Venturing Skies As A Commercial Pilot – What Does It Take?

Most children reverie of hovering over the earth in massively winged machines called airplanes. But really, what makes one a commercial pilot that on average makes $100,000 per annum (assuming you work for a major US airline like United Airline)?

Just like any other profession, being a commercial pilot requires certification from a certified and renowned body. In the United States of America, you need a commercial pilot certificate (CPL) which is obtained from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) by passing a check-ride (similar to a test when obtaining driver’s license) after attending commercial pilot ground school and logging a minimum of 250 flight hours. Next, it is time to submit an up-to-date first- or second-class medical certificate and an instrument rating (test for flight in bad weather). These are needed to verify and establish one’s physical ability for the job. No employer in any industry hires an applicant that suffers from sexual transmitted disease or tuberculosis. Thus, clarifying your physical health is a must.

Most airlines also necessitate applicants to attain a multi-engine rating which is a test that evaluates a pilot’s skill in flying planes with multiple engines. Today, all commercial airlines use planes with multiple engines.

Having all the certifications and paper work at hand kick starts your journey in venturing and exploring the wide and open skies! There you go, a childhood dream come true.

In every profession, there is a Michael Jackson as well as a karaoke singer; the flourishing and not so flourishing. Soon, you find the urge to carry the title “Pilot in Command” of a large commercial aircraft. What does this mean? This means that you are the captain which spearheads the flying unit.

However, becoming a pilot in command requires an airline transport pilot certificate, the highest pilot certificate. In order to acquire this, you need to be at least a high school graduate, passed a written test, possess a first-class medical certificate and have logged 1,500 flight hours including 250 hours as the Pilot in Command. Now, you are the leader and captain of the ship. The median expected salary for a typical Pilot in Command (Large Jet) in the United States is $116,566. The amount of money you make varies with the size of airline that you work for.

Sadly, those are just paper work and procedures that is needed in order to pursue a career in the aviation industry. There is no real formula to make a career happen in the aviation industry. The real deal however, is experience. All over the world in every industry, employers hunt for experienced workers. When we talk about experience as a commercial pilot, it boils down to the number of flight hours you have and the complexity of aircrafts that you have successfully flown.

Pursuing a career in the aviation industry requires much more than just paper work. The public needs trusted pilots to make their holiday and business trips a pleasant one. Prospective pilots need to posses the principles of transportation, master the knowledge of mathematics and physics, understand world geography, and possess strong decision making skills as well as communication skills particularly verbal communication.