2 answers
Tyler
Student
Durban North, KZN
1
Question
Asked
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How old do I have to be to be the manager of my own airline?
I want to start my own airline and become a pilot at the same time in South Africa
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2 answers
Wayne Johnson
Maintenance Programs at Alaska Airlines
59
Answers
Auburn, Washington
Updated
Wayne’s Answer
Tyler I am not able to give you an answer since I don't know the regulations in your country. But I can make a few suggestions:
1. You will need to decide what type of "airline" business you want to start, i.e.
I would contact your Local Civil Aviation Authority and get some information from them. You can find information on the following Web Page:
https://www.caa.co.za
A. A small "charter" type business.
B. A small "flight seeing" business.
C. A Scheduled Airline Service like United, Delta, etc (these have the most regulations and the most expensive to start).
D. A Small commuter airline (in the United States these are aircraft that carry less than 20 passengers, (cheaper to start).
2. For a Pilots License, use you favorite search site and just type in "South Africa Flight Schools" Here is the web site for a school in
Johannesburg: http://jsf.co.za/Default.asp
3. The one thing you should consider before getting a pilots license, is the quality of your health. If you cannot pass a physical then you cannot fly.
In the United States, you are required to be tested at different intervals depending on the level of your Pilots License. The Airline Transport
Pilot has a physical every 6 months. A Commercial Pilot is every 12 Months. A Private Pilot is every 2 years.
Hope this gives you some thought to get you started.
Regards, Wayne
1. You will need to decide what type of "airline" business you want to start, i.e.
I would contact your Local Civil Aviation Authority and get some information from them. You can find information on the following Web Page:
https://www.caa.co.za
A. A small "charter" type business.
B. A small "flight seeing" business.
C. A Scheduled Airline Service like United, Delta, etc (these have the most regulations and the most expensive to start).
D. A Small commuter airline (in the United States these are aircraft that carry less than 20 passengers, (cheaper to start).
2. For a Pilots License, use you favorite search site and just type in "South Africa Flight Schools" Here is the web site for a school in
Johannesburg: http://jsf.co.za/Default.asp
3. The one thing you should consider before getting a pilots license, is the quality of your health. If you cannot pass a physical then you cannot fly.
In the United States, you are required to be tested at different intervals depending on the level of your Pilots License. The Airline Transport
Pilot has a physical every 6 months. A Commercial Pilot is every 12 Months. A Private Pilot is every 2 years.
Hope this gives you some thought to get you started.
Regards, Wayne
Dr Fisch
Flight Attendant
19
Answers
Denver, Colorado
Updated
Dr’s Answer
I hope you don't take this the wrong way, but instead of asking how old you need to me, it would be more useful to ask what skills, knowledge and connections you may need to start an airline or become a pilot. I say this because age is a technical and somewhat trivial requirement. What really matters are the skills, knowledge and connections you must have to realize these dreams.
To fly an airplane, you'll start with building your knowledge in a flight school, mostly though reading manuals and understanding how planes work. When ready, you'll develop hands-on skills by doing many flights inside a realistic simulator, that makes it seems like you're actually flying a plane. Then, the next step of course is actually flying a plane. You'll generally need to clock in 100s if not 1000s of hours of flying before being ready to work as a pilot. All of this takes many years (and much money), which is another reason not to worry about age.
To manage an airline, you need the knowledge and skills for that as well. In business school, or at least with a business degree, you can learn about managing and running a business. But nothing beats the real thing. The best way to learn to manage is by getting experience in the field and work with other managers. If you work for an airline, you will see how things are done. You can learn from your managers there and perhaps even move up the ranks and take on some managerial positions to get real world experience. It highly recommended that you work at an airline first and see how things are done behind the scenes so when you start your own airline you'll have greater insight into what works and what doesn't.
Lastly, I would suggest you focus on one of those goals at a time. Perhaps see where you can make the most progress first. It's great to dream big. I wish you much success!
To fly an airplane, you'll start with building your knowledge in a flight school, mostly though reading manuals and understanding how planes work. When ready, you'll develop hands-on skills by doing many flights inside a realistic simulator, that makes it seems like you're actually flying a plane. Then, the next step of course is actually flying a plane. You'll generally need to clock in 100s if not 1000s of hours of flying before being ready to work as a pilot. All of this takes many years (and much money), which is another reason not to worry about age.
To manage an airline, you need the knowledge and skills for that as well. In business school, or at least with a business degree, you can learn about managing and running a business. But nothing beats the real thing. The best way to learn to manage is by getting experience in the field and work with other managers. If you work for an airline, you will see how things are done. You can learn from your managers there and perhaps even move up the ranks and take on some managerial positions to get real world experience. It highly recommended that you work at an airline first and see how things are done behind the scenes so when you start your own airline you'll have greater insight into what works and what doesn't.
Lastly, I would suggest you focus on one of those goals at a time. Perhaps see where you can make the most progress first. It's great to dream big. I wish you much success!