If are you in search of how to be an airline pilot, you’re in the right place, because I would like to show you ways to be an airline pilot in this article. If you are looking for a career path in the aviation industry then you will need this article. Kindly read till the end.
Becoming a pilot requires various levels of training and certification. If you are looking forward to becoming a professional pilot then you should bear in mind that you will have to pass through many training and retraining.
These training and certifications are to be sure the person has to meet up with the requirements to be a pilot. This is airline pilot is responsible for flying passengers and other crew members from one destination to another.
They are required to navigate the flight path of the aircraft using specialized equipment and control all other aspects of the plane’s movement. In the cockpit, the captain (pilot in command) and the first officer (second in command) work as a team to ensure a safe flight from vehicle inspection and flight logs to precise coordination for takeoff and landing.
In these ways to become an airline pilot, we will explain the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) requirements and steps to become an airline pilot and details on how to become a professional pilot.
As a professional pilot, you should be responsible for handling the plane through inclement weather and must react to any mechanical problems that may occur mid-flight. Airline pilots should also communicate with air traffic controllers and use radar to understand their flight path.
Ways To Be An Airline Pilot
To become an airline pilot, these 7 steps outlined below must be completed for proper training and experience:
1. Earn an FAA-Approved Bachelor’s Degree
Airline companies require a bachelor’s degree from a recognized institution in aviation or a related field when applying for jobs as airline pilots. If you plan to follow an airline pilot career path, the most common step students take is to go to an FAA-authorized institution where they will undergo an aviation-related program to earn a degree and receive pilot training at the same time.
2. Obtain A Private Pilot License
To earn a private pilot certificate, you will need to learn basic flight methods, aircraft maneuvers, navigation, flight planning, and emergency landing techniques. Once you have this qualification, you are legally allowed to fly a plane.
3. Acquire An Instrument Rating
Flying an airplane requires knowing how to read and understand flight instruments. Once you earned a basic pilot certificate on that, you will be trained on how to use sophisticated instruments that guide a plane through different weather conditions and altitudes.
4. Obtain A Commercial Pilot License
A commercial pilot license allows pilots to fly goods or people to earn money. Once a pilot has this qualification, they can take jobs in search and rescue, passenger flights, and cargo deliveries. Under this category, a pilot takes additional training to obtain ratings for each class of airplane they want to fly.
5. Get A Flight Instructor Certificate
You can gain more experience and flight hours when you become a flight instructor. Most airline companies require a certain minimum of flight hours before you can even apply for a job with them.
The minimum number of total flight hours required by the FAA is 1,500. Working as a flight instructor is a recommended way of quickly accumulating the flight hours and experience you need to work as a pilot.
6. Add A Multi-Engine Rating
In order to fly commercial airplanes, pilots are required to earn an additional rating for their commercial license. They must prove that they are able to fly large planes with multiple engines.
Training for this certification involves learning what to do in the case of a single-engine failure and handling these large planes in an emergency situation.
7. Earn An Airline Transport Pilot (ATP) Certification
The ATP certification is the highest licensing the FAA issues. To earn this certification, pilots need more than the minimum requirement of 1,500 hours of flight experience. Pilots must also have specific flight hours logged, including pilot in command (PIC), nighttime flying, and cross-country PIC.
Once you meet all the FAA requirements listed above, you can seek employment with any major airline company. Since airline operations are based on the number of years you have worked with the company, you will have to start work as a first officer and move on to captain after at least two years of work with the company.