OCCUPATION: AIRLINE PILOT

Name: Capt. Irving P. Peele

Company: American Airlines

Thumbs up: “I think this is the greatest job in the world. It’s something I’ve always wanted to do since I was 7. I went into it because it was in my blood. Of course, when I was growing up, airlines weren’t hiring black pilots. I figured I’d be one of the first. I like the travel and the type of aircraft we fly. American Airlines has state-of-the-art aircraft with all of the ‘Star Wars’ features.”

Thumbs down: “What’s to dislike? It’s a great job. Somebody’s paying me all this money to do what I enjoy.”

Next step: “Even though I’ve been captain for nine years, I’m upgrading to a bigger aircraft. I’m in training to fly the wide-body Boeing 767. After I’ve done this for a while, I’ll get an MD-11 certification. We have quite a few wide-bodies at American.”

Advice: “To be a pilot, you can take private flying lessons as a civilian. Or you can go into the military, but you’re going to give them at least eight years of your life. Either way, you must have a college degree. I go to a lot of schools on career day and talk to kids about aviation. Some kids see the future as a pilot as grim because a lot of airlines have gone under. I like to mentor kids--especially African-American kids. I let them know that they can be anything they want to be today, that they can determine their future. I tell them: ‘There’s nobody holding you back, but you’ve got to work at it.’ ”

Salary range: On average, pilots earn between $15,000 and $200,000 annually in Orange County.

Educational and training requirements: Airline pilots must have a license from the Federal Aviation Administration with an instrument rating and a multi-engine rating, a Class I medical certificate within the last six months, a minimum of 1,500 hours of flying time and pass a written FAA examination and checkride--a test that demonstrates a pilot’s ability to meet FAA standards such as navigation, landings, takeoffs and the ability to control the flight and meet emergency situations. Individual air carriers may have additional requirements.

Size of work force: Small. In Orange County, about 115 people work as pilots.Expected demand: Slow growth. Airline mergers, acquisitions and bankruptcies have resulted in some layoffs and few opportunities for newly trained pilots are anticipated. But employment at airlines is still increasing slowly. There is a mandatory federal requirement for retirement at age 60, and there are a large number of pilots nearing the end of their career.

Job description: Fly planes to transport passengers or cargo, normally on fixed routes and schedules.

Major employing industries: Airlines, cargo and mail transport companies, some agricultural concerns, aviation schools.

For more information: Call a local flight school or the FAA at (310) 297-1431. Or call the Future Aviation Professionals of America in Atlanta at (800) 538-5627, Ext. 190. (FAPA will hold a job fair in San Francisco at the Airport Hilton Hotel on Sept. 26.)