Becoming a Pilot

There is nothing more liberating than flying through the skies. The sense of freedom is unmatched. Taking a flight to somewhere is one thing, but flying the aircraft yourself is quite a different experience altogether. Aviation as a vocation is quite a grand adventure and getting a job in the industry is not a child's play. And after the intense training, the benefits of the job are very enriching.

Being a pilot entails a lot of practice. Qualifications for this job are very specific and there are no shortcuts involved. To be a pilot you need to be in top physical condition. Great health will include perfect eyesight and other requirements for becoming a pilot in terms of height and weight. As a commercial pilot, you are responsible for the lives of the passengers on board including your own. One slight lapse in judgment can turn into life threatening accidents and it is usually only a miracle if everyone on board goes unharmed. Here is a list of a pilot's job responsibilities:

• They need to check the airplane before the flight to ensure that everything is working fine.
• They need to ascertain that the weather is safe for flying.
• The captain needs to determine if the flight schedule has been approved by authorities.
• The copilot is supposed to chart the flight route.
• Test pilots are supposed to fly new planes to ensure their working and safety.
• Check pilots also called pilot examiners evaluate the flying skills of other pilots by observing them.
• Business pilots are supposed to fly aircraft or small jets for private companies.

American airliners require that pilot applicants have a four year Bachelor's degree. There are some regions that accept a 2 year Associate's degree. The degree can be in a subject of your choice as there is no specific criteria required of the pilot applicants. Pilots need to have 250 hours of flight experience and are also required to pass the strict physical examination test. They also need to have airline transport licenses.



As a pilot it is essential for the individual to be excellent in multi-tasking. It is required that you stay calm when under pressure. A pilot should be attentive and be able to listen to radio transmissions. Even when the transmissions are not clear a pilot should be insightful and be able to make the right decisions based on what he can grasp from the situation and instructions. You should be able to respond and react quickly to any developments during the flight. You should strictly follow rules and be a leader who can enforce those rules as well.

Also, as a commercial pilot you should be a pleasant person by nature. Lastly, you need to be sure that this is what you want to do as there is no turning back and you cannot afford to be an unhappy employee when the responsibility of so many lives is in your hands.

To be able to operate an aircraft, you need to be a licensed pilot. The pilot license needs to issued by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) which is now affiliated with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) post the 9/11 attacks. This is the sole eligibility for becoming a pilot. It allows the license holder to ferry passengers or cargo anywhere in the United States. There are various different levels of the pilot's license. The basic level is the Private Pilot license. This license does not permit the pilot to ferry an aircraft. The steps of pilot training involved in acquiring this license are: passing a basic medical exam, receiving a Certification from a Certified Flight Instructor, the needed amount of instruction, passing the written exam that involves 100 questions of multiple choice and passing a ‘check ride', which is the equivalent for a driving test for an aircraft, from an examiner who is FAA approved.

The measure of a pilot's experience is how many ‘flying hours' he has put in or accumulated. Airline pilots can go up to 20,000 and more of flying hours in their career. For a first time pilot, the only experience that counts is the number of flying hours put in during training. So, the more personal training you do, the better your chances of becoming a commercial pilot with a prominent airliner.

Recently, it has been noticed that there are more trained pilots than there are available pilot jobs. This uneven ratio makes it difficult to land a job but the more impressive your resume; it fattens your chances of getting the job. With the intense competition, it is getting tougher to get hired despite being trained. The career prospects prior to this situation were very high. But with the current situation you can only hope to excel in the field to get in.

The median salary that an averagely experienced Pilot draws is about $80,000.

As mentioned, prior to the current crunch in availability of pilot jobs the prospects were fantastic. Pilots were very highly paid and had a bright future ahead of them and a promising career. But this current crunch has caused many airliners to drop their pay rates.

Early on in this career, you are required to spend long hours away from home and this can take a toll on your family life and yourself. But if you have a true passion for flying then aviation is a bright career.