Your Aviation Career Starts Here
Built on the foundation of DreamLaunch, a national speaking tour that has inspired over
68,000 students since 2004, AviationStart continues its mission to shape the future of aviation and aerospace.
AviationStart is making career access easier than ever—connecting aspiring aviation students and professionals to over $20 million in scholarships, training programs, and career pathways to turn their aviation dreams into reality.
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Empowering the Next Generation
of Aviation and Aerospace Professionals
'Aviation Start' Episode 4 Breaks Down How Contract Pilots Build $50,000 Months
Gulfstream pilot Jay Kadir explains day rates, networking, and why the airlines aren't the only path to a flying career.
The fourth episode of Aviation Start, FLYING's career-focused video podcast hosted by Jamail Larkins, takes on one of the most talked-about and least understood ways to earn a living in the cockpit: contract corporate flying. "People believe you can go and make 50, 60, $70,000 a month. It's true. I've seen it. I know people who've done it," said guest Jay Kadir, a 26-year-old contract pilot who flies the Gulfstream G-IV. "It's not as easy or simple as just that. It takes a long time." Kadir grew up largely in Dubai, and summer trips home to the U.S. aboard 777s and A380s convinced him he had to learn to fly them. He earned his certificates in Bozeman, Montana, assuming, like most new commercial pilots, that the airlines were the only destination. Seeing private jets on the ramp and watching friends fly contract corporate changed his mind.
How to Get Your Pilot's License for FREE?
Check out Jamail’s Interview with the EAA Eagles Program Manager David Leiting, where he maps out the entire process.
Most people have no idea there's a legitimate path to earning a pilot's license for free. EAA built one, and it's been hiding in plain sight for over 30 years. In Episode 2 of The AviationStart Show, A FLYING Magazine Production, host Jamail Larkins sits down with David Leiting, EAA's Eagles Program Manager, to map out the entire pipeline, step by step: A free first flight through the Young Eagles program (ages 8 to 17), flown by volunteer pilots who have taken more than 2.5 million kids into the sky since 1992. This short interview is packed full of great information!
Ready, Set, Launch Your Career!
AviationStart connects you with the resources, guidance, and opportunities to help you
launch your career with confidence.
Find Career Connections and $20Million+
in Scholarships!
Jamail Larkins founded AviationStart to remove barriers and make aviation careers more accessible. Without industry connections or financial backing, he became one of the youngest airshow pilots in the country, proving that anyone with determination can succeed in aviation.
Today, AviationStart helps aspiring students and professionals take flight by providing access to over $20 million in scholarships, training programs, and career pathways—turning aviation dreams into reality.
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