Courtesy of United Airlines
According to a recent survey, nearly 52% of Americans plan to travel on a plane this summer, which makes having a pilot pipeline more important than ever. There are only about 100,000 commercial pilots in the U.S. (compared to the one billion passengers each year) and the path to becoming a pilot is expensive and at times hard to navigate. Attracting the best and the brightest to join the profession must be a priority to ensure there is a robust pipeline of safe, qualified airline pilots.
The problem is a lack of opportunity and steep barriers to entry. Unfortunately, flight training is often a six-figure endeavor, with costs ranging from $85,000 to more than $100,000. Yet as a profession that sparks early and innate curiosity in so many, expanded opportunities will clear the runway for a qualified next generation of pilots.
In December of 2021, United Airlines opened United Aviate Academy — its wholly owned flight school located in Goodyear, Arizona — to help mitigate two critical issues: creating additional pathways to the flight deck for aspiring aviators and increasing the amount of pilots in the hiring pipeline.
Aviate Academy trains and prepares students — some straight out of school, others in their second professional acts — to be jet-ready. Students must complete a robust and intensive course of study and flight training, including computer-based instruction, ground training, and aircraft flight training. Aspiring pilots must successfully obtain six FAA-required ratings and certifications prior to graduating from the Academy and pursue their Airline Transport Pilot (ATP) certification — the certificate required to fly for an airline like United.
With the help of Aviate Academy, United is solidifying its pilot pipeline.
“What we’re trying to do is open up the occupational aperture so that everyone can have an opportunity,” says Michael Hales, the new CEO of United Aviate Academy.
The son of a flight instructor and later an FAA Operations Inspector, aviation is in Hales’ blood.
And only in the first year of his new post, he’s brimming with enthusiasm. “Our goal is to streamline the flight curriculum, while maintaining the highest of standards,” he said. Supported by both people and planes — a full training fleet — the school offers more than 300 hours of ground courses and flight time — foundational steps toward obtaining the FAA required ratings and certifications.
He is also enthusiastic about United’s partnership with the United Gateway℠ Card from Chase to support aspiring pilots facing financial hurdles through a $1.2 million commitment to scholarships designated for United Aviate Academy students. To do so, the United Gateway Card is contributing a portion of every United purchase to fund the scholarships.
Since 2021, JPMorgan Chase has provided a total of $3.6M in scholarship funds in an effort to strengthen the pipeline for the next generation of pilots. United Airlines has matched Chase’s scholarship commitment; together since 2021, the companies have committed $7.2 million towards scholarships for United Aviate Academy students.
United works closely with industry organizations to educate aspiring aviators on the many pathways to the flight deck. These organizations select and award scholarship recipients, with grants funded by United and Chase. The organizations include:
- Sisters of the Skies
- Organization of Black Aerospace Professionals
- The Professional Asian Pilots Association
- The Latino Pilots Association
- Women in Aviation International
- National Gay Pilots Association
In 2023, roughly 75 scholarships were provided, ranging from partial tuition (up to $25K) to full tuition.
“We’re eager to bring a new generation of pilots to the industry, and one that really represents the breadth of the talent pool with a passion for flying,” says Laurinda Rainey, Managing Director and General Manager of United Airlines Co-brand at Chase.
“Working at a bank, we always discuss our potential to put someone on a new career path to unlock a new level of income,” Rainey says. “Now, you not only are changing circumstances for their family, but their community. And so you really can create a different trajectory for an entire collective by changing the life of one person.”
This year, Rainey is especially excited to share the inspiring story of a newly named United Gateway Card scholarship recipient, Je’Sika.
Raised in Oxen Hill, Maryland — about 15 minutes outside of Washington D.C. — Je’Sika grew up with dreams of taking flight, inspired by Black female aviators like Bessie Coleman. Additionally, her mother’s career at the Federal Aviation Administration exposed her to the industry early on. “My mom’s background in aviation was a consistent influence throughout my childhood,” Je’Sika tells us. “She even played a huge role in setting up an aviation safety day at a local airport, which I volunteered in.”
Upon entering college at the University of Maryland College Park, Je’Sika’s intention was to major in aviation and aerospace administration. Yet she deferred them in the face of family losses and financial hardships, instead studying language and literature and entering the workforce as an aide for special education teachers, as well as a language and literacy interventionist for high school students.
Her flight school dreams remained on standby; “I spent over a decade away from the cockpit, but my love for the skies never faded!”
Now nearly a year into her flight education, Je’Sika has her sights set on the position of professional pilot within the next few years.
Navigating a career pivot like this means kudos are in order for Je’Sika. “She deserves a big congratulations, because the vetting it takes to get to the Academy is so rigorous,” says Hales. “Since its inception, the Academy has received more than 46,000 applications for only dozens of available seats per class. And getting a scholarship on top of it? That’s a major reminder of how many people are invested in you,” Hales continues. “Someone has co-signed your dream.”
Rainey’s words of wisdom for Je’Sika are just as poignant: “As you embark on this journey, make sure you’re always finding that perfect center of your purpose, your passion, and your potential and giving back to others.”
With experience training other young women at flight camps and advocacy events, including the EAA’s Women Fly it Forward and WAI’s Girls in Aviation Day, Je’Sika is already giving back — exactly the type of sky-born spirit that will usher in the next wave of aviators, one that reflects a more inclusive world. “It means everything to me to be able to pay it forward, because that’s how I got to where I am,” Je’Sika says. “If I can inspire the next generation of aviators, just like my mom inspired me, it would mean the world.”
Anyone with a United Gateway Card can help make a difference, too, since a portion of each United purchase made with the credit card goes towards funding scholarships for hopeful aviators. In addition, rewards earned on everyday purchases with the United Gateway Card include:
- 25% back on United inflight and Club premium drink purchases
- 2x miles per $1 spent on purchases from United, including tickets, Economy Plus®, inflight food, beverages, and Wi-Fi, plus baggage service charges
- 2x miles per $1 spent at gas stations
- 2x miles per $1 spent on local transit and commuting, including ride share services, taxicabs, train tickets, tolls, and mass transit
- 1x mile per $1 spent on all other purchases