Welcome to 2025! The new year is an exciting time, especially for pilots. There are a lot of places that your pilot career can take you in a year, making this a great time to reflect on lessons learned in 2024 and how to carry them in 2025.
A year ago, at the end of 2023, I had just finished my flight-instructor training in south Florida. With a little under 600 hours in my logbook, it was time to search for my first flying job in aviation. The process took months; despite passing my CFI/CFII/MEI checkrides in late November, I didn’t have consistent work until mid-February. It took a move from the Midwest back to Florida to pick up where I had left off.
My image of where I would be at this point is completely different from what I had originally imagined. After pursuing work at multiple flight schools, I ended up in a town I had never heard of, flying in a realm of aviation (sport pilots and aircraft) that I had never considered. Yet the opportunity ended up working out quite well, giving me access to new perspectives I hadn’t had before.
Many in the industry are in the same position I was in a year ago. With airline hiring at a fraction of what it was last summer, timelines have changed for pilots at every level, from airline pilots looking to the majors all the way down to new pilots wondering about their future in flying.
In the past year, I have learned the value of flexibility and focus. Many in the industry hope that the new year will bring an uptick, however mild it may be, in hiring that will start to open the door again for more people to get into their dream aviation jobs. From major airlines down to new instructors, more hiring at any point is helpful for new job hopefuls at all levels.
Though the path may not look as you might imagine, there is no telling what a new year has in store. As always, making connections and getting involved—with everything from cadet programs to EAA chapters and any special interest groups—will open new opportunities and possibilities to meet new people and experience new things.
Be open to paths that you did not once consider options. The best decision I made for my career this year was joining a company whose business model I wasn’t familiar with, and that specialized in a niche that at the time, I didn’t much know about. Breaking away from what was familiar and comfortable helped me advance my knowledge and skills in new ways that otherwise, I would not have had access to or even thought to consider.
Equally, as an instructor, I have had the privilege of meeting a wide range of people, from new students to professional pilots for major charter companies and Part 121 airlines. Meeting with each has provided me new experiences and insights that have helped me grow. Though once nervous to approach industry veterans, lately I have found great power and excitement from meeting with whomever will give me advice.
As I look forward to new positions and opportunities in my aviation career, I have had the privilege to mentor multiple friends and acquaintances whom I have known over the years. Many have asked whether a career in aviation is prudent and accessible to them or which steps to take to further their opportunities. To each I say that it is never a bad time to start a career in aviation. Whether as a pilot, a mechanic, a flight attendant, or otherwise, joining the industry is incredibly beneficial even for those who may feel it is too late.
I am hopeful for new experiences in 2025, and I hope each of you will also look forward to new things on the horizon this year. New years provide great potential for new opportunities. With a healthy dose of focus and attention, a year is a great span of time to boost a career.
