How to Become a Major Airline Pilot
Major airline pilots ferry passengers in large aircraft across countries, continents and oceans. These highly-trained professionals ensure the safety of their passengers, fellow airline crew members and others in the air and on the ground. Due to their great responsibility, major airline pilots are often rewarded handsomely. According to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, airline pilots earned an average of $81,580 to $150,480 as of May 2008. Additionally, airline pilots receive travel benefits allowing them to fly anywhere in the world at very low cost. With hard work, dedication and years of sacrifice, you can become a major airline pilot.
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Instructions
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Visit a Federal Aviation Administration, or FAA, certified aviation medical examiner and receive an examination for a first-class medical certificate. Pilots must have a first-class medical certificate to fly for the airlines. This certificate signals that pilots are in excellent health and have 20-20 vision and perfect hearing. Additionally, in order to qualify for a first-class medical, pilots must be free of mental illness, cancer, heart disease and any seizure activity.
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Begin flight training at an FAA-certified flight training center. Choose a flight school that offers advanced pilot training. You will need to earn a private pilot certificate, commercial pilot certificate and instrument rating to fly professionally.
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Find an entry-level flying job. Many new pilots fly small cargo aircraft, banner-towing planes or regional airliners to gain flight experience.
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Earn an airline transport pilot, or ATP, certificate, which you will need to act as an airline captain. In order to test for this license, you need to be at least 23 years old, have 1,500 hours of flight time and an instrument rating, and you must pass a written test and flight test.
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Build flying time. Major airlines will not hire a pilot unless she meets the airline's minimum flight time requirements. Typically, major airlines require new-hire pilots to have at least 2,000 hours of total flying time.
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Interview for a major airline position. In addition to a typical job interview, you must pass an aviation knowledge test as well as a flight test in a cockpit simulator. You should receive a hiring decision within a few weeks of interviewing.
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Pass the airline's initial pilot training class. Major airlines require new-hire pilots to pass a several-week, rigorous training course prior to starting their jobs.
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Tips & Warnings
Get a certified flight instructor, or CFI, certificate. This will allow you to build hours by teaching other people how to fly.
You need to visit an AME to renew your first class medical certificate every six calendar months.
References
- Photo Credit commercial airliner image by itsallgood from Fotolia.com
