In my interview with this week's FlyDay pilot, Jessica Conatser, a 767 First Officer for FedEx, she spoke about there being 100 paths in aviation. It used to be just military or civilian but now there are so many options. This got me thinking about what those paths are and whether it matters which one you take. There are some airlines that typically desire a pilot who fits in a certain box. (Brick and mortar school, high GPA, flight instructor, regional.) Thankfully, now more companies are understanding that having a diverse background gives you the skill set that is advantageous in the cockpit.

If there is a problem or an emergency, you don’t want two pilots who are trained the same way to act the same way, think the same way, and to look at a problem the same way. This is also why two pilots are always better than one.

Here is a story of three different pilots who went three different routes and all ended up flying for their dream airline within months of each other. These three pilots met at flight school 20 years ago.

Pilot A went into the Air Force Reserves and is now a C-17 aircraft commander and a first officer at Alaska Airlines.

Pilot B was a flight instructor, then flew for SkyWest Airlines, where they upgraded to captain before being hired at their dream company flying a Boeing 737.

Pilot C was a flight instructor, flew at Great Lakes, then flew in the Caribbean, did contract flying overseas, flew firefighting super-scoopers, and then was hired at their dream airline where they are now an instructor pilot on the 787.

All three pilots bring a diverse background, a professional skillset, and a captain attitude to the cockpit, but guess which one had more fun along the way? Which one had to make more sacrifices? Which one regrets any of their decisions? There is no right or wrong answer here. If you have a dream of flying in the Coast Guard, then take the appropriate steps to get there. If you have a dream of flying for FedEx, it may be best to fly for Ameriflight first. If you just like being ‘up there’, then you just need to keep showing up and saying yes, hour by hour, until your experience propels your dreams to takeoff!