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Job Title:

Commercial Airline Pilot

Related Job Title:

pilot, charter airline pilot, co-pilot

Job Description:

One of the more well known careers is that of a pilot. Pilots also fly while doing more unusual tasks such as crop dusting, law enforcement work, search and rescue missions, traffic monitoring and fire fighting, to name a few. A pilot's duties include much more than climbing aboard and flying the airplane. Pilots must check weather conditions and plan a safe route. The pilot then files the flight plan with air traffic control. Note that most commercial airline pilots are given a weather briefing and then handed a pre-prepared flight plan. They must thoroughly review the weather data and flight plan before push back from the gate. During preflight the pilot must completely check the aircraft to ensure that all systems are operating properly and that all control surfaces and electrical equipment are functioning correctly. During the flight, pilots must monitor their progress and maintain communications with air traffic control facilities on the ground. After the flight, the pilot completes the necessary paperwork for the flight and closes out the flight plan.

Areas of Expertise:

• Flight navigation and communication
• Aircraft operations
• Aircraft structure and function
• FAA flight regulations
• Aviation and aeronautical principles

Interest and Abilities:

• Using directional equipment to navigate (compass, stars, maps, GPS)
• Love of flight and aviation
• Ability to take a leadership role
• Knowledge of how an aircraft works: its parts and systems
• Ability to follow directions
• Ability to make sound decisions under stressful conditions

Suggested subjects to study in school:

• Mathematics: algebra, geometry, trigonometry
• Physics
• Aeronautics: science of flight
• Communications or speech
• Geography and mapping

Education and Training Needed:

• Most airlines require a 4-year college degree before consideration to their program
• Private pilot's license
• Commercial pilot's license
• Additional pilot training in instrument flying (instrument rating)
• Many hours of flight time under various flight conditions and flying various types of aircraft (this includes passing written tests and hands-on examination with a flight instructor to receive the proper certification)

You might want to further explore this career by checking out the web sites given below:

What can I do right now?
Consider participating in the Junior ROTC and/or the Civil Air Patrol (CAP)
Take a ground school course.
Start working on your private pilot's license (Yes, even though you are still in high school you can earn your private pilot's license!).
Take a shop course and learn how piston engines work.
Volunteer to work at your local airport to see if you find the environment interesting.
Get your ham radio license.
Learn to fly radio controlled airplanes.
Learn how to read the various kinds of aeronautical charts.
Learn how to navigate using the constellations.
Spend a lot of time reading maps to become geographically literate.
Get experience flying in many different kinds of aircraft (as a passenger).

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