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10 of the Best Ways to Build Flight Hours Now!
If you’re trying to build hours for your next Pilot’s Certificate or planning to take the next step and begin your career in aviation, you need to know how to build some good old-fashioned flight time. Students working to gain their CPC (Commercial Pilot Certificate) need at least 250 hours of total flight time. Then…
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Time-Building Pilots: Mastering Controlled and Uncontrolled Airspace
By Odyssey Pilot Hours Whether you’re just beginning your time-building journey or you’re halfway to your ATP minimums, understanding the operational nuances of controlled vs. uncontrolled airspace is essential. Not only is it key to flying safely and legally, but it also affects your efficiency, time management, and flight experience—especially when you’re stringing together multiple…
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Finding Your Inner CFI: How Pilots Stay Sharp Alone In The Cockpit
Unlocking personal growth through self-debriefing, modern tools, and intentional reflection When you’re building hours and chasing your dream job, there comes a point when the right seat next to you is empty—not because you’re flying solo for the first time, but because you’re no longer flying with a Certified Flight Instructor (CFI) every day. Whether…
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How to Build a Diverse Logbook: Aircraft, Weather, Airspace, and Airports
Introduction Every hour logged in your flight logbook tells a story, not just of miles flown, but of experience gained. As a time-building pilot working toward a career in aviation, it’s not just the quantity of your hours that counts, but also the quality and variety. Airlines and commercial operators aren’t just looking for high-time…
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Odyssey Pilot Hours Statement on the Loss of Our Fellow Aviators
It is with profound sadness that we share the heartbreaking news of the passing of two cherished members of our Odyssey Pilot Hours family Niles Tilenius and William Johnston following a tragic accident October 19th. Niles and William were more than just skilled and passionate aviators; they were friends, colleagues, and an integral part of…
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Should You Instruct or Rent to Build Hours? A Straightforward Comparison
One of the most common questions pilots face on the journey to a professional aviation career is: Should I become a flight instructor, or should I rent aircraft to build my hours? If you’re staring down the 1,500-hour ATP minimum or the 1,200-hour Part 135 requirement, it’s a critical decision that can shape your timeline,…
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From Time-Building to Type Rating: Mapping Out the Smartest Path to Your Dream Cockpit
For every aspiring airline pilot, there’s a moment when the dream transforms from a distant goal into a tangible plan. Whether it hits at 500 hours in a Piper Archer or at 1,200 hours while flying pipeline patrol, the path from time-building to the right seat of a commercial jet begins to take sharper focus.…
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Flying with a Mission: How to Set Monthly Goals That Actually Make You a Better Pilot
When you started flight training, every hour in the air felt like a milestone. The first solo. The first cross-country. The first night landing. Each flight meant something. But for many pilots in the time-building phase, the skies start to blur. You’re flying more than ever, but suddenly you ask yourself: Am I actually improving,…
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From 250 to 1,500: Building Hours Without Losing Your Passion for Flying
The moment you cross 250 flight hours and hold your commercial certificate, you’ve stepped into a new phase of your aviation career. You’re qualified to be paid for your flying skills, but the goal ahead, 1,500 hours for your Airline Transport Pilot (ATP) certificate, still feels distant. This is the “time-building” chapter, and it’s one…
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How to Prepare for Your First Professional Flying Job While Still Hour-Building
Stepping into the world of professional aviation is one of the most exciting moments in any pilot’s career. But long before you’re sitting in the right seat of a regional jet or ferrying cargo across the country, you’re likely in that critical phase known as hour-building, grinding out flight time to meet hiring minimums. At…
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5 Things I Wish I Knew Before Starting My Time-Building Journey
By a Pilot Who’s Logged the Lessons the Hard Way You don’t forget your first solo. Or your checkride. But there’s this in-between stretch — after private, before commercial — where a lot of us just kind of… grind. It’s called time-building. And if we’re honest? It’s one of the weirdest chapters in the logbook.…
