing and one on the tail) and were smaller than the 747, seating about 250 passengers.

During the same period of time, efforts were underway in both the United States and Europe to build a supersonic commercial aircraft. The Soviet Union was the first to succeed, testing the Tupolev 144 in December of 1968. A consortium of West European aircraft manufacturers first flew the Concorde two months later and eventually produced a number of those fast, but small, jets for commercial service. U.S. efforts to produce a supersonic passenger jet, on the other hand, stalled in 1971 due to public concern about it's expense and the sonic boom produced by such aircraft.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
the watres act and the spoils conference

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
why did the wright brothers invent the airplane

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
On December 17, 1903, Orville and Wilbur Wright capped four years of research and design efforts with a 120-foot, 12-second flight at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina - the first powered flight in a heavier-than-air machine. Prior to that, people had flown only in balloons and gliders.

# data[].attributes.body
Airspeed Indicator
Attitude Indicator
Altimeter
Vertical Speed Indicator
Heading indicator

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Just like how musicians have their instruments, pilots have theirs, too. And you, aspiring pilot, need to know your basics. Here's an overview of what you can learn when you start your pilot classes.
Airspeed Indicator (ASI) (image source)
This instrument measures the airflow coursing around the plane while the plane is in flight, and in effect, gives a measurement or a reading of how fast the plane is moving through the sky.

There are three basic colors used in the ASI: green, yellow, and red.

Green indicates that the current speed of the aircraft is within its means. Meaning the rate of speed that the aircraft is currently experiencing is well within the limits it has been designed to do. Yellow is a cautionary color that means the aircraft is travelling at speeds beyond its design. Yellow is followed by the color red which signals a speed limit designed for the aircraft. Going beyond this speed will cause damage to the aircraft and possibly risk the lives of all on board.
Attitude Indicator (Artificial Horizon)
( image source)

Simply put, this instrument depicts the position of the aircraft in relation to the horizon. This instrument shows if the wings are level and if the plane is climbing or descending.

There will be a little airplane-looking icon that will move in the same manner that the actual airplane moves in relation to the horizon. It will dip and rise as does the aircraft with a background of either blue, depicting the sky, or brown, depicting the ground.
Altimeter
( image source)

This instrument displays the airplane's current altitude in relation to Sea Level.

The Altimeter has three hands that tell different measurements of distance the plane has at any given point. The designs in the instruments may vary depending on the plane, but the three hands measure in hundreds, thousands, and ten thousand feet.
Vertical Speed Indicator (VSI)
( image source)

The VSI measure the speed of a plane when it is vertical to the ground. This happens when a plane climbs and when a plane descends, called Rate of Climb and Rate of Descent.

Normally read alongside the Altimeter, the pilot can see if the plane is climbing or descending steadily in a steady altitude.
Heading Indicator (Direction Indicator)
( image source)

The Heading or Direction Indicator shows the complete compass view of the plane. It shows the current direction of the head of the plane as the plane moves about its flight path.

The outline of the plane is set in the middle, and turns accordingly much like a compass, around a 360 degree scale with directional markings being North, South, East, and West.
Turn Coordinator
( image source)

This device shows how much you bank, turn, or tilt the wings of the plane. It also indicates if a plane is skipping or skidding in terms of its level flight. This means that even if a plane is turning, it should still be at a certain level.

The illustration of a plane's wings will be centered if the flight is coordinated even when turning. When the plane's wings are not centered, the pilot must make adjustments to re-center the plane.

Now that you have the basic overview of what you will read on the day to day, it is time to go deeper and learn more. WCC Aviation is a flight school that has the facilities for you to expand your knowledge of piloting and will give you the fundamentals to become the best pilot you'll ever be! Visit their site at: https://www.wccaviation.com/

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
The First Six: The Basic Instruments Pilots Use When Flying - WCC Aviation

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Just like how musicians have their instruments, pilots have theirs, too. And you, aspiring pilot, need to know your basics. Here's an overview of what you can learn when you start your pilot classes.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Airline Pilot Salary: Comprehensive Breakdown & Industry Comparison

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
How much do pilots make? An airline pilot’s salary depends on many factors, and we give you the long and short answer to this question.

# data[].attributes.body
It depends on what airline you work for because different airlines get you different money.  For example pilots working for major airlines get paid $300,000. Not so major airlines you would only get $150,000.

# data[].attributes.body
1.Pilots may spend long periods of time away from  home. To keep their loved ones close, they'll often keep photos of their family or spouses in the inside lining of their hat.
2.The captain is allowed to arrest people, as well as write fines! and even take the will of a dying passenger.
3. Pilots are sent back into the simulator at least every eight months to renew their license; every six months for those who command who command the Boeing 777.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.authors[].name
Елена Владимирова

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
10 Interesting facts about pilots that you may not know

# data[].attributes.body
Angelina Jolie
Dierks Bentley
Tim Mcgraw
Harrison Ford
Clint Eastwood
Kurt Russell
John Travolta
Morgan Freeman
Tom Cruise
Phil Mcgraw
Denis Quaid
Giselle Bundchen
Jimmy Buffet

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
When we are young, we dream about various career perspectives. Aviation is one of them. But what makes it great, is that everyone can become a pilot and start the career in this field. It does not matter if you are a female or a male, a celebrity or not, everyone must go through the same process and face the challenges.

Here are the 16 celebrities who are also pilots.

The actress was inspired by watching airplanes at the airport with her son.

According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Angelina did not renew her certificate that was already out of date and she was photographed flying her own Cirrus SR22 by that time. After that, she was not allowed to fly her aircraft.

The musician has a private pilot license and owns a Cirrus SR22 plane. Also, in 2015 he graduated from a private pilot school in Nashville where he received a multi-engine rating.

The singer has Cirrus SR22 with "Faith" written on the aircraft window. He expressed his aspiration for aviation: "For me, I love being up in the air, not having to think about records, not having to think about movies, not having to think about who I didn't call today, any of those things."

The actor was 52 when he started flying. He had worked with the Aircraft Owner's and Pilot's Association and now he is volunteering as a rescue pilot.

H. Ford is known for getting out of the crashes unharmed. His helicopter and vintage WWII Ryan PT-22 Recruit were both crashed by him. Another aircraft Ford owns are Citation and Waco biplane.

Actor responds about flying as the freedom. He says: "You're just a number in the sky. Everybody pretty well leaves you alone."

He thought a lot before he decided to start flying. And it took a lot of time to learn the craft. He says that: "The love of airplane for pilots, I think, is almost inexplicable. It's the experience itself. It's the fact that you can't explain it, I think, that makes you feel the way you do about it. This is something that can change your life."

He is the most famous pilot who is also a celebrity. J. Travolta started flying when he was 22. Now he has a type-rating for various aircraft. Also, owning Quantas Boeing 707, Challenger 601 and more.

The actor was a mechanic in the Air Force. But he always dreamed about flying. At the age of 65, he achieved this goal and now owns several aircraft. Also, he is the voice in AOPA media and EAA Air Venture in Oshkosh.

When he was a child, he carried a photo of P-51 and in 1994 he obtained his pilot certificate. In "Mission: Impossible" he flies the helicopter by himself.

The public figure, known as Dr. Phil is not only a show presenter but also a pilot. He has a private pilot license and instrument rating.

The actor was inspired by the movie "The Right Stuff" and in 1980's he became a pilot. He owns Beechcraft Bonanza, Cessna 421 and Citation II.

Many supermodels have hidden talents. G. Bundchen started flying in 2009 and became a pilot. Her aspiration to aviation might become her new career one day.

When he was 29 he received his private pilot license. In the website of J. Buffet, it is written that he has both single-engine and multi-engine ratings.

What is more interesting, there is a departure procedure named after him. Its name is BUFIT ONE Departure.

BUFIT ONE Departure

In the 60's he was an Army helicopter pilot and later worked as a commercial pilot at Petroleum Helicopters International (PHI). Later he decided that music career path was more for him and he left his pilot career.

Golf player flies in style. He comes to tournaments with his Gulfstream V and flies it by himself.

The actress was inspired by playing one of the most famous pilot women Amelia Earhart. She started flying while filming the movie. It is not known if she got her license but she has already piloted a plane to help her friend overcome the fear of flying.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
16 Celebrities You Never Knew Are Pilots | Aviation Blog

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
When we are young, we dream about various career perspectives. Aviation is one of them. But what makes it great, is that everyone can become a pilot and start the career in this field. It does not matter if you are a female or a male, a celebrity or not, everyone must go through the same process and face the challenges.

# data[].attributes.body
Per:2 8/31/20