What does an Airline Pilot do?
Published 3 min read
An airline pilot is responsible for flying passengers and cargo on scheduled flights. They are also responsible for the safety and security of the aircraft and its passengers.
Airline Pilot job duties include:
- Pre-flight planning and aircraft inspection
- Checking weather conditions and flight plans
- Taking off and landing the aircraft
- Monitoring instruments and controls during flight
- Communicating with air traffic control
- Adjusting to changing conditions during flight
- Managing the aircraft's speed, altitude, and heading
- Coordinating with the flight crew
- Handling emergencies
- Post-flight duties such as debriefing and completing paperwork
Airline Pilot Job Requirements
Airline pilots must have a high school diploma or equivalent, although many have a college degree. They must also have a commercial pilot's license from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). To be an airline pilot, one must have at least 1,500 hours of flight experience. Most pilots start out flying small planes, then work their way up to larger ones.
Airline Pilot Skills
- Airspeed management
- Altitude management
- Use of checklists
- Communications
- Coordination with air traffic control
- Fuel management
- Navigation
- Pre-flight planning and weather briefing
- Risk management
- Surveillance (of the aircraft instruments and out the window)
- Time management
Related: Top Airline Pilot Skills: Definition and Examples
How to become an Airline Pilot
Assuming you would like tips on becoming an airline pilot:
1. Get a degree in aviation. While you don't need an aviation degree to become a pilot, it will give you a significant advantage in the hiring process. Many airlines prefer to hire pilots with an aviation degree, and some airlines require it.
2. Get your commercial pilot's license. You will need to accumulate at least 250 hours of flight time to get your commercial pilot's license. You can do this by flying for a flight school, working as a flight instructor, or flying as a general aviation pilot.
3. Get your instrument rating. An instrument rating allows you to fly in instrument meteorological conditions (IMC), which is essential for airline flying. You will need to accumulate at least 50 hours of instrument flight time to get your instrument rating.
4. Get your multi-engine rating. Most large commercial airplanes are multi-engine aircraft, so an airline is unlikely to hire you without a multi-engine rating. You will need to accumulate at least 50 hours of multi-engine flight time to get your rating.
5. Meet the minimum requirements for the airline you want to fly for. Each airline has different minimum requirements, but they typically include age, flight hours, type of experience, and passing a company-specific exam and simulator test.
6. Apply to the airline you want to fly for and go through their hiring process. This usually includes an initial screening, written exam, interview, and simulator test
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