How to Become a Pilot
Piloting an aircraft is something many of us dream about - far less actually pursue that dream. What many do not realize is that flying is not an exclusive skill only achieved by the more gifted. With a bit of planning and determination this dream could come true for almost all of us - from any walk of life.
Start realizing your dream
Best Aviation has more than 1,100 schools in the directory; almost 900 of them are located in the US. As you can see, the US is the #1 country in the world when it comes to producing pilots. And with a long legacy of famous aviation pioneers like the Wright brothers, Charles Lindberg, and Emilia Earhart - no other country can match what the US has done for aviation.
But even these pioneers had to start somewhere, and the first step is to schedule an introduction flight. This is done with a flight school or flying club in your area. The introduction flight is normally a briefing followed by a 30 minute flight and cost about $50. This is a time to ask all the questions your heart desires and should leave you with a good idea about what it takes to become a pilot.
If you, after your introduction flight, find out that taking flying lessons is something you want to do, then the next step is to see an aviation medical examiner. This is a doctor in your area approved by the aviation authorities (FAA) to issue a medical certificate to pilots. They come in three classes; class 1 is for airline pilots, class 2 is for commercial pilots (paid to fly), and class 3 is for recreational pilots. If your goal is to one day become a commercial pilot, I would advice you to go for the class 1 or class 2 certificate right away to make sure you qualify. Nothing is worse than finding out later in your training that you disqualify for medical reasons. If your goal is to become a private pilot and fly around for recreational purposes only, then a class 3 medical certificate will do.
Obtaining your private pilot license (PPL)
The private pilot license, commonly called the PPL, is the first license you obtain as a pilot. You can compare it to your driver's license and in many ways that is just what it is; "the driver's license of the sky." It allows you to hire an aircraft and take friends and family flying. Or, if you are fortunate enough to own an aircraft you can fly it for recreational purposes, be it a local scenic flight or a vacation trip to a far destination. The majority of pilots are PPL holders and all pilots, even the professional airline pilots, have at one point been a PPL pilot. While this is the first stepping stone on the way to become a professional pilot, most people that obtain a PPL do so purely for recreational purposes. You cannot fly for compensation or hire (make money flying as a pilot) on your private pilot license, but you can fly all by yourself the same way a driver's license lets you drive a car by yourself. And maybe the greatest thing of all - you can share this experience by taking friends and family with you. As most training aircrafts are four seat, single engine airplanes, you can associate it with driving a car in the sky. You have to be at least 17 years of age to obtain the PPL but you can start the training before then. There is no upper age restriction but you do have to be able to pass a class 3 medical examination.
"How can I afford all of this" you may wonder, and let me level with you - flying is not cheap. But compared to many other hobbies it is actually not that expensive. Training for a PPL in the US will cost you about $4000-5000 but the cost is spread over your course of training. As flight training is normally charged per hour of flight (you will need at least 40 hours, however most students finish in about 60 hours), you pay as your training progresses. So if you do not have all the money up front there is no need to panic - you can simply train and fly whenever time and money allows.
There is one thing you should take into consideration; if you do not have the time or money to fly at least one-to-two lessons per week (a typical lesson is one-to-one and a half hours long), I would advice you to save your money until you are in a situation where you are able fly one-to-two times per week. If you fly less than one time per week, you end up spending more money and time than you should. This relates to forgetting skills learned in pervious flying lessons if they are spread out too thin, and make it necessary to do extra repetition of previously flown lessons.
You also have to pass a theoretical exam. This is a 60 question multiple-choice test with three alternatives - one being the right answer. The test is done on a computer and often the school you attend will be approved to conduct this exam.
The average part-time student will complete his/her private pilot license in three-to-six months. As a full-time student you can shorten this period down to one-to-two months. The benefit as a full-time student is that you often take less flying hours to complete the course, as less repetition is needed on every stage of your training. The flight exam (check ride) is conducted with an authorized examiner and comprises of an oral quizzing (typically one-to-two hours), and a flight test (typically one and a half hours).
Flying in the clouds
Up until now, all the flying you have done has been with visual references to the outside world for orientation. But as we all know - the airlines sometimes fly through the clouds and always end up several miles above the ground. To be able to do this you have to obtain an instrument rating, and like the word implies - you will learn how to fly solely by reference to the aircraft's instruments.
The instrument rating is not a certificate in itself. It is a rating added to the certificate you already hold. Before you can start the instrument rating course you have to complete at least 50 hours of cross-country flying (flying from one airport to another airport at least 50 nautical miles away). The course itself is a minimum of 40 flying hours in actual or simulated instrument conditions. Simulated means you will wear a hood or some sort of goggles to obstruct the outside view during the flight lessons. In actual instrument conditions you will be flying with your instructor inside the actual clouds.
As a part-time student you normally complete the course in four-to-six months. As a full-time student you can complete the course in two-to-three months and it will cost you approximately $5000-6000 to complete in both cases. The 50 hours of cross-country flying is not included in this price estimate. The instrument rating too has a theoretical exam of 60 multiple-choice questions. The flight examination (check ride) is conducted by an authorized examiner and comprises of an oral quizzing (typically one-to-two hours) and a flight test (typically one and a half hours).
If you plan to become a professional pilot, then you will need the instrument rating. However, even as a recreational pilot, obtaining an instrument rating is not a bad idea. Low cloud ceilings and poor visibility can limit your options as a pilot if you do not have an instrument rating. And even if do not plan to fly in the clouds, it can be a life saver if you inadvertently find yourself in deteriorating weather conditions.
The Pursuit of a Flying Career
Before I tell you how to become a commercial pilot, let me first include you in a few common misconceptions.
All professional pilots fly for an airline
When I tell people I am a pilot, the most common follow up question is "what airline do you fly for?" Although many pilots do fly for airlines, and this is where most people see them in action, there are plenty of professional flying jobs that are non-airline related. This includes corporate flying (business jets and smaller propeller airplanes), cargo (large and small airplanes), law enforcement, crop spraying, search and rescue, air ambulance, flight instruction and many more.
Flying airplanes is a way to make easy money and live a great lifestyle
This is an old idea and 20 years ago it was not as false as it may be today. Although airline pilots generally make a decent living, the work pressure, the growing call for efficiency, and the competition from the low cost carriers have taken away much of the glamour. Being away from home very often can also take its toll on family life. Depending on the airline, most pilots are away for 5 days and home 3-4 days on a normal work schedule (called a roster). Other areas of professional flying, like flight instruction, may be a bit more relaxed but you will never get rich doing it.
Once I become a commercial pilot I will get a job
In some professions it is relatively easy to get a job after you graduate. Flying is not one of them. Unfortunately there are too many students in flight school with the idea of an easy entry into a career at the end of training. Although there is a need for pilots these days (it has actually never been a better time to start your training) it does not mean that you get to pick and choose. For every commercial pilot there are at least three who will never fly for a living.
Most airlines and other aviation companies conduct tests and simulator checks together with the interviews. Being a commercial pilot is only the ticket for this audition and is far from a job guarantee. In many ways it is a catch 22; the easiest way to get an airline job is if you already have an airline job. The reason for this is that many companies set a higher minimum experience requirement than a student fresh out of flight school will have.
The typical aspiring airline pilot in America will first work as a flight instructor to build up the flying hours needed to qualify for an airline job. Therefore, do not be surprised if your instructor has only been flying for a couple of years himself, as most instructors these days only have to instruct for one-to-two years before they qualify for a regional airline. The typical career pattern in the US is student pilot, flight instructor, regional airline pilot (or charter/smaller cargo operations), and then major airline pilot (or major cargo operations like FedEx and UPS). Generally speaking, the experience requirements will increase in proportion to the size of the aircraft (funny enough, so does the salary).
Commercial Pilot License and Multi Engine Rating
Are you still reading? Good! Then professional flying may be for you after all. Now let us look at what is needed to obtain the commercial pilot license.
To obtain a commercial pilot license (CPL), you have to be at least 18 years of age. There is no upper age restriction other than the ability to pass a class 2 medical exam. You must have logged at least 250 hours of flight time in your logbook. The CPL training course can be included in these 250 hours. There are no minimum training hours in the CPL course itself, but expect to spend at least 10-20 flight hours with your instructor as there are a few new maneuvers you need to learn. In addition to this, you have to complete at least 10 hours of training in a complex aircraft (an aircraft with retractable landing gear, flaps and variable pitch propeller).
You also have to pass a 100 question, multiple-choice, theoretical exam.
The flight examination (check ride) is conducted by an authorized examiner and comprises of an oral quizzing (typically one-to-two hours) and a flight test. The flight test is often broken into two flights; one flight in your regular training aircraft to demonstrate your general flying skills, and one in a complex aircraft to demonstrate your capability to safely fly a complex aircraft. If the whole flight test is conducted in a complex aircraft there is no need for two flights.
After obtaining the commercial pilot license many students add the multi engine rating to their certificate. This is needed to fly aircrafts with more than one engine. The typical training aircraft is a small, two engine, aircraft with one engine mounted on each wing. The multi engine course is "training as required" to pass the skill test; typically a student will fly approximately 10 hours with his/her instructor to achieve this level. The flight examination (check ride) is conducted by an authorized examiner and comprises of an oral quizzing (typically one hour) and a flight test (typically one and a half hours).
Passing on the legend - becoming a flight instructor
As I mentioned earlier in this article - there is a huge gap between the experience level obtained as a newly examined commercial pilot and the experience level required to be an airline pilot. The majority of aspiring professional pilots fill this gap by flight instructing. Being a flight instructor is a great way to gain the experience needed to qualify for a job with a regional airline or a job flying something bigger than small single and multi-engine airplanes. Unfortunately there are too many hour-building instructors who care about little other than the hours in their logbook. You as a new student should be on the lookout for this instructor when you start your training, as he/she will more than likely make your training more expensive and frustrating than it should.
Do not get me wrong - that your instructor has an ambition to move on to an airline one day is not an indication of such an instructor, as most instructors have that as their primary goal. The typical "hour-building" instructor is one that takes little interest in his/her students, and pushes forward with flights in weather conditions worse than a student feels comfortable flying in. He/she also often goes directly from a flight with one student to a flight with another student - leaving little time on the ground for feedback and debriefing. One has to appreciate that many flight instructors are only paid per hour of flight and thus need to keep a tight schedule to make a living, but this does not mean that you as a student should not get the required attention. If you feel that your training is rushed or the feedback is missing, then don't be afraid to speak up. Keeping a good dialogue with your instructor is a primary key to a successful course. If this does not work then ask to change instructor or, in worst case, change flight school.
You as a flight instructor you should not be like that. As a student pilot I flew with, and met, some poor instructors. As a flight instructor myself I always aspire to not become one of them. It is incredible how much you as a flight instructor can learn from your own students if you only take an interest. Some say flight instruction is "learning by teaching" and I agree 100% with that statement. You will be doing it for at least a year, so why not spend the time doing something useful. Being a good flight instructor can only help you get the airline job you want.
There is one more certificate you can obtain after your commercial license (CPL) - the Airline Transport Pilot License (ATPL). This is the highest pilot certificate you can obtain, and is required to captain any aircraft with more than one pilot (all airlines and many commercial operations). You have to be at least 23 years of age and log a minimum of 1,500 flight hours to qualify for this certificate. I will not cover the ATPL in any detail here as you will have plenty of knowledge about the aviation industry by the time you get to this level.
In Summary
Almost everyone can become a pilot. It is mostly a question of motivation, determination and discipline. But before you do anything - do like all great pilots do - research and do proper planning. Visit your local flying club, talk with pilots, shop around for the school you think suits you best (our website should help you contact most of them) and make a plan on how you will achieve your goal.
Good luck in your quest to join a society of not so exclusive but very privileged people - the ones who can fly.
Start realizing your dream
Best Aviation has more than 1,100 schools in the directory; almost 900 of them are located in the US. As you can see, the US is the #1 country in the world when it comes to producing pilots. And with a long legacy of famous aviation pioneers like the Wright brothers, Charles Lindberg, and Emilia Earhart - no other country can match what the US has done for aviation.
But even these pioneers had to start somewhere, and the first step is to schedule an introduction flight. This is done with a flight school or flying club in your area. The introduction flight is normally a briefing followed by a 30 minute flight and cost about $50. This is a time to ask all the questions your heart desires and should leave you with a good idea about what it takes to become a pilot.
If you, after your introduction flight, find out that taking flying lessons is something you want to do, then the next step is to see an aviation medical examiner. This is a doctor in your area approved by the aviation authorities (FAA) to issue a medical certificate to pilots. They come in three classes; class 1 is for airline pilots, class 2 is for commercial pilots (paid to fly), and class 3 is for recreational pilots. If your goal is to one day become a commercial pilot, I would advice you to go for the class 1 or class 2 certificate right away to make sure you qualify. Nothing is worse than finding out later in your training that you disqualify for medical reasons. If your goal is to become a private pilot and fly around for recreational purposes only, then a class 3 medical certificate will do.
Obtaining your private pilot license (PPL)
The private pilot license, commonly called the PPL, is the first license you obtain as a pilot. You can compare it to your driver's license and in many ways that is just what it is; "the driver's license of the sky." It allows you to hire an aircraft and take friends and family flying. Or, if you are fortunate enough to own an aircraft you can fly it for recreational purposes, be it a local scenic flight or a vacation trip to a far destination. The majority of pilots are PPL holders and all pilots, even the professional airline pilots, have at one point been a PPL pilot. While this is the first stepping stone on the way to become a professional pilot, most people that obtain a PPL do so purely for recreational purposes. You cannot fly for compensation or hire (make money flying as a pilot) on your private pilot license, but you can fly all by yourself the same way a driver's license lets you drive a car by yourself. And maybe the greatest thing of all - you can share this experience by taking friends and family with you. As most training aircrafts are four seat, single engine airplanes, you can associate it with driving a car in the sky. You have to be at least 17 years of age to obtain the PPL but you can start the training before then. There is no upper age restriction but you do have to be able to pass a class 3 medical examination.
"How can I afford all of this" you may wonder, and let me level with you - flying is not cheap. But compared to many other hobbies it is actually not that expensive. Training for a PPL in the US will cost you about $4000-5000 but the cost is spread over your course of training. As flight training is normally charged per hour of flight (you will need at least 40 hours, however most students finish in about 60 hours), you pay as your training progresses. So if you do not have all the money up front there is no need to panic - you can simply train and fly whenever time and money allows.
There is one thing you should take into consideration; if you do not have the time or money to fly at least one-to-two lessons per week (a typical lesson is one-to-one and a half hours long), I would advice you to save your money until you are in a situation where you are able fly one-to-two times per week. If you fly less than one time per week, you end up spending more money and time than you should. This relates to forgetting skills learned in pervious flying lessons if they are spread out too thin, and make it necessary to do extra repetition of previously flown lessons.
You also have to pass a theoretical exam. This is a 60 question multiple-choice test with three alternatives - one being the right answer. The test is done on a computer and often the school you attend will be approved to conduct this exam.
The average part-time student will complete his/her private pilot license in three-to-six months. As a full-time student you can shorten this period down to one-to-two months. The benefit as a full-time student is that you often take less flying hours to complete the course, as less repetition is needed on every stage of your training. The flight exam (check ride) is conducted with an authorized examiner and comprises of an oral quizzing (typically one-to-two hours), and a flight test (typically one and a half hours).
Flying in the clouds
Up until now, all the flying you have done has been with visual references to the outside world for orientation. But as we all know - the airlines sometimes fly through the clouds and always end up several miles above the ground. To be able to do this you have to obtain an instrument rating, and like the word implies - you will learn how to fly solely by reference to the aircraft's instruments.
The instrument rating is not a certificate in itself. It is a rating added to the certificate you already hold. Before you can start the instrument rating course you have to complete at least 50 hours of cross-country flying (flying from one airport to another airport at least 50 nautical miles away). The course itself is a minimum of 40 flying hours in actual or simulated instrument conditions. Simulated means you will wear a hood or some sort of goggles to obstruct the outside view during the flight lessons. In actual instrument conditions you will be flying with your instructor inside the actual clouds.
As a part-time student you normally complete the course in four-to-six months. As a full-time student you can complete the course in two-to-three months and it will cost you approximately $5000-6000 to complete in both cases. The 50 hours of cross-country flying is not included in this price estimate. The instrument rating too has a theoretical exam of 60 multiple-choice questions. The flight examination (check ride) is conducted by an authorized examiner and comprises of an oral quizzing (typically one-to-two hours) and a flight test (typically one and a half hours).
If you plan to become a professional pilot, then you will need the instrument rating. However, even as a recreational pilot, obtaining an instrument rating is not a bad idea. Low cloud ceilings and poor visibility can limit your options as a pilot if you do not have an instrument rating. And even if do not plan to fly in the clouds, it can be a life saver if you inadvertently find yourself in deteriorating weather conditions.
The Pursuit of a Flying Career
Before I tell you how to become a commercial pilot, let me first include you in a few common misconceptions.
All professional pilots fly for an airline
When I tell people I am a pilot, the most common follow up question is "what airline do you fly for?" Although many pilots do fly for airlines, and this is where most people see them in action, there are plenty of professional flying jobs that are non-airline related. This includes corporate flying (business jets and smaller propeller airplanes), cargo (large and small airplanes), law enforcement, crop spraying, search and rescue, air ambulance, flight instruction and many more.
Flying airplanes is a way to make easy money and live a great lifestyle
This is an old idea and 20 years ago it was not as false as it may be today. Although airline pilots generally make a decent living, the work pressure, the growing call for efficiency, and the competition from the low cost carriers have taken away much of the glamour. Being away from home very often can also take its toll on family life. Depending on the airline, most pilots are away for 5 days and home 3-4 days on a normal work schedule (called a roster). Other areas of professional flying, like flight instruction, may be a bit more relaxed but you will never get rich doing it.
Once I become a commercial pilot I will get a job
In some professions it is relatively easy to get a job after you graduate. Flying is not one of them. Unfortunately there are too many students in flight school with the idea of an easy entry into a career at the end of training. Although there is a need for pilots these days (it has actually never been a better time to start your training) it does not mean that you get to pick and choose. For every commercial pilot there are at least three who will never fly for a living.
Most airlines and other aviation companies conduct tests and simulator checks together with the interviews. Being a commercial pilot is only the ticket for this audition and is far from a job guarantee. In many ways it is a catch 22; the easiest way to get an airline job is if you already have an airline job. The reason for this is that many companies set a higher minimum experience requirement than a student fresh out of flight school will have.
The typical aspiring airline pilot in America will first work as a flight instructor to build up the flying hours needed to qualify for an airline job. Therefore, do not be surprised if your instructor has only been flying for a couple of years himself, as most instructors these days only have to instruct for one-to-two years before they qualify for a regional airline. The typical career pattern in the US is student pilot, flight instructor, regional airline pilot (or charter/smaller cargo operations), and then major airline pilot (or major cargo operations like FedEx and UPS). Generally speaking, the experience requirements will increase in proportion to the size of the aircraft (funny enough, so does the salary).
Commercial Pilot License and Multi Engine Rating
Are you still reading? Good! Then professional flying may be for you after all. Now let us look at what is needed to obtain the commercial pilot license.
To obtain a commercial pilot license (CPL), you have to be at least 18 years of age. There is no upper age restriction other than the ability to pass a class 2 medical exam. You must have logged at least 250 hours of flight time in your logbook. The CPL training course can be included in these 250 hours. There are no minimum training hours in the CPL course itself, but expect to spend at least 10-20 flight hours with your instructor as there are a few new maneuvers you need to learn. In addition to this, you have to complete at least 10 hours of training in a complex aircraft (an aircraft with retractable landing gear, flaps and variable pitch propeller).
You also have to pass a 100 question, multiple-choice, theoretical exam.
The flight examination (check ride) is conducted by an authorized examiner and comprises of an oral quizzing (typically one-to-two hours) and a flight test. The flight test is often broken into two flights; one flight in your regular training aircraft to demonstrate your general flying skills, and one in a complex aircraft to demonstrate your capability to safely fly a complex aircraft. If the whole flight test is conducted in a complex aircraft there is no need for two flights.
After obtaining the commercial pilot license many students add the multi engine rating to their certificate. This is needed to fly aircrafts with more than one engine. The typical training aircraft is a small, two engine, aircraft with one engine mounted on each wing. The multi engine course is "training as required" to pass the skill test; typically a student will fly approximately 10 hours with his/her instructor to achieve this level. The flight examination (check ride) is conducted by an authorized examiner and comprises of an oral quizzing (typically one hour) and a flight test (typically one and a half hours).
Passing on the legend - becoming a flight instructor
As I mentioned earlier in this article - there is a huge gap between the experience level obtained as a newly examined commercial pilot and the experience level required to be an airline pilot. The majority of aspiring professional pilots fill this gap by flight instructing. Being a flight instructor is a great way to gain the experience needed to qualify for a job with a regional airline or a job flying something bigger than small single and multi-engine airplanes. Unfortunately there are too many hour-building instructors who care about little other than the hours in their logbook. You as a new student should be on the lookout for this instructor when you start your training, as he/she will more than likely make your training more expensive and frustrating than it should.
Do not get me wrong - that your instructor has an ambition to move on to an airline one day is not an indication of such an instructor, as most instructors have that as their primary goal. The typical "hour-building" instructor is one that takes little interest in his/her students, and pushes forward with flights in weather conditions worse than a student feels comfortable flying in. He/she also often goes directly from a flight with one student to a flight with another student - leaving little time on the ground for feedback and debriefing. One has to appreciate that many flight instructors are only paid per hour of flight and thus need to keep a tight schedule to make a living, but this does not mean that you as a student should not get the required attention. If you feel that your training is rushed or the feedback is missing, then don't be afraid to speak up. Keeping a good dialogue with your instructor is a primary key to a successful course. If this does not work then ask to change instructor or, in worst case, change flight school.
You as a flight instructor you should not be like that. As a student pilot I flew with, and met, some poor instructors. As a flight instructor myself I always aspire to not become one of them. It is incredible how much you as a flight instructor can learn from your own students if you only take an interest. Some say flight instruction is "learning by teaching" and I agree 100% with that statement. You will be doing it for at least a year, so why not spend the time doing something useful. Being a good flight instructor can only help you get the airline job you want.
There is one more certificate you can obtain after your commercial license (CPL) - the Airline Transport Pilot License (ATPL). This is the highest pilot certificate you can obtain, and is required to captain any aircraft with more than one pilot (all airlines and many commercial operations). You have to be at least 23 years of age and log a minimum of 1,500 flight hours to qualify for this certificate. I will not cover the ATPL in any detail here as you will have plenty of knowledge about the aviation industry by the time you get to this level.
In Summary
Almost everyone can become a pilot. It is mostly a question of motivation, determination and discipline. But before you do anything - do like all great pilots do - research and do proper planning. Visit your local flying club, talk with pilots, shop around for the school you think suits you best (our website should help you contact most of them) and make a plan on how you will achieve your goal.
Good luck in your quest to join a society of not so exclusive but very privileged people - the ones who can fly.
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How to Become a Pilot
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How to Become a Pilot
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