The Coveted 1500 Hours

Before 2009, pilots who wanted a career as an airline pilot could easily be hired with as little as 300 hours total time in their logbooks. That all changed after the crash of a Continental Express Bombardier Q400 turboprop with the loss of all aboard while on approach to Buffalo, New York.

Following an outcry from survivors of the Q400's victims, the FAA changed the rules the airlines would need to follow to hire new crewmembers. All new Part 121 pilots - both captains and first officers - would be required to hold an Airline Transport Pilot (ATP) certificate.

Louis Smith from FAPA.aero outlined the pay scales for the airlines which makes it pretty clear why airline pilot jobs are so highly sought after.

When a pilot earns their commercial certificate, it can seem like a very, very long road to earn the remaining hours needed to qualify for an ATP certificate. Myself, I towed banner and flew night aerial advertising aircraft, flew a couple of light twins for a company.

Some pilots see flight instructing as the only way to earn this additional time. But for me and a few others, there's an adventure awaiting if they choose to make the effort.

For me, logging the needed 1500 hours included many hours of ferrying aircraft around the country as you'll hear. But my friend Tom Horne - editor-at-large - for AOPA Pilot dove headlong into aircraft ferrying in his early years.

He shares stories about his adventures traveling around the world delivering aircraft across the ocean, at night and in IFR weather ... like his longest trip from St. Johns Newfoundland, to Bangkok, Thailand.

Rob Mark, Stories about Flying