“It is never too early to help your child plan a career path. Let YAA put your youth on the road to pursing a successful aviation future.”
| Pilot | Airline and Airport Operations | Aircraft and Systems Maintenance | Scientific and Technical Services | Law-Related Services | Health Services |
|---|
Preparing for an Aviation Career
This section is designed as a reference guide. The aviation related careers, provided on these web pages, are divided into aviation career groups. Each group contains a list of career titles. Each title list the minimum education and/or training required and what employer (e.g. airlines, FAA, airport) employs that career title.
Pilots
| Career Title | Education Requirements | Employer |
|---|---|---|
| Agricultural Pilot | High School diploma, special training and license | Agricultural operators, large farms |
| Air Traffic Reporting Pilot | College preferred | Radio & TV; traffic reporting companies |
| Major/National Airline Pilot | College preferred; most require a 4-year degree | Major and national airlines |
| Regional Airline Pilot | College preferred; most require a 4-year degree | Regional airlines |
| Helicopter Pilot | College preferred; most require a 4-year degree | Helicopter operators, corporate flight departments |
| Corporate Pilot | College preferred; most require a 4-year degree | Corporations/companies with flight departments |
| Air Taxi Pilot | College preferred | Fixed base operators, air taxi operators |
| Flight Instructor | High School diploma | Flight schools |
| Military Pilot | College degree | U.S. Armed Forces |
| Astronaut | Advance degree beyond college in engineering, physical science, physics or similar degree programs | NASA |
Airline and Airport Operations
| Career Title | Education Requirements | Employer |
|---|---|---|
| Airport Manager | College degree in airport management or business administration | Airports, airport authorities |
| Fixed Base Operator Manager | High School diploma; college degree sometimes preferred | Fixed base operations |
| Station Manager | High School diploma; experience preferred | Airlines |
| Scheduling Coordinator | College preferred | Airlines |
| Flight Dispatcher | Dispatcher’s license; college degree and experience preferred | Airlines |
| Air Traffic Controller | FAA training; college preferred | FAA |
| Air Taxi Pilot | College preferred | Fixed base operators, air taxi operators |
| Fire and Crash Rescue | Special training; college preferred | Medium to large airports |
Aircraft and Systems Maintenance
| Career Title | Education Requirements | Employer |
|---|---|---|
| Airframe Mechanic | High School diploma, technical training | Airlines, private companies |
| Aircraft Powerplant Mechanic | High School diploma, technical training | Airlines, private companies |
Scientific and Technical Services
| Career Title | Education Requirements | Employer |
|---|---|---|
| Engineers (Aeronautical, Aerospace, Civil, Electrical, Mechanical) | Engineering degree (Under graduate; Masters; PHD) | Aircraft manufacturers, aerospace companies, FAA, NASA |
| Meteorologist | Meteorology degree; experience preferred | National Weather Service, airlines, private weather companies |
| Architects | Architecture degree | Airports, architecture firms |
| Technicians (Electronic, Radar, Navigation) | High School diploma, technical training | FAA, independent contractors |
Law-Related Services
| Career Title | Education Requirements | Employer |
|---|---|---|
| Aviation Attorney | Law degree | FAA, airlines, government, private law firms |
| Sky Marshal | High School diploma, police academy, law enforcement experience | FAA |
| Drug Enforcement | College degree, special training, experience preferred | Drug Enforcement Administration |
| Custom Agents | College degree | U. S. Customs |
| Accident Investigator | College degree, industry experience | National Transportation Safety Board, FAA, insurance companies |
Health Services
| Career Title | Education Requirements | Employer |
|---|---|---|
| Flight Physician/Aviation Medical Examiner | Medical degree | Airlines, NASA, FAA, military, private practice |
As you can see from the material above, there are numerous aviation related careers that are available for your child to pursue. Study the material closely; help your child make a choice, develop a plan, and put the plan into motion. Remember, the Youth Aviation Academy is the first logical step in pursing an aviation future. Good Luck!