rickair7777

Jason,

The route to cargo and the airlines is essentially the same in the beginning. There are VERY few possible shortcuts, but many people will likely try to sell you one for a great deal of $$$. There are NO valid shortcut programs in the LA area, so if you're going to hang out there, here's what you will need to do. Anyone who says anything different is going to try to sell you an expensive training program.

Self-evaluate:I am OK with math?
I am OK with technical things?
I am a good people person, who is ASSERTIVE?
I am I in good health?
Do I have a decent driving record (NO DUIs)?
Am I free of any criminal convictions? (MINOR stupidity in your distant past might be ok)

If you answer no to any of the above you will probably spend a lot of $$$ and go nowhere.

Find an Aviation Medical Examiner
Get a FIRST CLASS medical (not a 2nd or third)

Flight school. Check out the internet, and go visit several in your area. A school with a 141 program MIGHT save you a little money. The training you will need is:

Private Pilot ($8000)
Instrument Rating ($6000) MS Flight Sim is a useful practice tool.
Commercial License ($15000)
Commercial Multi-engine Rating ($3000)
Cert Flight Instructor CFI ($3000)
Instrument Instructor ($2500)

The prices are very rough estimates, and will be higher if you do a lot of your training in a twin engine aircraft.

CFI Now you have around 300 hours total time (TT) and 15 multi-engine (ME)and can get a job as a flight instructor (CFI). To get a job at the next level you will need about 1000 TT, and 100 ME. The TT will come within 12-18 months as a CFI. The ME time may be harder, but you can buy it ($$$) or get a ME instructor license and get a job as ME instructor. I believe ATP does a lot of your initial training in a twin, so you might already have 100 ME.

Night Cargo At this point you can get a job flying "night cargo". This will be single pilot, night, bad weather, mountain flying, in small old, worn out airplanes with a high FATALITY rate. The pay is miserable, there are NO benefits, and you work constantly. This is probably not what you had in mind as a career destination...however if you like it you can eventually move up to 2 pilot mid-size aircraft (mostly propellor) and you will make a marginal income with some benefits, but nothing great.

Regional Airline. When you have reached 1500-2500 TT and 300-500 ME (within 1 year, if you survive), you can work for a regional airline. You will start in either turboprops or regional jets (RJs)and after 3-5 years become an RJ captain. This is much safer and more comfortable than your previous aviation jobs. Better money, work rules and time off. After a couple years as an RJ captain, you can apply to a Major airline...

Major Airline. Now the confusing thing about major airlines, is that this includes all the BIG cargo operators (UPS, FEDEX, DHL, ATLAS, etc) who operate large turbojet aircraft. These operators work just like passenger airlines in many ways and have good pay & benefits. However they are just as competetive, probably more so today, as any passenger airline when it comes to pilot hiring. If you want to work for any major airline (cargo or pax) plan on excelling in every way during your aviation career. You'll need a 4 year degree to get to this level also.

One possible shortcut is to skip Night Cargo and go from CFI directly to a Regional Airline (I did this). You will need some opportunity to work as a multi-engine instructor to do this. Be advised that a "Commercial Pilot License" really does not qualify you to do anything other than to work as a flight instructor after you get your CFI ratings. There are a few possible shortcuts (does your dad own a private jet?), but for most of us the path I described above is the reality. Good Luck