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How to Become a Pilot

As an airline pilot, your role will involve travelling around the world to deliver both passengers and cargo from one location to another. If you’re looking for a job full of adventure where no two days are ever exactly the same, where you meet new people, and where you can combine this with a passion for technology, then you could have what it takes to become a pilot. Wondering if you have what it takes to make this exciting role your career? Here’s everything you need to know about how to become a pilot:

What is a Pilot?

Airline pilots are paid to fly either passengers or cargo all over the world. The role of the pilot is both challenging and rewarding: it is a position loaded with responsibility, and securing a place on a pilot training course can be incredibly competitive. As well as being competitive, Pilot training can also be both lengthy and expensive. In order to work as a commercial pilot in the UK you will need to be over 21 years of age (though you can commence your training at 18 years of age), hold a Commercial Pilot Licence (CPL) issued by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), and pass a medical fitness test. As well as assessing your overall fitness levels, this test will also assess your eyesight, and hearing skills. As you could be working with children and vulnerable people on your flights, you will also need to pass enhanced background checks.

An aircraft is typically operated by two pilots; one will be the captain who is the pilot in command, while the other will be the supporting first officer, sometimes also referred to as a co-pilot. As an airline pilot, it is unlikely that you will ever be responsible for flying a plane alone.

Your primary working environment will be on an aircraft. This means that your working conditions are likely to be cramped and noisy. You will be expected to wear a uniform whenever you are on duty.

Personal Qualities of a Pilot

As well as possessing a sense of adventure and being comfortable in the air (this is not the right job if you have a fear of flying) there are other personal qualities that will be essential if you want to become a successful pilot. These include:

  • A passion for aviation and for spending time travelling. The role will involve irregular shift patterns and spending time away from home, so it’s essential that you have a passion for what you do.
  • Excellent verbal communication skills that will enable you to communicate clearly and concisely with a wide range of people. From your passenger to your crew, and the support staff in each airport that you fly to, good communication is integral for a pilot.
  • The ability to remain calm in stressful situations. If something goes wrong, then you will need to focus on rectifying the situation, and maintaining control without panicking.
  • The ability to work well both independently and as part of a wider team.
  • Good leadership skills. You should have a confident personality that will command the respect and understanding of both your crew and the passengers on your airline.
  • You will have good levels of spatial awareness and will need to demonstrate that you have the technical aptitude to become a pilot. This includes prompt data analysis skills and the ability to think outside the box when solving problems.
  • You should be decisive and able to think on your feet. You should feel confident in your decision-making skills and follow through on those key decisions quickly and clearly.
  • Good maths skills and a good understanding of the practical application of mathematics.
  • Strong observation and recording skills to enable you to maintain thorough records of your flights which can be shared with both ground crews and other pilots.
  • The ability to operate and control complex equipment with ease.
  • The ability to use a computer and handheld device, and the main software packages that they contain, competently.
Commercial Pilots

What a Pilot Does

Your day-to-day role as a pilot will vary depending on what type of pilot you are. There are three main types of pilot categories:

  • Private Pilot. Private pilots can fly light aircraft for leisure and can fly family and friends, but they are not able to make money from the flying that they do. Private pilots are often known as hobby pilots.
  • Commercial Pilot. Commercial pilots hold a Commercial Pilots Licence (CPL) which enables them to be paid to fly for companies and airlines. As a commercial pilot, you could lead sightseeing tours, fly cargo, or transport passengers around the world.
  • Military Pilot. Military pilots undertake specialist training to operate military aircraft. You can become a military pilot in the Navy, the Army, or the RAF.

The focus of this article is on the role of a commercial pilot. As a commercial pilot, you will generally work alongside a co-pilot, and you will share the following duties:

  • Take it in turns to fly the plane and to communicate with air traffic control, working as a team to ensure your journey is as safe and smooth as possible.
  • Plan your flight route, by assessing air traffic control data and the most up-to-date weather reports to work out which route will be best on a journey-by-journey basis.
  • Create a specific flight plan for each flight that you take. This should include the height that you’ll need to fly at and the amount of fuel that you’ll need.
  • Undertake comprehensive pre-flight checks. This should include checking the instruments that you will need to fly the plane, the engines, fuel levels, and the essential safety systems.
  • Provide a brief to your cabin crew about your plans for the flight and your proposed route.
  • Take instructions from air traffic control and be prepared to change your plans at short notice, based on the information that you are given.
  • Follow the protocol and procedures during take-off. These will vary from airport to airport, with noise pollution regulations being determined by local government.
  • Make tannoy announcements throughout your flights, informing both passengers and crew about your flight path and flight time, as well as any relevant information about your journey as it progresses.
  • Depending on which airline and aircraft you operate on, you may return to your home base at the end of each day, or you may find your role involves staying over in other countries for a night or two.
  • Write full reports about in-flight issues.

How Much Does a Pilot Earn?

Your earning potential as a pilot will depend on how much experience you have (and the number of flight hours you have under your belt) as well as on the size of the airline that you fly for. As a newly qualified co-pilot, you can expect your annual salary to range between £24,000 (for a small operation) and £28,000 (for larger airlines).

Once you have gained some experience and enter a first officer role, your salary range will increase to between £36,000 to £48,000 whilst captains are able to command considerably higher salaries. The starting salary for a captain with a medium-sized airline may range from £54,000 to £75,000. Those employed by major operators can earn anywhere between £97,000 to more than £140,000. In most airlines, salaries are incremental, meaning that the longer you stay with the same organisation the more you will earn.

As well as receiving generous financial remuneration, other benefits of choosing a career as a commercial airline pilot include access to a company pension scheme, access to discounted or free travel, and other allowances, such as free meals and accommodation.

Qualifications Needed for a Pilot

There are two main routes to becoming a qualified airline pilot: you can either undertake a university course in air transport or aviation or undergo a specialist training course with a private organisation. If you choose the university route, then commercial pilot training with an approved flight training organisation will be a part of your course (and you will need to pay for this independently on top of your course fees).

To be accepted onto a university course, you will need to have three A levels or equivalent qualifications. Some universities will ask that one of these is in maths for a place on an aviation course: you should check this directly with the university you wish to attend. You will also be asked to prove a class 2 medical certificate before you start your course. In order to get your Commercial Pilot’s Licence, you will need a Class 1 medical certificate, so you may wish to apply for this before you start your course, to avoid having to apply for it at a later stage. As well as your degree certificate, completing a degree in air transport or aviation will lead to a ‘frozen’ Air Transport Pilot Licence (ATPL). When you have this qualification, you will be able to apply to work in a co-pilot position with a commercial airline and will need to secure the necessary flight hours in this position before you can become an airline captain.

If you prefer to focus solely on gaining your commercial pilot’s licence but are not interested in the academics involved in a university course, then you could also train directly with a private flying school. This is a lengthy process that will take at least 18 months of full-time study. It is possible to take part-time or modular courses (to help work around your training or spread the cost of the training) but these courses will take much longer. You can find details of registered flight training schools on the Civil Aviation Authority website.

If you have flying experience in the armed forces, then you may find you have a simpler route to working as a commercial pilot. You can apply directly to the Civil Aviation Authority’s Military Accreditation Scheme to become a commercial pilot. They will assess your piloting experience and your number of flight hours and may directly convert your military pilot licence to a commercial one.

On the Job Training

On-the-Job Training

Becoming an airline pilot is not a cheap endeavour. Whilst the exact fees will vary from training provider to training provider, you can expect to spend between £70,000 and £120,000 to become fully qualified to fly a commercial airline. For this reason, it is essential that you are confident that a career as a pilot is the right path for you before you commit such a significant financial investment in your training.

For this reason, before you start your training to become a pilot you might wish to consider taking a pilot-readiness test with the Honourable Company of Air Pilots. This is an aptitude test that will look at your response times, your concentration levels and your ability to work well under pressure, amongst other things. Undergoing an aptitude test such as this will help you to more clearly determine whether a career as a commercial pilot is the right choice for you before you make such a considerable financial investment in pursuing it.

On-the-job training is vital for commercial air pilots throughout their careers. Even when you have achieved your commercial pilot license and secured a co-pilot position, you will need to complete enough hours of supervised flight time (effectively being trained and supported by a more senior pilot) before you can assume a captain’s position. This is a career where ongoing on-the-job training will be essential to your continued career success.

Professional Bodies

Joining a professional body is a great way to demonstrate your commitment to pursuing your chosen career path, as well as providing an opportunity to engage with your peers and further develop your professional skills. The British Airline Pilots Association (BALPA) is the largest professional body for airline pilots in the UK. BALPA currently represents over 10,000 pilots and are recognised in 23 different companies; that’s over 85% of all commercial pilots flying in the UK.

Perhaps the biggest benefit of joining BALPA is that membership gives you access to the organisation’s huge resource pool: the organisation holds the largest collective resource of commercial aviation skills and qualifications in the UK. Other membership benefits include access to an emergency helpline for support and advice, as well as access to a team of professional and personal support staff.

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