Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Travel

Frontier is so desperate for pilots it’s taking people with no experience at all

With air travel hit hard recently, Frontier Airlines is revamping its cadet program

Shannon Cooper
By

Dubbed the summer of travel hell for air travel, increased demand for travel and a serious labor shortage caused thousands of canceled and delayed flights during the past few months. Now, airlines are doing whatever it takes to avoid these issues going forward. And in Frontier’s case, that means creating a new training program for aspiring pilots—no flight experience required. Read more about this flight training program and see if you have what it takes to become a pilot.

Frontier airplane at an airport

The Flight Cadet Program and Frontier’s goals

To combat the nationwide pilot shortage, Frontier Airlines came up with a creative solution to attract new talent: the Flight Cadet Program. The thing that makes this program so unique, however, is that it doesn’t require trainees to have any previous flying experience.

Related Videos

With this new $8 million pilot recruitment strategy, the company hopes to avoid staffing difficulties for years to come. Brad Lambert, Vice President of Flight Operations for Frontier Airlines, told NBC News, “We really want to provide an opportunity for aspiring pilots. We also want to be able to control our destiny going forward.”

Looking forward, the company sees this program as an important step in its future growth. The airline currently has more than 100 aircraft in operation, and with 230 on order, they’re set to triple in size. “We will still hire off the street, and we’ll still have other programs in place, but this program at the very least assures that we have the minimum number of crews we need going forward,” said Lambert.

Accessible—yet extensive—training

Frontier’s flight program is open to anyone who wants to learn how to fly. Just because you don’t need any flight experience to apply for the program doesn’t mean the application process will be any less intensive. Each month, 35 cadets will be chosen to go through comprehensive training at an ATP Flight School.

Once selected, the cadets will complete an extensive two-year training program, spend 15 hours up in the sky, and earn their Airline Transport Pilot License. Their progress will be monitored the same way as Frontier pilots before them — meaning they’ll need to pass all required tests and get all necessary certifications.

After receiving their Airline Transport License, cadets will go to Frontier Airlines’ main training facility for additional training. They’ll spend another 40 hours in a flight simulator for commercial airplanes. Then, cadets will progress from First Officers and eventually to Flight Captains.

Two pilots in the cockpit of a plane

Ready to become a pilot?

If you’re interested in joining the program, you’ll be up against some serious competition. Since applications opened earlier this year, more than 500 people have applied. And if you get in, your bank account may take a serious hit. The flight school costs $90,000 in total, though Frontier plans to offer stipends and financial support before cadets begin working full-time with the company. And though the price looks expensive at first, the average salary of a first-year first officer is around $100,000—so it may well be worth it in the long run.

Have you ever dreamed of becoming a pilot? With Frontier’s Cadet Program, you may finally have your chance. The program makes learning to fly accessible to anyone, even with its intensive application process and hefty tuition price. And this program isn’t just great for aspiring pilots; more pilots mean better air travel too. It’s a win-win for everyone.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Bang Rak, Thailand – lebua at State Tower may be the best hotel in the city
Our review of Hotel lebua, the best luxury hotel in Bangkok
lebua hotel Bangkok.

Bang Rak is one of the most historic districts in Bangkok. Here, along the water at the Saphan-Taksim sky train stop, you’ll find the oldest street in the city — Charoen Krung — along which are a slew of delicious-smelling street food opportunities, jewel, gem, and souvenir shops, the Robinson department store, and a delightful bustle of markets tucked away in the intersecting alleyways. Soaring over it all is the lebua at State Tower, one of the most renowned hotels in Thailand.

In addition to the hotel, a so-called vertical destination, guests have access to a smattering of impressive restaurants, several of which offer magnificent panoramic views of the city from the 68-story building’s rooftop. I recently spent several days exploring lebua and the surrounding neighborhood, and I can say with confidence that it is an essential Thailand travel experience.

Read more
Cabo: Baja’s popular beachfront destination isn’t exactly what you think it is
Get under the radar with the best things to do in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
things to do in cabo san lucas, Mexico Resorts and Condos

We’re hesitant to describe any destination in terms of “tourist versus non-tourist” because it's a silly distinction. But Cabo San Lucas has always been an unabashed tourist-centric town full of all-inclusive, budget beach resorts, never-ending 3-for-1 happy hours at bars (and gas stations and a surprising number of other places), and garish dive bars like Cabo Wabo where tequila is (almost) cheaper than water and the neon daiquiris flow every day from 8 a.m.

However, the city boasts a strange charm that most hardcore Mexican tourist centers lack. So, if none of this is your cup of horchata — if you’re looking to dig a little deeper — here are a few of our favorite places to play, eat, and stay in Baja California’s most well-known waterfront playground.
Know your geography

Read more
7 telltale signs it’s time to put the ‘backpacker’ life behind you
How to travel like an adult and leave the backpacker lifestyle behind
A backpacker.

There’s something special about the backpacker lifestyle. It tends to be filled with rapid jags through a series of exciting cities, making friends in hostels, and partying every step of the way. Generally speaking, it’s a pursuit for those in their late teens or early twenties who have the energy, extroversion, and hangover tolerance for such things. Eventually, however, this form of travel begins to wear on you.

That doesn’t mean you need to stop traveling, but it might be an indication that you’ve outgrown the backpacker phase of your life. To that end, we’re taking a look at a few signs that it might be time to move beyond the way of backpack travelers. We'll also give you some travel tips that will help you be a more mature (and less hungover) traveler.

Read more