My kid keeps talking about being a pilot one day. When I asked her what sports activities she wants to do this year, she just said she wants to do pilot school.
Is there something I should be doing as a dad, or is there a school/program/activity for young children who want to be pilots? She's 7.
Should I just get Microsoft Fligth Sim for the PC?
My parents encouraged me to keep my grades up, and get a university degree first. I was told that would give me a leg up in my journey to become a pilot.
Of note, I am not, nor have I ever flown a plane.
THAT SAID
I know a number of airlines recruited at Sault College, not sure what other colleges are out there who do pilot training (when I was a kid Moncton Flight College was a thing, it still may be, but I may want to stick to a full college rather than flight school).
Make sure they have the requirements and grades.
Air Cadets, local flying clubs, or working for an airline in some capacity may also help.
Best of luck on their journey!
__________________ "Calgary Flames is the best team in all the land" - My Brainwashed Son
I liked Air Cadets, I got my glider pilot's license through that.
At that earlier age there probably isn't specific classes things just general stuff to support the interest.
Air museums, air shows, stuff like that. Lots of flying video games out there. There's probably still RC flying clubs around, maybe not a hobby to get into yet for a few more years but to go and watch. Small drones are fun (though too cheap and they are more frustrating than anything).
Model airplanes if they're more craft like.
Yeah and generic stuff like keeping active and keeping good grades.
__________________ Uncertainty is an uncomfortable position.
But certainty is an absurd one.
The Following 2 Users Say Thank You to photon For This Useful Post:
My kid keeps talking about being a pilot one day. When I asked her what sports activities she wants to do this year, she just said she wants to do pilot school.
Is there something I should be doing as a dad, or is there a school/program/activity for young children who want to be pilots? She's 7.
Should I just get Microsoft Fligth Sim for the PC?
Air Cadets!
Seriously I can not stress enough the opportunities in the Air Cadet program. I wish I had know about it when I was a youth. They can get their Glider and possibly their PPL through Air Cadets if they are serious. Thats a 20K value in itself. Then I would suggest joining the RCAF as they will become a highly marketable pilot and get to fly cool ####.
The RCAF has been lowering the bar lately to improve recruitment, in areas where it makes sense, less restrictions on glasses (What eliminated me as a young recruit) and the need for a degree. We are getting a whole new training fleet, and the future is very bright for pilots.
We are ramping up an incredible training program here in MJ and there will be pilot training for many years to come.
The Following User Says Thank You to speede5 For This Useful Post:
Looks like WJA86 to Seoul turned around at the Alaska panhandle yesterday. I only looked it up because it was odd to have a heavy jet fly over my place at dinner time. https://www.flightaware.com/live/fli...205Z/CYYC/RKSI
R/C aircraft can be really fun too. I used to fly with my grandfather a bunch, but the recent changes to unmanned aerial vehicle regulations appear to make it a giant pain in the butt to actually fly these days.
The Following User Says Thank You to stazzy33 For This Useful Post:
Thanks for the suggestions. Didn't even think of air cadets, but she'll need to wait a few more years.
I think I'll start out with models, museums and flight sim game. Might be fun for dad too!
Head out to a local flight school at some point and book her in for a familiarization/discovery flight. She (or both of you) can head up with an instructor for an hour to try out the real thing to see if the flying bug is really there. It also provides a little exposure to the flight school environment and will be a decent opportunity to ask some questions.
You only need to be 14 to earn a student pilot permit in Canada, so if she ends up liking it and stays on task, she could be job-ready at a pretty young age. It’s a much quicker path to the airlines now than it was 15-20 years ago.
__________________ Is your cat doing singing?
The Following User Says Thank You to Max Cow Disease For This Useful Post:
My kid keeps talking about being a pilot one day. When I asked her what sports activities she wants to do this year, she just said she wants to do pilot school.
Is there something I should be doing as a dad, or is there a school/program/activity for young children who want to be pilots? She's 7.
Should I just get Microsoft Fligth Sim for the PC?
Go for a drive, about an hour, to Nanton and check out the bomber museum They have some very cool stuff out there and there are neat places to stop on the way there or back for a snack.
This coming Saturday is the last big event of the season where they will be running up the Lancaster Merlin engine and the Bristol Hercules engine.
Take ear protection for her! They do hand out cheap earplugs but a decent pair of ear defenders for a child would be better, I think.
Was a flight attendant for 8 years and had quite a few scary/memorable events but never got to deploy the slides. Always wanted to.
Cool to rewind that live feed and see the evacuation.
Even cooler to see no passengers with carry on bags (on the runway) too. Looks like the crew did a great job and hopefully everyone's ok.
Last edited by JonDuke; 09-07-2025 at 01:46 PM.
The Following 3 Users Say Thank You to JonDuke For This Useful Post:
Landing looked firm but it has to be on a runway that short. Not overly hard by any means. Some sort of gear failure I wonder, like that Alaska in California a year or two ago. Tail 809 is one of the older ones I the fleet iirc.
I won't armchair expert it too much without knowing any facts. Will be interesting to see what they say
