Airline Pilot

The life of an airline pilot is exciting and varied, but it's not an easy profession to get into. Here are nine things you should know before considering setting down that career path.

Why Would I Want To Be An Airline Pilot?
Being an airline pilot is one of the most exciting careers out there. Sure, there are jobs with shorter hours and much less training – and nearly all careers involve less travel! But, if you’re the sort of person who enjoys traveling to new places, has an eye for detail, and is keen to meet new people, there really couldn’t be a better choice. Being an airline pilot isn’t an easy job, but it’s definitely among the most rewarding imaginable.

The most obvious benefit, of course, is the opportunity to travel. But, the fact is, there is simply no other job that could possibly give you the opportunities for traveling the world than becoming an airline pilot would give you. Normally, when careers try to sell themselves by advertising the travel involved, they’re really talking about limited travel to half a dozen countries at most. Exciting in the short term, perhaps, but after you’ve been somewhere ten times, it probably doesn’t count as exotic any more.

Being a commercial pilot, by contrast, lets you travel the entire planet. Anywhere that has an airport is a potential destination, and if you get a job at one of the larger international carriers, the world is quite literally your oyster, as you can travel to any continent in the course of your job. With generous allowances of time off to match the long hours, you can see the world as part of your job - and you’ll never have to buy a plane ticket again!

Are There Different Kinds Of Airline Pilots?
When we talk about being an “airline pilot” in this article, we are referring, in the main, to commercial pilots flying passenger jets on domestic or international routes. Indeed, that’s what most people think of first when thinking about becoming an airline pilot. But, of course, that’s not the only type of flying that you can do as a living. Many commercial pilots never fly a passenger jet in their lives. Others prefer to fly cargo or mail routes, and others still specialize in flying small aircraft in exotic locations around the world.

Imagine being a pilot flying a seaplane between islands in the Seychelles for a living. Waking up every morning in your apartment by the beach, knowing that the most stressful thing you’ll do that day is fly some post a few miles across the ocean, and then return with a family of holidaymakers. This is probably the exact opposite of the life most people picture when pondering becoming an airline pilot – and indeed, for some readers, it may not sound like an attractive prospect. This article is mainly concerned with life, as a commercial pilot flying passenger aircraft – but the point is that a pilot’s license opens up a world of choices limited only by your own ambitions. If life as an airline pilot flying for one of the world’s largest carriers isn’t to your liking, there are a myriad of other options open to you.

Is It Hard To Become An Airline Pilot?
In a word, yes. Flying is one of the safest methods of travel, and that’s at least partly because of the intensive training pilots undergo to ensure the safety of their passengers. A job as an airline pilot requires you to commit to years of training before you can fly large airliners.

Nor is it just a question of learning which button on your cockpit controls does what. Airline pilots are required to take courses in navigation and meteorology, and become experts in any number of different fields. You’ll be expected to perform a large number of tasks, from working out a flight plan or calculating takeoff and landing weights, to communicating with passengers and air traffic control and keeping records of any incidents or problems with the aircraft.

Once you’ve mastered the intricacies of flying a large commercial jet, you’ll still be at the rank of first officer or co-pilot, and remain at that rank for a good number of years. You’ll be required to spend thousands of hours in the air with more experienced pilots before being permitted to take command of your first passenger flight, and this may not happen till mid-way through your career as an airline pilot.

Finally, all this is very expensive. A commercial pilot’s license can cost up to $100,000 to acquire, and further training is dependent on the support of an airline with whom you have managed to secure a job. There are scholarship schemes to cover the cost of training, but these are very competitive and hard to get into.

What Are The Entry Requirements To Become An Airline Pilot?
Entry requirements to the profession vary from country to country, but all have certain features in common. Pilot training schools set their own entry standards, but these will usually include high school diplomas or the equivalent, and some airlines prefer holders of degrees, though this is not usually an essential requirement. Scientific or mathematics-related subjects are preferred.

Medical requirements are also reasonably stringent. The old cliché about needing good eyesight is not wholly untrue; however, there’s nothing to stop you from becoming an airline pilot if you wear glasses or contact lenses. The main thing is that you can see when you’ve got them on!

In general, pilot training schools look for certain common characteristics in the candidates they accept to become pilots. These include things like good educational qualifications, good communication and motivational skills, evidence of ability in problem solving and teamwork, calmness in difficult situations, and the ability to do quick mental calculations. Airline pilots are disciplined and responsible people, for obvious reasons – so this is what you’ll need to demonstrate if you want to become one.

Training To Become An Airline Pilot
A Commercial Pilot’s License (CPL) is required in order to fly any type of plane. This is awarded to those who have competed hundreds of hours flying time, physical tests, and exams in subjects such as navigation and the rules of flight.

To fly for a commercial airline, though, much more training is required. At least 1500 additional hours in the air, with experience of flying on instruments and at night, and further written examinations are required. There may also be further physical or aptitude tests to ensure that you are right for the job.

This training is expensive. Obtaining the CPL alone can cost $100,000. There are some scholarships and awards that may help defray these costs, but competition for these is, understandably, extremely intensive. Once you have achieved the required standard, further training will be undertaken with an airline, who will give you the requisite experience and pay for the training in return for bonding you to them for a specific period of time.

Life As An Airline Pilot
Life as an airline pilot can be extremely rewarding, not just in financial terms, but also in quality of life and personal satisfaction; for those who like to see the world or interact with a wide variety of people, indeed, it may seem like a “dream job.” As we’ve seen, the flip side of that is it requires a long period of training and a lot of commitment before you can consider yourself a fully qualified pilot, and it’s not a life that is suitable for everyone.

Normally, you’ll work in pairs with an experienced captain and a first officer sharing the duties on board the flight. On the very smallest planes, though, you might be flying solo; by the same token, on long-haul intercontinental flights of over 12 hours, there may be a relief crew to ensure that no pilot is required to spend too long at the controls.

Overall, pilots are restricted to around 900 - 1000 flying hours per year, or around 75 hours per month. The upshot of this is that as an airline pilot, you may have up to 15 days off every month, but of course the downside is that it’s difficult to schedule a regular “day off” during your week, and during busy summer months, you may find yourself working much harder. Timetables are unforgiving, and it is often only with seniority that you can exert significant control over the assignments you are given.

On long-haul flights you may easily find yourself away from home for several days at a time. This will not present a problem to some prospective pilots, but it can be harder for others, particularly those with children and families. If you’re considering a career as a commercial pilot, it’s worth stopping to consider whether that is really the life for you. Many people decide that it’s not. But for those who persevere, it can be an incredibly rich and rewarding career.

Career Development For Airline Pilots
Once you’re qualified as a pilot, you’ll take your place in the co-pilot’s seat as a First Officer. For quite a long time, that’s where you’re likely to stay. As you gain in experience, you’ll be promoted to senior first officer, and some time later, to the role of captain. This can take years of patient diligent work, and doesn’t come quickly. It’s more likely to happen more quickly in a fast-growing budget airline than a larger carrier, as vacancies arise more frequently.

In addition, of course, there are other options for advancement; you may choose to move to a different airline as part of relocation to another country, or in an attempt to secure a captain’s role. Many pilots move from carrier to carrier many times during their careers. There are always jobs that don’t require such punishing hours; for those who want a change of pace mid-career; instructors and managers are always needed.

Salary And Benefits Of Airline Pilots
Salaries will vary according to a number of factors such as what type of aircraft you are licensed to fly and which airline you are employed by. Seniority is also a major factor, of course, and over the years becoming an airline pilot can be financially lucrative, with a high final salary to look forward to. As a rough guideline, a newly qualified first officer may earn something in the region of $70,000, with an experienced captain of many years’ standing commanding a salary of closer to $200,000.

Having said that, not all commercial pilots get to these kinds of salary figures – and none of this factors in the cost of training, which may involve paying the airline a bond of up to $50,000 in return for their agreement to cover part of those costs. All told, becoming an airline pilot is an expensive and difficult business in the early years, but by the time you are a fully qualified captain, you will reap the benefits.

In addition to salary, an airline pilot gets a hotel allowance and/or per diem allowance while away from home, and heavily discounted travel for himself and his immediate family, as well as generous medical and pension schemes.

Becoming An Airline Pilot – A Summary
As we’ve seen, becoming an airline pilot is not the easy career some might think, and certainly not for everyone. It requires years of training that is both mentally and physically demanding, with no guarantee of a job at the end. It can be expensive to become a pilot, too, and competitive. On the other hand, once you are qualified to fly large airliners, you have a skill that is at a premium, and rewarded accordingly. Salaries are extremely good, and benefits for yourself and your family are usually generous. Above all, becoming an airline pilot, particularly a commercial pilot on passenger routes, gives you an opportunity to travel the world that very few others will ever have. How many people can boast of a job that takes them around the globe so many times a year? Becoming an airline pilot is a career choice that is certainly out of the ordinary.


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