Jorge Said:

How can I become an airline pilot?

We Answered:

Airline Pilot

The job of a pilot of a commercial aircraft involves great responsibility for both the aircraft and for the safety of the crew and all of the passengers. Pilots need to be reliable, calm and level headed, able to take charge in an emergency and have good clear communication skills both within the team on board and with air traffic control.

Their working environment, the flight deck can be very cramped, especially on long haul flights. Flight delays, caused by whatever means as well as the 24 hour nature of the commercial airline business can involve very irregular working hours for pilots. There are, however very strict rules governing the amount of hours spent working between rest periods, and pilots flying long haul schedules can often return on scheduled flight as passengers.

Although the pilot is rarely actually seen, they are often in contact with the passengers during a flight, relaying information regarding weather conditions, flight times, delays, etc. and so they too represent the airline's 'public face' and need to be able to instil confidence and professionalism at all times.

Qualifications required

A CPL (commercial pilot's licence) is required with instrument rating awarded by the CAA (Civil Aviation Authority) to fly aircraft registered in the UK 'for hire or reward'. To become the commander of an airliner requires an Airline Transport Pilot's Licence - ATPL (A).

There are a number of ways to obtain the CPL, namely:

Full or partial sponsorship and training by an airline - normally requiring a minimum of five GCSE/S grades including English, maths and a science plus two A levels or equivalent.
Private residential training school with entry standards recommended by the CAA (five GCSE/S grades including English, maths and a science. GNVQ GSVQ and BTEC/SCOTVEC holders will be considered on their merits. This is a very expensive method of training, costing up to £50,000.
Training as a pilot with one of the armed forces and taking a conversion, or abridged course for qualification as a commercial pilot.
Gaining a PPL (Private Pilot's Licence) and 700 hours flying experience perhaps by working a an instructor to be eligible to sit for the written and practical test for the CPL. This is also an expensive route, though it can be taken over a longer period.
Age requirements are usually between 18 and 24 years of age for individual airlines, with height restrictions for some of between 5'2" and 6'3"